MACCLESFIELD-born Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie deserves a knighthood for his yachting successes, his Prestbury uncle believes.

After winning the gold medal in the Finn class yacht race at the Athens Olympics, the 27-year-old sailor has become a national hero.

He has a host of other accolades, including a silver and gold medal from previous Olympic games in Atlanta and Sydney.

Ben's uncle, Ian Butterworth, of Butley Hall at Prestbury, savoured the weekend's drama on TV.

"I think Ben's absolutely terrific," he said.

"Some newspapers are saying he could be considered the greatest-ever yachtsman.

"For a man of 27, winning this medal and having that sort of accolade is tremendous. The whole thing is incredible."

Ben pulled himself back from two terrible opening races at Athens to win four of the next six. Sports commentators have praised his determination, tactical skills, modesty and good manners - and heaped praise on the whole British team

Ian added: "Ben came back from what looked like an unfair disqualification. It appeared he had done nothing wrong. But I think that gave him a colossal determination to succeed. Ben is a fighter. He doesn't hang back.

"The British sailing team has had excellent leadership and has used good tactics."

The team benefited last year from £1.75m in lottery funding, which was allocated by the Royal Yachting Association on sailors' living expenses, equipment, coaching and preparation.

Team members visited Athens each August over three years, to get used to the conditions. And this thorough training was acknowledged by Ben this week.

He told reporters: "We are brilliantly organised. Nothing is left to chance. With all that in place, it is then left to the sailors to get out on the water and get results."

Ben was born in Macclesfield in 1977 and his family lived at Goostrey. He attended Terra Nova School as a youngster and his dad, Roddy Ainslie, went to King's School in Macclesfield. His mum, Sue, is Ian Butterworth's sister and comes from Wilmslow. She attended Mount Carmel School.

Ben's family moved from Cheshire to Cornwall in his boyhood, and Ben developed his passion for sailing around his sixth birthday.

His uncle recalled: "Ben got a small children's starter-yacht as a present and was very keen on sailing. He went sailing from that day and ended up being a British champion at a local regatta when he was just 12."

He said Roddy Ainslie was a keen yachtsman too and often sailed around North Wales while living in Cheshire. Roddy and Ian Butterworth got a syndicate together for the first Whitbread Round The World Yacht Race in 1973.

"We were the amateurs in that race who were competing with some famous yachtsmen. But we came fourth."

Nowadays, in preparation for big races, Ben Ainslie washes his yacht and enjoys a Chinese meal. He put on 35lbs in weight to qualify for the heavier Finn boats contest in the Athens games.

He now lives in Lymington with girlfriend Boel, who he met at the Atlanta Olympics. But he visits Prestbury from time to time, and attended the funeral of grandmother Marjorie Butterworth, of Park House Drive, last November.

Mixing Olympic and commercial sailing to good effect, he has signed a contract with Team New Zealand for the America's Cup and eventually hopes to be part of a successful British team in the event.

These lucrative opportunities can fund Olympic efforts, and Ben could take part in Beijing in four years' time.

This week, he modestly dismissed media comparisons with other sporting greats, saying he was miles away from the likes of rower Sir Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent.