TRIPLE Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie's starring role in Dartmouth's regatta sailing schedule also turned out to be a trip down boyhood memory lane last Friday.

The 34-year-old sailor was at the major South Devon sailing venue to take part in the J/109 European Championships in the 36-foot sailing cruiser J/109 Jet chartered by his sponsors J.P.Morgan Asset Management.

The last time he was in the port was as a nine-year-old boy cruising up the Dart with his family.

As the top sailor looked out over a rain-lashed river Dart, he said: 'It hasn't changed much.'

Ben had just finished racing at regattas at Portland and Weymouth, winning the men's single-handed Finn class at both.

Both competitions were qualifiers for next year's Olympics and Ben is a frontrunner to represent the UK in the sailing. 'I am still waiting to hear if I have been selected but given the results that I got I should do it; I won both the events but you never know,' he said.

Ben grew up in Falmouth and remembers boyhood trips to the Dart with his family. 'I must have been eight or nine and we came here a couple of times where we did some cruising and racing up and down the Dart.

'I have fond memories of Dartmouth and this is the first time I have been back. It's pretty much how I remember it. I do remember the last time I came. I remember there were fireworks, so I would guess that it was during the regatta that year.'

Ben won sailing gold medals at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games and a silver at the 1996 extravaganza in Atlanta, USA. He arrived in Dartmouth on regatta Thursday and stayed overnight at the Dart Marina Hotel before crossing the river on Friday's storm-hit morning to the Dart Haven Marina where J/109 Jet was moored.

Despite the poor weather, which threatened some of the sailing events, Ben's events went ahead as planned.

In the evening, he presented the day's racing prizes at a ceremony at the Royal Dart Yacht Club.

He said that following the Dartmouth Regatta he was back to a tough training regime in preparation for next year's Olympics.