Sarah Webb OBE

Sarah Webb was part of the gold medal winning team, affectionately named ‘Three Blondes in a Boat’, which triumphed at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. With her crewmate from Athens Sarah Ayton and newly recruited Pippa Wilson won gold four years later at the Beijing 2004 Olympic Games.
Already a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.

Webb began her sailing career aged seven in an Optimist dinghy, like many of her peers. It did not take long though for her natural talent to be recognised by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). It was in the ranks of the RYA youth squad that Webb’s talents were nurtured, culminating in top ten finishes in the Laser Radial Class in both the 1995 and 1996 ISAF Youth World Championships. Following her excellent results in 1996, she was awarded the Yachting Journalists Association Young Yachtsman of the Year.

Webb has sailed in a number of different classes since graduating from youth sailing. Most notably, she won silver at the 2000 British Olympic Trials in the 470 class and only narrowly missed out on a place in the Olympic team.

In 2003, Webb left the 470 class to try her hand in the more technical keelboat, the Yngling. She teamed up with Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson and former Europe class sailor Sarah Ayton. The team worked well and in only their first year competing together won gold at the Pre-Olympic event in Athens. The girls went from strength to strength and on the back of their success, Webb and the team were selected for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and they did not disappoint, winning gold in emphatic style.

Following their Olympic success Webb and her team-mates were awarded MBEs by the Queen in the New Years Honours list. However, shortly after this, the two Sarah’s decided to put together their own Olympic campaign, with Sarah Ayton at the helm, and after a few temporary sailors filled the gap, they recruited bowgirl Pippa Wilson on a more permanent basis in October 2006. Since then the new crew has performed exceptionally well, securing podium finishes in several top Olympic Classes events.

In 2007, the girls have reached the podium in every major event they have entered. Prior, to the Beijing Olympics they were crowned ISAF World Champions in Cascais and won gold at the Olympic Test Event in Qingdao.

– A ‘no compromise’ approach to success

– What makes a high performance team

– Turning dreams into realities

– Decision making and performing under pressure

– The Olympic Games – the greatest show on earth