By PA Sport Staff

Iain Percy factfile

Iain Percy, a sailor who suffered the embarrassment of having to be rescued by a lifeboat for beginners five years ago when he couldn't manoeuvre his craft, today winched another cargo of gold bullion aboard the Olympic ship Britannia.

The 24-year-old from Southampton underlined the total superiority of the sailing team when he landed Britain's ninth gold medal of these Games with a race to spare in the Men's Finn class.

Half an hour later Ian Walker and Mark Covell delivered a silver in the Star Class and Britain was sinking once again under the weight of precious Olympic metal.

With the golds won by Ben Ainslie and Shirley Robertson, it meant Britain's sailors had contributed a third of the nation's golden medal haul of nine, which is the best since the 'Chariots of Fire' Games in Paris in 1924 when Britain also won nine.

And as Percy emerged from the sparkling waters of Sydney Harbour, only to be immediately thrown back in by a band of Union Jack-waving supporters, he put the sailing team's feat in sharp perspective.

"This is a great result for Britain," said Percy. "It's brilliant. We have kicked every country's arse here and it's nice to know we can do it in some sports."

And all that from a man who once needed the Hayling Island lifeboat service to rescue him when he became marooned.

"I was sailing with Ben Ainslie," explained Percy. "And we were trying to take a craft for a sail that we weren't used to and it ended up a disaster. We were bad then, I'm not sure we'd be better at that now, but it was quite a long time ago."

There was no need for the emergency services this time, nor at any time this week as Britain, whose team won the Olympic regatta overall, proved they rule the world in individual sailing - incredibly a category in which they had never won gold before.

All three individual gold medallists - Percy, Ainslie and Robertson - demonstrated their togetherness when they gathered on the quay at Rushcutters Bay to cheer home Walker and Covell after their final race in a British show of solidarity which was as spectacular as it was uplifting.

And that's when the celebrations truly began. Bill Edgerton, the keel-boat coach, was pushed into the briny by Robertson, emerging with his mobile phone dripping.

Predictably, Robertson followed him in moments later and another two mobiles had met a watery grave as the whole team joined in the fun.

Percy singled out the back-up team and the input of Lottery cash over the last three years for the dazzling improvement.

"We have the best organisation and the best supported team here and that has helped," said Percy, who has a degree in economics from Bristol University but is a full-time sailor.

"The Lottery funding has also helped and I am also supported by a sponsor in BAC. Between those two I've had enough to keep sailing and travelling around the world.

"There is a good era coming through. The whole scene of British yachting is looking good. There's so much talent we need to push through."

Percy, who will now continue sailing at the expense of a career in the City, had led from the start of the week and while his gold was still threatened by the boat of Fredrik Loof in today's first race, the Swede would have had to finish in the top five to deny Percy gold.

As it was he could manage only 11th place in Race 10 with Percy finishing 14th and the gold was Britain's.

"It has been stressful from start to finish," said Percy. "Leading from the front brought some added pressure but I sailed as well as I possibly can and I was lucky too, the odd people have made mistakes when they got a bit desperate.

"I was fairly safe but you keep thinking you've had enough 'get out of jail free' cards and something bad is going to happen.

"You have to wake up each day and rationalise that you are in a good position and make the most of where you are. I'm pretty damn pleased.

"I was a comfortable winner in the end. I always knew I would be a player here because I was sailing on top of my game.

"In terms of the Olympic dream I have been looking forward to this day since the age of four when I first started sailing."

Today the dream came true - a Boy's Own story of truly inspiring proportions.