Sarah Ayton

{{Short description|British sailor (born 1980)}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Sarah Ayton
{{nobold|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}}}}

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|4|9|df=y}}

| birth_place = Ashford, Surrey, England

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport | Sailing }}

{{MedalCountry | {{GBR2}} }}

{{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }}

{{MedalGold | 2004 Athens | Yngling class }}

{{MedalGold | 2008 Beijing | Yngling class }}

{{MedalCompetition | World Championships }}

{{MedalGold | 2007 Cascais | Yngling }}

{{MedalGold | 2008 Miami | Yngling }}

{{MedalCompetition | European Championships }}

{{MedalGold | 2008 Blanes | Yngling }}

}}

Sarah Lianne Ayton {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}} (born 9 April 1980 in Ashford, Surrey) is an English former professional sailor.

She won a gold medal in the Yngling sailing class in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens,{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040904165005/http://www.olympics.org.uk/athens/team_gb_cat.asp?AthleteID=69&AthleteID_Detail=69&SportNameId=17 |date=4 September 2004 |title=Sarah Ayton at Olympics.org.uk}} together with Shirley Robertson and Sarah Webb, and another gold medal in the Yngling sailing class in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, together with Pippa Wilson and Sarah Webb.

She retired from competitive sailing in 2011, citing the competing demands of motherhood.{{cite news |title=Double Olympic champion Sarah Ayton quits |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/feb/16/sarah-ayton-olympic-champion-quits?CMP=gu_com |website=The Guardian | date=16 February 2011 |access-date=28 August 2022}}

In 2015 Ayton was the winner of the Female World Sailor of the Year Awards – "the highest award a sailor can receive in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the world of sailing".{{cite web |url=https://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/sarah-ayton-world-sailor-of-the-year |title=Sarah Ayton World Sailor of the year |website=extremesailingseries.com |access-date=2 December 2021}}{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/40750292 |title=Sailing, saddling up and sacrifice |publisher= BBC Sport|access-date=2 December 2021}}

Having been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2005 New Year Honours, Ayton was promoted to Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/57509/supplement "New Year Honours--United Kingdom"], The London Gazette of Thursday 30 December 2004 Supplement No. 1; accessed 28 August 2022.{{London Gazette |issue=58929 |date=31 December 2008 |page=9 |supp=y}} She is divorced from windsurfer Nick Dempsey. Together, they have two sons Thomas-Flynn, who was born on 28 June 2009 and Oscar-Flynn George who was born on 7 March 2012. Sarah married Ashley Harris 12 February 2022

Ayton is a patron of Meningitis UK. Ayton battled with meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia in 1995, when she was aged 14. In 2015 she visited Bosham sailing club, to present prizes at the racing prizegiving.

She retains an active interest in sport, including amateur horse racing.{{cite news|title=Sarah Ayton: Double Olympic sailing champion to ride amateur race at Goodwood|publisher=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/40750292|accessdate=3 August 2017}}