Sir Ben Ainslie has revealed he was robbed of his £16k Rolex at knifepoint by a Barcelona watch gang, as the city suffers a spate of high-end thefts.
The 47-year-old British yachtsman was confronted by an armed mob and robbed of his luxury watch on Saturday, Spanish police said.
The five-time Olympic medal winning sailor is in the city to lead the UK’s Ineos Britannia team in the America’s Cup and reported the theft on Monday.
It comes as the city has recently seen a surge in the number of high-end watch thefts, with thieves particularly targeting wealthy tourists.
Now, Spanish police have revealed they are stepping up security for the America’s Cup sailing event in light of the growing problem by establishing a specialised team.
Sir Ben Ainslie has revealed he was robbed of his £16k Rolex at knifepoint by a Barcelona watch gang this week – pictured here in the medal race on day 12 of the the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta in 2011
(L-R) Peter Burling, Ben Ainslie, Arnau Psarofaghis Francesco Bruni, Tom Slingsby and Quentin Delapierre give a press conference before the Preliminary Regatta of the 37th America’s Cup
The 47-year-old British yachtsman was confronted by a gang and robbed of his watch on Saturday, Spanish police said. Pictured: Sir Ben Ainslie and Georgie Ainslie at Wimbledon last year
Sir Ben told The Telegraph: ‘Barcelona is a fantastic host city for the America’s Cup, and the team has felt welcomed and is enjoying our stay in this vibrant city.’
‘Like in all big cities, you can be affected by opportunistic crime, and my situation is no different. This matter is now with the local authorities.’
Retiring from Sail GP to concentrate on America’s Cup, he has arrived in Barcelona looking to add the crown to his long-list of successes as a yachtsman.
Sir Ben told Spanish newspaper El País before the competition started last week, that he hoped Britain would have won the America’s Cup by now, adding ‘we’ll get there’.
Emirates Team New Zealand won the preliminary regatta which ended on Sunday as the six teams involved prepare for the next phase starting on Thursday.
Barcelona footballer Robert Lewandowski experienced a similar theft two years ago outside the Ciutat Esportiva training ground.
The watch, worth a reported £59,000, was snatched as the 36-year-old greeted fans ahead of an evening training session with Barca.
The thief is said to have opened Lewandowski’s car door and taken the watch as the Polish international signed autographs, before attempting to run after the thief himself.
Sir Ben retired from Sail GP to concentrate on America’s Cup – he is pictured here in 2023 after winning the France Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski had his watch stolen outside the club’s training ground
Police quickly arrested a suspect and Lewandowski got his watch back.
Sir Ben is the most decorated sailor in Olympic history, with medals in five consecutive Games, including golds at Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
Born in Macclesfield, Sir Ben captained a boat that took part in the first Whitbread Round The World Race in 1973.
He learned to sail at Restronguet Creek near Falmouth, Cornwall, from the age of eight and first competed at the age of 10.
His first international competition was aged 12 at the 1989 Optimist world championships held in Japan.
On 19 May 2012, Ainslie became the first person to carry the Olympic torch in the UK.