‘I’m not Ben but I deserve shot at glory’

GILES SCOTT hopes his patience pays off on the Rio waters next week and he can finally banish his London 2012 heartbreak.

In 2011, Scott finally looked to be getting the better of his great rival Sir Ben Ainslie in the build-up to an Olympic regatta that was held off the shores of his home-town Weymouth.

But in a trademark surge to the line, the veteran Ainslie beat a 22-year-old Scott in the Sail for Gold regatta that was effectively a selection race, replacing him as Finn world champion and taking his place in the Olympics.

Ainslie went on to win a fourth Olympic gold and fifth medal, becoming the most decorated Olympic sailor of all time, but it was of little consolation to Scott, who clearly felt that he deserved his shot.

He partied hard while Ainslie sailed – and then put his disappointment behind him to become the best Finn sailor on the seas, with three more world titles, the latest in May wrapped up with a day to spare.

He remained unbeaten for three years until a broken rudder spoiled the run in June, and is favourite to succeed Ainslie – now his boss in the British America’s Cup challenge.

“Everything I’ve been through previously – especially not going to London and the history with Ben – is all part of my journey to Rio,” said Scott, whose regatta begins a week today.

“I just have to learn from those experiences, both good and bad.

“What I do know for sure is that I am a better all-round sailor now. I was good back then but I did not have that campaign knowledge that Ben had. I made so many errors in my approach.

“I’m quite realistic. I never threw my toys out of the pram through the last Olympic cycle; I understood everything and why it was being done. I was equally disappointed in the fact I hadn’t ultimately been able to be good enough.

“Getting to the Olympics is the first big milestone achieved but that is not really enough for me to be satisfied.

“I want to go there and I want to be able to win. Everything has been put in place to allow that to happen.

“A medal would be the perfect cap to everything we’ve put together, especially over the last three years, but even further than that, the last eight or nine years.”

To ensure he is as prepared to win Britain’s fifth successive Finn gold as possible, Scott has spent between 120 and 140 days this year on the Rio waters, trying to understand the course. And, most importantly, trying to avoid all the rubbish.

Once the Olympics are over, Scott will shift his focus to the 2017 edition of the America’s Cup, where he is bowman and strategist in the BAR squad trying to achieve Britain’s first success since 1851.

Hopefully, when he rejoins his boss they can share golden memories.

“I’m not Ben Ainslie – I have not got five medals and I never will have,” said Scott. “That being said, I’m confident with where I’m at, with my ability and how I feel I can do on the water – and that’s what really matters to me.

“The most important thing is to win the sailing races and whatever

comes with that.”