Ainslie going for home gold; Top sailor begins preparations for 2012 Olympics.

BEN Ainslie insists he has already begun his preparations to win a fourth Olympic gold medal at London 2012.

Britain's top sailor believes he can juggle the demands of going for the Americas Cup with Britain's Team Origin with landing the sport's top prize in home waters.

Ainslie said: "It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a gold medal in your home country and to win a fourth would be an amazing experience. I've already begun training with special drills in the gym and while it doesn't get any easier as you get older, I'm going to give it everything." Ainslie was speaking in Cowes where he was preparing for today's Round the Island race when he will take on one of his sailing icons, New Zealand's Russell Coutts, in an Extreme 40 catamaran.

Coutts has won the Americas Cup three times plus an Olympic gold medal in 1984 in the Finn class, the boat Ainslie will be sticking with in London.

Ainslie, who is helm for JPMorgan Asset

Management/TEAMORIGIN, said: "Coutts is a fantastic sailor and he'll be tough to beat. But we have a good chance of winning. It's a great race with lots to think about - currents, weather and wrecks around the coast. It's a very special event." It has been a busy 10 days for Ainslie. He picked up his CBE from Buckingham Palace, presented a prize at Royal Ascot and now is reacquainting himself with an Extreme 40, a boat he has sailed only once before as part of the Olympic celebration parade when London Bridge was raised to allow him to cruise triumphantly up the Thames.

A total of 1,779 vessels will compete in the race, which is the fourth highest entry tally in the 78-year history of an event which has become sailing's version of the London marathon. It will be started by Sarah Gosling who won gold in the yngling class in Beijing. Many of the entrants are hoping to raise cash for good causes and want to beat last year's proceeds of pounds 100,000. Among them are X-Factor winner, G4's Jonathan Ansell, who is sailing to raise cash for breast cancer, and comedian Dave Spikey who is fund-raising for prostate cancer..

CAPTION(S):

WE ARE SAILING Olympic champion Ben Ainslie gets to grips with the Team Origin Extreme 40 catamaran on the Solent near Cowes, Isle of Wight.