GB sailors want 2012 improvement

The GB team were given models of the boats they competed in at the Games

Britain's sailors are setting their sights on winning medals in every race class at the 2012 Olympics, according to gold medallist Andrew Simpson.

Great Britain topped the Beijing sailing medals table, winning four golds, one silver and a bronze.

"It was a huge achievement and we will be looking to build on it," said Simpson, who won the Star class event alongside Iain Percy.

"The aim for 2012 is to be in a position to win medals in every class."

Simpson and Percy were joined by fellow gold medallists Ben Ainslie (Finn), Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson (Yngling) and Paul Goodison (Laser), as well as silver medallists Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield (470) and bronze medal-winning windsurfer Bryony Shaw.

"You can't say we will win one in every class because there are so many variables in the sport that we do," added Simpson.

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Video - Gold star performance by GB sailors

"But in all the classes in China we had sailors in the medal race, so it shows what we can do."

Simpson was talking at a champagne reception in London to welcome home the GB sailing team, at which the sailors were presented with models of the boats they competed in at the Beijing Games.

Ainslie became Britain's most successful Olympic sailor, winning his third straight gold medal in China.

The 30-year-old refused to rule out trying to match Sir Steve Redgrave's tally of five Olympic golds.

"The next challenge is the Americas Cup for me and I'm going to work the 2012 plans around that," he said.

"Steve Redgrave has been an inspiration to all of us and remains so. It would still be 2016 and I'd need to keep winning gold medals so it's a hell of a long way away."