Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie was born on 5 February 1977 and is a British competitive sailor.
20 Facts About Ben Ainslie
2.
Ben Ainslie won medals at five consecutive Olympics from 1996 onwards, including gold at the four consecutive Games held between 2000 and 2012.
3.
Ben Ainslie was born in Macclesfield, England to Roddy and Sue Ben Ainslie.
4.
Ben Ainslie was educated at two independent schools: at the Terra Nova School in a rural area near the village of Holmes Chapel in Cheshire in north west England, and Truro School in the city of Truro, Cornwall, followed by Peter Symonds Sixth Form, Winchester, Hampshire.
5.
Ben Ainslie learned to sail at Restronguet Creek near Falmouth, Cornwall.
6.
Ben Ainslie started sailing at the age of eight and first competed at the age of ten.
7.
Ben Ainslie won silver at the 1996 Olympic Games and gold in the 2000 Summer Olympics in the Laser class.
8.
Ben Ainslie gained some 18 kilograms and moved to the larger Finn class for the 2004 Summer Olympics, where he won gold, a feat he repeated in the 2008 and 2012 competitions.
9.
On 19 May 2012, Ben Ainslie became the first person to carry the Olympic torch in the UK.
10.
Ben Ainslie was selected on 11 August 2012 to carry the flag for the Great Britain team at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony.
11.
Ben Ainslie felt the photographer's boat's wake had prevented him from passing a competitor.
12.
At the beginning of 2005 Ben Ainslie worked in the role of tactician in the New Zealand-based Team New Zealand who were preparing to compete in the challenger selection process to win the right to Challenge for the 32nd America's Cup.
13.
In May 2005 Ben Ainslie took the decision to relinquish the role of tactician and focus on improving his match racing skills as helmsman of the 'B' boat used to practice and tune the race boat helmed by Dean Barker.
14.
Ben Ainslie figure headed a British challenge for the Cup alongside Sir Keith Mills the team was named Team Origin.
15.
In January 2012, Ben Ainslie announced the formation of an eponymous team to compete in the America's Cup: Ben Ainslie Racing.
16.
In December 2010, Ben Ainslie finished in first place in the World Match Racing Tour, and is the 2010 ISAF Match Racing Champion.
17.
In January 2014, it was announced that Ben Ainslie would compete in the 2014 Extreme Sailing Series as part of his preparation for the America's Cup.
18.
Ben Ainslie lives in Seaview on the Isle of Wight and belongs to the Sea View Yacht Club and is an honorary member of the Royal Yacht Squadron.
19.
Ben Ainslie was coached by David Howlett, who raced a Finn dinghy at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
20.
On 20 December 2014, Ben Ainslie married former Sky Sports News presenter Georgie Thompson.