All Britain’s gold medal winning sailors at Beijing 2008 have been recognised in the new year’s honours list, as has the RYA Olympic Manager Stephen Park.

Finn class star Ben Ainslie headed the honours being appointed a CBE after winning his third successive Olympic gold medal in China – his fourth Olympic medal in total having claimed Laser class silver at Atlanta 1996.

Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb, who struck gold for the second Games running in the Yngling class, received OBEs having picked up MBEs following their success with Shirley Robertson at Athens 2004. The third member of the celebrated Yngling trio, Pippa Wilson, was awarded an MBE as the girls ended 2008 as Olympic, World and European champions.

Iain Percy also picked up an OBE after winning his second Olympic gold in the Star class with Andrew Simpson in China. Simpson, like Pippa Wilson, was an Olympic debutant at the Beijing Games, receives an MBE.

Paul Goodison, who triumphed in the Laser class in Qingdao – four years after suffering the agonising heartbreak of Olympic Games fourth – caps an unforgettable year, in which he also won his fourth European Championship, with his first honour, an MBE.

Meanwhile, Park, who was at the team management helm for the second successive Games, has also been honoured for the first time, the 40-year-old Scot being awarded an OBE. Park oversaw Britain’s most successful ever Olympic sailing campaign in China with the sailors winning six medals in total – four golds, one silver and one bronze.

RYA Chairman, Richard Langford, added: “We are all absolutely delighted that the sailors have been fittingly recognised and with the well deserved OBE for Stephen Park, whose enormous effort and hard work has been reflected in the great success of the sailors at the past two Olympic Games. We congratulate them all.”