Ben Ainslie: Close to the Wind

Author: Ben Ainslie
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1448162300
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 226

Book Description
Knife-edge decisions, adrenalin rushes, extreme weather, bitter rivalries, heart-stopping races – they are all in a day’s work for Ben Ainslie. Against all odds, in the London 2012 Olympics Ben Ainslie thrillingly won a fourth successive gold medal, making him the greatest ever Olympic sailor and a British hero, chosen from many to be the flag bearer for the closing ceremony. From his proudest moment representing Team GB, to one tough decision that almost risked destroying his career, this is a unique insight into the man who cannot let himself be second best. It shows what really takes place in the white heat of competition and lifts the lid on this toughest of sports. REVISED AND UPDATED FOR PAPERBACK TO INCLUDE LONDON 2012.

Close to the Wind: the Autobiography of Britain's Greatest Olympic Sailor

Author: Ben Ainslie
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Olympics
Languages : en
Pages : 246

Book Description
The world's greatest racing sailor - three-times Olympic champion (most recently in Beijing in 2008) Ben Ainslie - tells his story. Having a sailing career since he was eight, Ben Ainslie, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist, has won eight World and European Championships, been crowned ISAF World Sailor of the Year twice, and won British Yachtsman of the Year four times. Ben Ainslie's career in sailing began at the age of eight with his family in Cornwall. What started as a hobby quickly turned into a way of life, and by the age of sixteen he was already Laser Radial World Champion. At just nineteen years old he won his first Olympic medal - silver in the 1996 Atlanta Games. Four years later, he achieved every athlete's dream of Olympic gold at the Sydney Olympics.

Game Changers

Author: João Medeiros
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
ISBN: 1408708477
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 352

Book Description
At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Great Britain ranked thirty-sixth in the medals table, finishing below countries like Algeria, Belgium and Kazakhstan. It was their worst ever record, a dismal performance labelled a national disgrace. But then something happened. In Sydney in 2000 and then Athens in 2004, Team GB achieved a much more respectable tenth place. By 2016, in Rio, they finished second, above China and Russia, with sixty-seven medals. How have they so convincingly reversed their fortunes? In Game Changers we meet the coaches and sports scientists who rethink how sport is analysed and understood, how athletes train and perform under pressure. In Liverpool in the 1980s, a motley group - a mathematician, a physiologist, a psychologist and a former Olympic basketball player - began to pioneer new ways of tracking performance. Over the decades that followed, performance analysis came of age, becoming an essential component of any elite team, from English Premier League title winners Manchester City to America's Cup high-performance sailing teams. Using a hybrid of scientific method and trial-and-error, scientists have uncovered the tenets of accelerated learning, the mechanics of physiological adaptation, the organisational principles behind elite teams, the understanding of how hormones and environment affect performance. These discoveries are not confined to athletic endeavours - they are universal and reveal what it takes to win not only in sports, but are applicable across a wide range of disciplines, including business, leadership and education.

The Complete Sailing Manual

Author: Steve Sleight
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0744053374
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 448

Book Description
A new and updated edition of the only sailing manual that you will ever need. Whether you’re a seasoned seafarer or just starting out, this fully revised and updated sailing manual is perfect for all levels of experience. Learn how to handle any sailing situation with thorough coverage of all aspects of sailing and boat ownership Inside the pages of this new edition of the go-to guide about sailing and boat maintenance, you’ll discover: • Comprehensive coverage of all aspects of sailing practice written by an expert sailor • Fully updated contents with the latest information and advice, and technological developments • A chapter by chapter approach that functions as a complete tuition course on seamanship • Authoritative text, clear, annotated diagrams, and action photographs • A reliable, instant, and user-friendly handbook for any sailing situation • Foreword by quadruple Olympic gold medalist, Sir Ben Ainslie Former British national champion Steve Sleight offers a wealth of expert advice and guidance in the form of a complete tuition course on seamanship. The Complete Sailing Manual is the ultimate sailing handbook that is packed with engaging essential information and breathtaking action photography. Handy diagrams, step-by-step artwork, and instructions will teach you all the latest sailing techniques. This updated edition features all of the latest developments in sailing including foiling, long-distance cruising, and high-speed apparent-wind sailing and navigation. Explore new developments in sailing equipment such as modern performance systems, electronic navigation, and ways to use alternative energy on board. Explore the latest rules, regulations, and best practices from collision regulations to safety equipment. This essential sailing book is necessary for every keen sailor, from beginner to expert!

The Laser Campaign Manual

Author: Ben Ainslie
Publisher: *Wiley Nautical
ISBN: 9781898660903
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Here are the secrets that won Sir Ben Ainslie his first gold medal. Brimming with photos, this is a colourful and detailed account of how to dominate the world's hottest class.

