The BBC will broadcast two sailing documentaries in the coming weeks.

This Saturday it will tell the story of last week’s Sail for Gold regatta, where many Olympic medal hopefuls were in action.

Beijing gold medallists Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy and Sarah Ayton were followed as they competed on Weymouth’s Olympic waters two years ahead of the London games.

Double gold medallist Shirley Robertson presented, as the BBC went behind the scenes at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

Robertson met the oddest of Team GBR’s support crew members, falconer Brian Williams, whose uses his birds to ensure that the local seagulls’ dawn chorus does not wake up the sailors.

As well as the superstars, such as Ainslie, Robertson also met the younger sailors struggling to make it into the elite squad.

The second show on September 5 will come from Hayling Island on the final day of the Laser World Championships where Beijing gold medallist Paul Goodison is defending his title.

Both shows will be available after the broadcast date on the BBC iPlayer.

Part 1 – Saturday 21 August 1300 – 1350, BBC1
Part 2 – Sunday 5 September – 1400, BBC2

Subscribe to Yachting Monthly magazine for all the latest sailing news and reviews