Ben Ainslie won his 6th world championship yesterday in Spain. The titles have come in 3 different classes. This is his 2nd consecutive Finn Gold Cup championship which signifies the classes World Champion.

If Ainslie is not familiar to American’s he should be. He’s a 2 time
medalist in the Laser, plus a 2 time world sailor of the year.

Ainslie won this title in dramatic fashion. He suffered a bad start and
rounded the initial mark in 23rd. He picked up 10 places downwind,
then moved to 5th upwind and picked off 2 more boats to finish 3rd and
clinch the title.

He’s the 5th sailor to win back to back Finn Gold Cup titles. This list included Paul Elvstrom in 1958 and 1959 and American Cam Lewis in 1979-1980. Of the 5 double Gold Cup winners only one, Elvstrom, went
onto win an Olympic medal.

In 2004 Ainslie will aim for his 3rd Olympic medal to add to his 2000 Gold
and 1996 Silver.

He’s had success in Athens winning his 2003 Finn Gold Cup in Athens and has
won the 2002 and 2003 Olympic Test Events.

Here’s a full list of Ainslie’s world titles

1993 Laser Radial
1995 World Youth Champion
1998 Laser World Champion
1999 Laser World Champion
2002 Finn Gold Cup
2003 Finn Gold Cup

For certain Ainslie will be a candidate for Torresen Sailing Site’s 2003 Sailor of the Year.

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