Ben Ainslie: Five reasons we love this sailing legend

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Ben Ainslie - Five reasons we love the world's greatest sailor

- Ben Ainslie: Five reasons we love this sailing legend

The Games may be over but we're not finished admiring the Olympic talent we've discovered in the past few weeks - and none more so than sailor Ben Ainslie.

If you didn't know who Ben Ainslie was before the Olympics, you sure as hell should now.

Not only is Ben Ainslie officially the world's greatest Olympic sailor, but he was also our official flag bearer at the Olympic Closing Ceremony, which he described “as the ultimate honour for his country”.

Unsurprisingly he has some loyal supporters, one of whom has turned to criminal vandalism to paint a post box gold in his home-town of Lymington!

And it's not just the locals in Lymington who are going crazy for Ben. He's one of our fave Olympic pin-ups.

Today we joined the crowds down at Westminster to watch Ben wave goodbye to his faithful boat Rita as he sailed her for the last time down the river Thames before he heads off to California tomorrow to race in the America's Cup.

The America's Cup is the oldest trophy in sport in the World and JP Morgan have announced today that they will be continuing their sponsorship with Ben so that he can compete in the World Series. This guy is heading for even more awards - we can just feel it - and he can too! He told The Evening Standard: "I’m looking forward to the new challenge that awaits in the America’s Cup.”

Ben's also hinted that he has no plans to retire in the near future so he'll be staying in the public eye for a while longer and we have to say, we're glad.

This guys has done a lot in his 35 years and from rogue painters, screaming children and swooning women it seems that the entire nation is suffering from the Ben Ainslie effect...

All we can say is that the sofeminine office is firmly behind you wherever you go Ben!

Five reasons we love Ben Ainslie:

1. He is the only, we repeat only man that can make sporting sailing sunglasses look attractive.

2. He's the most decorated sailor of all time ever since his Olympic Gold - c'mon that is not just hot but a genuinely amazing achievement.

3. Although Ben is quite a shy and retiring type, when he's on the water he's nothing but a red blooded male, even clambering out of his boat in one race to punch a Press boat that got in the way. Grrr - manly!

4. He spends the majority of his time in a wetsuit - enough said.

5. Off the water he's just a normal guy who seems pretty indfferent to the fame he has acquired. Any man who can keep his ego on the ground is always a winner in our books.