Ben Ainslie flying towards London 2012

British sailor Ben Ainslie has revealed that learning to fly helps to ease the pressure off his pursuit for a fourth gold medal at London 2012.

Ainslie has established himself as one of the country's greatest ever sailors. He claimed silver in Atlanta in 1996 in the Laser class, won gold in Sydney in 2000 in the same event, before taking gold in the Finn classes in Athens in 2004 and Beijing 2008.

And the 34-year-old says keeping a level head is key to success in London. "It's about avoiding getting carried away and focusing on the racing," Ainslie said.

Despite the pressure, he does find time to switch off. "I'm learning to fly - that's a good release for me," he added. "It's something different. [I play] lots of other sports: golf, football.

"I'm doing it [flying] at the moment - it's hard to fit in lessons - but I'm really enjoying that."