Steering our boat Sule Skerry; it means Seal Rock in Gaelic and that’s where the boat ended up!
Dad (far right) and the crew of Second Life during the Whitbread Round the World race 1973-4
Dad teaching me how to steer to a compass heading. He was a great teacher, very patient
Mum helping Jim Saltonstall, the British coach, at the Optimist World Championships, Argentina 1992. Left to right there is me, Nick Rogers, Owen Ashton, Verity Slater, Jim, Chris Draper and Mum
With Dad, celebrating winning the 1999 Laser World Championships in Melbourne
Me trying to push Iain Percy back in the water at the Laser European championships in Sardinia in 1993. Iain was tenth in the full rig and I won the Laser Radial class
My nemesis and probably the best sailor I have ever raced against, Robert Scheidt
On the podium in Atlanta with Robert Scheidt of Brazil and Peer Moberg of Norway. My first Olympics
The biggest race of my life. Taking on Robert Scheidt in the final race of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney
Mum and Dad watching the battle with Scheidt unfold from the banks of Sydney Harbour
Team GB putting sailing on the map in Sydney, winning 3 golds, and 2 silvers. With fellow sailing medallists Ian Walker, Mark Covell, myself, Iain Percy, Shirley Robertson, Ian Barker and Simon Hiscocks
(Top) The man who nearly stopped me winning my second gold medal in Athens – Guillaume Florent of France. He went on to win bronze in Beijing (Bottom) Taking a dunking after winning the second gold in Athens
The gym is an everyday occurrence. Contrary to popular belief, the sailors are as fit as the cyclists or swimmers
On the podium in Athens with my good friend Rafael Trujillo of Spain and Mateusz Kusznierewicz of Poland
Surfing the waves on the way to winning gold in Athens
Reacting to another bad Kiwi windup during training
The legendary bowman Joey Allen talking me through a pre-start
The 3km running test, not my favourite pastime
Dean Barker and I looking serious in Valencia
It was a huge honour to be announced as helmsman for TeamOrigin in September 2007
A steep learning curve: being talked through the match-racing game by one of the best, Rod Davis
(Top) Celebrating finishing the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island race aboard Alex Thomson’s Hugo Boss, with Lewis Hamilton as special guest. (Bottom) The last race in Beijing, winning gold in awesome conditions for sailing
(Above) Victory in the rain after receiving my third gold, from Princess Anne (Bottom) Celebrating with friends. Iain’s and Bart’s Star gold was a great way to end a brilliant team performance in China
Showing on-water aggression during qualification for Beijing
Taking the JP Morgan Asset Management Extreme 40 under Tower Bridge after the Beijing Games
Meeting the Queen with fellow gold medallists at Buckingham Palace after China. I am with Andrew Simpson, Iain Percy, Pippa Wilson and Sarah Gosling
Sir Richard Branson’s boat setting off on the Transatlantic record attempt (Above) Good times during the attempt with Mike Sanderson and Sir Richard
Racing Coutts and co. in Auckland
Racing during the LV Cup in Auckland with TeamOrigin
Winning the German match tour with TeamOrigin guys Iain Percy, Christian Kamp, Mike Mottl and Matt Cornwell
