More honours ahoy for three blondes in a boat
THREE blondes in a boat who became Olympic gold medal sailing heroines were buoyed up yesterday after receiving honours from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.
Sarah Dempsey and Sarah Gosling were awarded OBEs and Pippa Wilson an MBE after triumphing in the Yngling class at last summer's Olympic Games in China.
But the trio, who revelled in their "Three Blondes in a Boat" tag, have sailed together for the last time, as the Yngling class has been dropped for the 2012 London Games.
However Sarah Dempsey, 28, who was Sarah Ayton until her marriage to British Olympic windsurfer Nick Dempsey in October and Pippa Wilson, 23, will be reunited to race in the two-person 470 class in 2012.
Sarah Gosling, 32, formerly Sarah Webb, married her partner Adam Gosling this month and plans to become a radio sports journalist.
Sarah Dempsey, who is expecting her first child in the summer, said yesterday: "Days like this bring all the golden memories back."
The two Sarahs were made OBEs because they also struck gold in Yngling at the 2004 Athens Games with Shirley Robertson.