HEADLEY can now boast its own Olympic star after Andrea Brewster, 33, took part in a four-day event in Rio sailing a double-hander class 49 XS boat - described as the Formula 1 of yachting - with partner Saskia Tidey.

Some sailing events had to be postponed last week because of high winds and rain in the Copacabana area of Guanabara Bay but the women’s 49erFX - Andrea and Saskia’s class - in the Niteroi area, found decent wind conditions and were able to complete races seven, eight and nine of their opening series.

With Andrea’s race scheduled for 9.30pm British time, her parents Joan and Mike were able to watch it on television in their Headley home.

They saw their daughter and Saskia, who are sailing with the Irish squad and were trailing at one time, battle to eventually gain 12th place which was greeted with cheers from fellow members of squad.

Saskia in her first Olympics has already made her name as a member of ‘Skiff Chicks Racing’ in the Aussie 18 circuit. She and Andrea qualified for Rio thanks to Ireland getting a wild card entry in the 49erFX class following the withdrawal of an Algerian entry. They are Ireland’s first ever women’s Olympic skiff crew.

The 2016 Rio Olympics are a long way from Andrea’s first sailing days as an 10-year-old member of the Frensham Sailing Club cadets. Her parents decided it would be nice for the family to share a sport or hobby together and so they, along with Andrea and her brother Mark, signed up for sailing lessons at Frensham.

While they no longer “take to the water” Andrea did in a big way and started crewing as a cadet on Frensham Great Pond before progressing to helming. While still a junior she sailed a Laser Radial and was selected for the national youth squad.

Her coaches encouraged her to try Olympic sailing in the women’s single-handed class and she started campaigning in 2002. For 10 years Andrea, who grew up in Headley and went to Bohunt School and Alton College, raced Radials for the British squad and gained a world bronze medal.

In 2013 Andrea joined the Ireland Squad which she was able to do as she had dual nationality and at the same time switched to sailing the more challenging 49erFX.

With partner Saskia they have proved a winning pair but it took months of dedication, hard training and competing to reach Olympic standard and went on to triumph in Rio’s choppy waters before a television audience of millions.

Mrs Brewster and her husband watched Andrea’s race. “It was exciting, they did very well and later we were able to speak to her and tell her we saw her racing. We are very proud of her.”

Andrea’s sailing career takes her round the world but when she gets some time off she like to spend it back in Headley and keep her own sailing boat.

Congratulating Andrea on her Olympic success James Morley at Frensham Sailing Club told The Herald they did score one third place but slipped back as the week went by.

“However they were the most glamorous pair of all in the sailing and must have a good future and maybe success in four years time,” he added.