London 2012 Olympics: Silver lining for Dempsey as he banishes Beijing heartache

Gold in this event was out of reach for the Briton, who needed to finish sixth or better to secure silver. In truth Dempsey never looked like falling outside of the top five, and ended the medal race in third place, while his main rival for silver, Germany’s Toni Wilhelm, finished down the field in ninth.

“I’m just glad I could do it for all the people who have helped me,” said Dempsey. “Without doubt, to have all my family and friends here, to do it in front of the crowd couldn’t be better.

“It’s been a tough four years but I always knew I could come here and do well.”

Despite the disappointment of finishing fourth in Beijing, Dempsey brushed himself down and came back a stronger racer to win a medal on home waters, something he says can never be matched.

“It was mental. To have everyone there to celebrate this was really special,” he added. “It’s not often you get to share these amazing moments with your family and friends at home.”

Dempsey can add the medal to his bronze won in Athens 2004, and place it alongside his wife Sarah Ayton’s two golds. This was Team GB’s second silver on the water, and there is expected to be more metal coming their way.

In the women’s 470 duo, Saskia Clarke and Hannah Mills are also closing in on a medal, lying second, four points behind their Australian rivals.

With two races left and then the medal race, the duo will be hoping they can overturn the deficit and deliver Team GB’s second sailing gold.

Unfortunately for the women’s RS-X and Bryony Shaw there was no repeat of the medal she won in Beijing 2008 as she ended the regatta in seventh place.

Shaw came into the medal race with an outside chance of a medal, but results didn’t go her way and she finished the final race in fifth place.