The team finished with four gold medals, a silver and a bronze.

 

The only time a British sailing squad had done better at the Olympics was in Paris in 1900 when they won five golds and a bronze.

 

This latest haul also mirrored what Britain had achieved in London in 1908.

 

It also means that by almost whatever measure you use that this is the most successful British team ever to travel to an Olympics overseas.

 

It was Britain's 17th gold medal of the Games, further bettering the total of 15 they won in Paris in 1900 and Antwerp in 1920.

 

It was also the 39th medal won in Beijing which meant that with three guaranteed in the boxing the team will win at least 42 medals.

 

The 1920 team won more medals in Antwerp when they claimed 43 but Britain will be disappointed if that not figure is passed.

 

More importantly, it surpassed the Government's pre-Beijing target.

 

Before the Games started, the Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said that he expected the team to meet a target of 41 medals if funding for London 2012 was not to be affected.

 

Percy, a 32-year-old from Winchester, and Simpson, 31-year-old from Surrey, had to deal with high winds and big waves in the Yellow Sea to claim the gold medal having gone into the final medal race in second position behind the Swedish crew.

 

The British put the experience they have both learnt in working on the America's Cup to come home in fifth place but with Sweden finishing behind them it was enough to secure the gold medal in the final event of the sailing discipline.

 

The Swedes came home in 10th and last place to drop to the bronze medal position behind Brazil, who finished third in the race.

 

The medal surpassed the five medals that they won in Sydney and Athens, when they were also top of the sailing medal ranking.

 

It was the British boat that enjoyed the better start after blocking the Swedes behind the committee boat at the start line but Fredrik Loof and Anders Ekstrom battled back to round the first mark in fifth, one spot and three seconds in front of Percy and Simpson.

 

But the British had better position on the first leeward run and moved up to second at the halfway mark, with a seven-second advantage over the Swedes.

 

Knowing that they just needed to hold off the Swedes to clinch the gold, Percy and Simpson covered Loof and Ekstrom on the upwind beat, slipping back to seventh but increasing the gap over the Swedes, who had dropped to last place.

 

They moved up to fifth at the finish, 44 seconds behind winners Poland, to seal yet another victory on the water for Team GB.

 

Percy said: "They were really difficult British conditions today.

 

"Everything was changing.

 

"Boat places switched rapidly and we went from left to right.

 

"This morning when we heard the weather forecast that there would be heavy wind and rain, we thought to ourselves, 'Here we go, bring it on, this is our business'.

"We just had to keep our eyes on the main guys and just fight, fight, fight."

 

It is Percy's second Olympic sailing gold medal - he also won the Finn class gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

 

He said: "This win is far more sweet than the gold in the Finn.

 

"We always knew we were contenders, but only contenders.

 

"There are so many talents in the class. "

 

Simpson said: "At first tears burst into my eyes, I was just so shocked. To achieve this here with your best friend is the best feeling in the world."

 

Team Manager Stephen Park was a happy man with the performance.

 

He said: "It's absolutely fantastic, I'm over the moon with the medals and the gold for the Stars is the icing on the cake.

"It's a huge relief that we've actually managed to deliver against our target.

 

"I'm really pleased that Great Britain is having a fantastic Olympic Games and we're playing our part in that."