Podium

Author: Ben Oakley
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1472902173
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 545

Book Description
What does it really take to make the podium? Which of the biological, environmental and psychological factors really shape a champion's route to the top? To answer these questions, Ben Oakley has taken the original step of combining existing research with a study of leading athletes' autobiographies. Looking at the early histories and initial challenges of serial champions in their own words, Podium sheds new light on their commonalities. A similar focus in training, similar influences around them and, above all, similar mental attributes are revealed – and tales of individual brilliance are given a fresh twist. From Ian Thorpe, Usain Bolt and Chrissie Wellington to Victoria Pendleton, Lionel Messi and Roger Federer, all we see is a smooth progression to glory, but each is a rocky path punctuated by critical episodes, and it is the response to these events that can transform talented people into winners. Podium is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the big names at the peak of their respective sports, and essential for coaches or parents of the next budding star. This enthralling read will enrich your interpretation of champions' lives and provide a map of the complex paths through sport to the podium.

Golden Lily

Author: Lijia Xu
Publisher: Fernhurst Books Limited
ISBN: 1909911798
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 238

Book Description
The fascinating autobiography from Asia's first ever dinghy sailing gold medallist. Learning to sail and becoming a full-time athlete at just 10 years old, Lijia Xu was taken away from her parents and enrolled on the gruelling Chinese training regime, a programme meticulously prescribed across all sporting disciplines to catapult the nation's talented youngsters to international champions. A rare insight into a shocking world of relentless physical training and unquestioning mental compliance, Lijia's honest and heart-felt account takes you on her journey from physical disabilities and debilitating injuries to learning to think for herself, eventually going on to achieve her dream of becoming an Olympic gold medallist. This is an inspirational story of a young woman's will to succeed despite all that her background threw at her.

The Laser Campaign Manual

Author: Ben Ainslie
Publisher: Fernhurst Books Limited
ISBN: 1912621193
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 251

Book Description
Sir Ben Ainslie won his first two Olympic medals (silver, then gold) in the Laser Class. After winning the gold medal he wrote down the secrets that won him that medal in this book. This new edition is published to mark the 20th anniversary of that first of his four Olympic gold medals. It features a brand-new introduction by Ben reflecting on his victory 20 years ago. It is the only how-to book that the world's most successful Olympic sailor has written and so, while he and the Laser class have moved on, this is the only place where you can gain access to Ben's skills and thought process. It is an invaluable guide on how to perform at the top of the Laser class or, indeed, any single-handed sailing dinghy. From psychology, goal setting and getting the boat right to speed, fitness and training – this book illustrates how to win a championship. Brimming with photographs, it is a colourful, detailed account of how to dominate in your fleet.

Optimist Racing

Author: Steve Irish
Publisher: Fernhurst Books Limited
ISBN: 1912177994
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 371

Book Description
The Optimist is the most popular junior sailing class worldwide, with thousands of young people actively racing them and hundreds attending the major events in the class. It has been the nursery for most of the top racing sailors in the world including all the Team GBR gold medallists at the last 2 Olympics (Sir Ben Ainslie, Hannah Mills, Saskia Clark and Giles Scott) – the same will be true for most other countries. Optimist Racing is written for those sailors, parents and coaches who are looking for success in this competitive class. In it you will learn what it takes to win, including how to achieve blistering boatspeed through technique and tuning, perfect boat handling and tactics as well as covering the mental and physical requirements for success. There is also a section for parents and coaches describing how they can best support their young sailors. Originally written by Ben Ainslie's Optimist coach, Phil Slater, this new edition has been completely updated by top international racing coach, Steve Irish, who can be found coaching Optimist and other sailors worldwide. This book is the up-to-date handbook for sailing an Optimist fast.

The Sure Thing

Author: Nick Townsend
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1448136148
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 434

Book Description
__________________ The bookies always win. But one man has been proving them wrong for four decades. In the summer of 1975 Barney Curley, a fearless and renowned gambler, masterminded one of the most spectacular gambles of all time with a racehorse called Yellow Sam. With a meticulous, entirely legal plan involving dozens of people, perfectly timed phone calls, sealed orders and months of preparation, Curley and Yellow Sam beat the bookmakers and cost them millions. They said that it could never happen again. But in May 2010, thirty-five years after his first coup, Curley staged the ultimate multi-million-pound-winning sequel. The Sure Thing tells the complete story of how he managed to organise the biggest gamble in racing history - and how he then followed up with yet another audacious scheme in January 2014.