Great Britain is the most successful sailing nation in Olympic history, but it's a sport that tends to get forgotten about until the medals are being handed out. Twenty-eight-year-old Sarah Webb has dedicated her life to the sport. She sails a Yngling (a small racing keel boat) as part of a team of three women and she's hoping her enthusiasm will rub off on you.
I heard you're injured at the moment?
'I snapped my cruciate ligament {part of the knee]. It's getting better, but I guess it's a slow process with the gym and physio all the time.'
That sounds painful...
'Actually, it wasn't. There was no swelling and no pain and everyone just thought I was being a bit of a drama queen.'
How soon until you can get back in the boat?
'Another month, so I will have been out about six months in total. I can try and simulate it in the gym a bit, but it's not really the same.'
How did you start sailing? 'I was six years old and it was October. My parents decided that we needed a hobby and our neighbours had two slightly older boys who went to a sailing club in a local gravel pit. I wasn't that keen on riding horses, so sailing it was.'
Did the rest of the family get hooked too?
'My mum did a lot. She was fairly successful, but my sister was more interested in the social side and my dad's a basketball coach, so he had another interest.'
Is it fair to see sailing as a man's sport?
'I wouldn't say so. It's one of the only sports where men and women can compete equally. When you're younger you tend to compete in female-only events, but most of the time men and women race in the same events. It does depend, but women can beat the men, even when it's a question of strength.'
What advice would you give to people wanting to learn?
'If you're starting from scratch, visit the www.rya.org.uk . It gives advice on where you can sail, what clothes to wear... and it has centres everywhere, even in London. The thing to bear in mind is that it doesn't have to be at sea - there are plenty of lakes and ponds. There aren't many people who try sailing and don't love it. I know lots of people who've been inspired by it. You just have to give it a go.'
What is your training regime like before a big race?
'For the last two years before Athens we were sailing for 25 days in every month, six hours a day. On top of that I was at the gym every morning for one-and-a-half to two hours doing weights. I had to put on 6 kilos of muscle! If it was an easy day in the boat we'd all go to the gym in the evening for some aerobics training.'
Did you have to follow a special diet?
'Yes, because of my position in the boat I had to bulk up, but the other two girls had to keep their weight down because the boat has a weight limit. So I'd be eating for Britain, pasta and huge amounts of protein and they'd be stuck with something like a chicken salad every night! I guess I had to eat around 1,000 extra calories every day, mainly of protein. For a snack I'd eat a tin of tuna or a chicken breast, plus protein drinks and bars.'
Sometimes it sounds like conditions can get pretty hairy at sea. Have you ever been scared?
'Not really no, but there was one time, about eight years ago and I was trapped under water, but instinct kicks in and you get yourself out. It is a safe sport, there are safety procedures and lifeboats following you when you race. The only really scary thing was when I was sailing in Adelaide and capsized. I was thrown into the water, but within 10 minutes of being thrown in I was picked up by a lifeboat and I was furious, because I wanted to swim back to the boat and continue the race. When we got back to dry land the guy who'd picked me up said he was sorry, but there had been two great whites swimming down the course! I don't really get scared, but I would think twice about sailing in Adelaide again because apparently this happens quite a lot!'
Did you always want to make sailing your career?
'I didn't really think about it, possibly even until I was 15. Even as a sportsperson I didn't think of it as a full-time career and it wouldn't be without the lottery funding. When I was about eight I went on the TV programme You Bet with a friend. I said something like I wanted to be a pilot in the navy. It's so embarrassing!'
How did you feel when you won gold at the Athens Olympics?
'It was indescribable. The first reaction when we realised we'd won was complete relief. A sort of strange reaction, but we were just so relieved it had all gone to plan and we hadn't messed up. Then it was a feeling of disbelief because we didn't get the medal for another two days. So we did all the media interviews and we didn't even have the medal at that time. The medal ceremony was great, a complete celebration.'
Do you have the medal on display at home?
'Not really, but I tend to carry it with me.'
What are you plans for the future?
'To do it again in Beijing. To win the gold again and, in the short term, to raise our profile and acquire a sponsor. We are nearly £50,000 in debt and seem to be worse off now than we were before we won the medal!'
