A Team GB athlete says it was a ‘no-brainer’ to give the British public the chance to own a piece of the Olympics for a tenner.

Sailor Micky Beckett, who competed at Paris 2024, is raffling off the £8,700 laser dinghy he raced in at the Games in Marseille with tickets available for just £10.

The vessel weighs about 60kg and is more than 13ft long with all proceeds going to the Andrew Simpson Foundation, which provides young people with the opportunity to get into sailing.

“I wanted to remove all obstacles to people buying it,” said Beckett, who will deliver the boat to the winner in person.

“The people I really want to get excited about this are the people on the very fringes of sailing, people who don’t know much about it and think it looks a bit confusing.

“This is a chance to get a fantastic, brand-new boat for 10 quid, all you need to do is buy a ticket and it could turn up at your door.

“It really is exactly the same as what I used at the Olympics; I haven’t touched it. It’s got the Olympic rings on it, and it looks fantastic.

“I’ll even help you get set up and give you advice to get you going.”

The ILCA 7 boat, which was brand new for Paris 2024, was donated by Ovington Boats and the raffle is supported by Tideway Wealth and Retirement.

“You could learn to sail in it, if you’ve never sailed before, it’s a fantastic boat for beginners and it’s the most widely sailed boat in the entire world,” said Beckett.

“It’s raced by people like me who are professional and if you’re already well into sailing ,you could take it to try and win some really big competitions.

“Or if you don’t want it yourself, you could donate it to your local sailing club, and you’d be a total legend. You’d never need to buy a drink at the bar again!”

The Andrew Simpson Foundation was set up in memory of the 2008 Olympic gold medallist known as ‘Bart’ and will use the raffle proceeds to get youngsters from a wide range of backgrounds out on the water, a cause which Beckett is deeply passionate about.

“If you get your dinghy instructors qualification, which takes a week to do, you’ll never go hungry, you’ll have a job, and you’ll be valued anywhere in the world,” said Beckett.

“Sailing offers an incredible number of jobs to all sorts of people, but it is also a bit confusing until you take that jump and get involved.

“It’s a fantastic sport for disaffected people because you don’t need to be six foot or a certain weight, all it requires you to do is be willing to learn, willing to go on a bit of an adventure and get wet and maybe get gold and go out on the sea, but you will learn so much and its great fun.

“I’ve been lucky because I grew up with that, but some people don’t know that and that’s what the Foundation is all about, getting people who perhaps live further inland or who have had some pretty tough upbringings, giving them a new lease of life and a new opportunity. It was a total no-brainer really.”

https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/raffle/asf-raffle-mickybeckett-ilca-7-boat-and-sail