Ben Ainslie & Iain Percy remember their friend Andrew 'Bart' Simpson

By the end of 2002, Bart’s sailing and his results had gone downhill. “I ended up trying to beat Ben rather than trying to sail my best.” He took himself to a psychologist. “I wasn’t thinking the right things. He taught me to refocus on sailing the best you can rather than trying to beat anyone else. He helped get my brain back on track, and I made some steps forwards, focusing on improving my own performance rather than worrying about anyone else.”

Could there be any reason to believe that a team that had just finished 52nd in the Star World Championships had any hope of winning a medal at the Olympic Games later in the year? On the face of it that question seems like a no-brainer. How could any team have serious designs on a top three at the Games, let along winning gold? But if you know that the team in question is Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson, and you know anything of what these sailors have achieved, then you might change your view.

Defending champions, Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson, sounded a warning signal to the rest of the Star fleet as they stealthily moved into pole position on day two of the Olympic Regatta at Weymouth and Portland.