Sailing is such a variable sport. There could be no wind, or there could be 25 knots. You never know what you're going to get.

I loved to do sports when I was young. We were on a family holiday and went sailing. I just loved it. And there, you can say, life began to change for me.

I started sailing because I had to stop playing tennis so much, as I had bad knees.

Sport's hard: the margin between winning and losing is tiny.

You know, when they called me about the role, I thought Knots Landing was a show about a houseboat with Andy Griffith!

I deferred my third-year studies from university to go full time sailing to try and qualify for the 2012 London Olympics, which I did. I tried to go back to the university, but having won the silver medal, I just haven't been able to get back. And now I'm not sure if I ever will.