THE youngest British Sailing Team member Kate Macgregor was a student before the London 2012 Olympic whirlwind swept her up at the beginning of last year.

‘Mini Mac’ as the 21-year-old is known by her teammates was just five when fellow sailor Ben Ainslie claimed his first Olympic medal – silver at the Atlanta 1996 Games.

Now, as triple Olympic gold and silver medallist Ainslie strives to become the world’s most successful Olympic sailor this summer, Macgregor aims to make a bit of history of her own.

Mini Mac is going for gold, with her skipper and sister Lucy Macgregor and crewmate Annie Lush, not just for Queen and country at the home Games but also for Dorset – the county they all grew up in.

The Poole trio will be racing in the Elliott 6m Match Racing class, a new discipline for the London 2012 Games, which involves two identical boats competing against each other in a series of one-on-one duels.

The Match Race Girls have now moved into the Team GB accommodation at RYA Portland House at Osprey Quay.

Macgregor said: “It seems a bit more real now. We’ve all had to be in the kit since last Monday.

“It’s actually quite nice. The tracksuits are very comfy and warm so that’s good.”

When asked what it’s like to be the youngest team member, surrounded by sailing legends such as Ainslie and double gold Olympic medallist Iain Percy, she said: “I haven’t really thought about it.

“Obviously it’s really good being around so many experienced people so in that sense you do notice the age difference as they’re so much more experienced.

“Apart from that I don’t notice it too much. Everyone’s so friendly – the team doesn’t split up into different age groups.”

Last Monday, the British sailors returned to the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy after a week’s break then training from Weymouth Sailing Club as the site prepared for Olympic lockdown.

Macgregor said: “The academy’s definitely looking different now.

“It was really nice at Weymouth Sailing Club, a really nice atmosphere and all the members were really helpful.

“It made a nice change from the academy and it’s good to come back fresh.”

Macgregor grew up as part of a sailing family, although initially she ‘hated’ the sport.

“My parents were very keen sailors. My dad still does a lot of racing and it was mainly through him that I got into it.

“When I was younger I actually hated sailing – I was more into dancing and stuff.

“It wasn’t until I was about 14 or 15 and I was in the youth classes that I started liking it.

“That’s when it got more competitive.

“I was quite sporty at school and quite competitive anyway.

“I also started sailing with the same person, Imogen Stanley in the 420 class, rather than changing crews all the time.”

In 2007, as part of the youth Olympics team, Macgregor began team racing and through that she got into match racing.

She began her business management degree at Southampton Solent University, while sailing on the side, with the intention of doing an Olympic campaign after graduation. But fate decided to speed things up.

Macgregor said: “During my first year I was just a training partner for Lucy and Annie.

“At the beginning of my second year they asked me to sail with them and that’s how I got into it.

“Just through being keen and training.”

Mini Mac was part of Macgregor and Lush’s team that won the 2010 ISAF Women’s World Match Racing title.

Last week, Lucy, 25, told the Echo that far from being chosen for her family ties, her sister proved herself to be the ‘best person for the job’ after extensive trials with other potential crewmates.

Mini Mac said: “At first I was a bit nervous about doing the Olympic campaign.

“I’d already started my second year at uni, which was going to be a tricky year, and I was doing two weeks of sailing, one week of uni, so at first I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to do both.

“But I was lucky, Solent University was really supportive and I managed to do the work in the evenings when sailing.

“After the first two months I realised I could do both, then it got easier and more exciting.”

The trio won their first ISAF World Cup gold in Hyeres in 2011, before claiming silver medals at the 2011 Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta and the 2011 Perth World Championships.

Britain’s Match Race Girls recently finished sixth at their World Championship event but after some ‘awesome weeks’ with their training partners on Weymouth and Portland’s Olympic waters, they now have their sights set on the podium at the big event.

Last year’s Olympic test event – the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta – made the home Games seem ‘a bit more real’ for Macgregor, with far fewer competitors than normal – just one representative per country in each class.

She added: “It’s quite exciting.

“We went back to Poole the other day and all the Olympic banners were up.

“It looked really nice and definitely feels like we’re in our own county and have got that support behind us.”

Among Macgregor’s supporters at the Olympic ticketed spectator site of Nothe Gardens will be her fellow performance squad teammate and boyfriend Dave Evans, who narrowly missed out on selection in the men’s high performance Skiff class.

Evans and his crew Ed Powys enjoyed a bitter sweet victory on home waters last month when they claimed bronze in front of their Team GB selected rivals Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes.

Macgregor said: “Dave’s going to watch a few days. Obviously he was pretty close to being selected himself so it’s hard for him to be around the whole Olympic spirit but he’s been very supportive.

“He’s coming down with my sister Nicky and her boyfriend.”

Looking ahead to the Rio Games in 2016, where Match Racing has been dropped from the line-up, Macgregor said she will try both the new women’s skiff and mixed catamaran classes, while completing her degree.

But for now all the focus is on this Sunday, when London 2012 racing begins.

Macgregor added: “I would never have thought three years ago or even two years ago that I’d be here today.

“It’s a bit of a shock really.

“When I was at school I remember people asking me if I was going to go to the 2012 Games and I said: ‘No chance, there’s too many experienced sailors.’ “I’m very lucky to be able to join Lucy and Annie.

“The best bit about Match Racing is it’s really quick racing and it should be pretty easy to watch, especially for the people on the Nothe.”

All you need to know about Kate Macgregor

Name: Kate Macgregor

Date of birth: January 12 1991

Star sign: Capricorn

Place of birth and current hometown: Poole

Nickname: Mini Mac

Your worst moment in sailing? Being dragged behind a boat because the jib sheet was wrapped around my ankle - also a funny moment for the people watching

My best moment in sailing? Winning the Match Racing worlds!

How do you progress from club to Olympic-class sailing? Taking every possible opportunity

What are your greatest passions outside of sailing? Seeing friends and my dog

What other sports do you play? Hockey

Worst habit? Buying things I don’t need

What word or phrase most depicts your personality? Quite smiley

What’s your greatest fear or phobia? Heights

If you had a theme song – what would it be? Viva La Vida

• Racing in the women’s Match Racing class begins on Sunday, July 29, with the final race scheduled for Saturday, August 11.