Video: Royal send-off for British Olympic and Paralympic sailors

21 Olympic and Paralympic sailors took part in the 2016 Sail for Gold Ball, hosted by HRH The Princess Royal at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

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More than 500 guests, as well as Princess Anne, attended the event to show their support to the Olympic and Paralympic sailors.

The 2016 Sail for Gold Ball is the seventh to be held by the RYA.

The event also raises funds to support the development of world class sailing in Great Britain.

Introduced by double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson OBE and BBC presenter Chris Hollins, the fundraising included a raffle and an auction.

Speaking on behalf of the sailors, Laser World Champion Nick Thompson said: “This evening is not only a fantastic opportunity to say thank you to people who have supported us so far but it also really feels like the closing to all the hard work and the training we have done preparing for the actual Olympics.”

He continued: “Nights like this our fantastic they give us an opportunity to meet sponsors and people that put in the hard work behind our team and support us to our goal.”

For the fifth consecutive time, Peter Harrison CBE was the Principal Patron of the 2016 Sail for Gold Ball.

Stephen Park, RYA Olympic Manager, said the Sail for Gold Ball is a massive event.

“It’s a huge send off for the sailors and hopefully allows them to feel like they are on the final leg of the journey and they are really pushing their boat out onto Rio and what we really hope is going to be one of our best Games ever,” he commented.

Park also thanked the ball’s sponsors, including the Peter Harrison Foundation.

“It’s vitally important that they continue to support it, it’s greatly appreciated by all the sailors and everyone involved at the RYA,” he noted.

The event was held on 4 July.

Over 4,500 guests have attended the previous Sail for Gold Balls, which have been held in each Olympic year since 1992.

Its predecessor, the British Olympic Yachting Ball, has been held quadrennially since 1968.