Ayton, 30, was one of the famed "three blondes in a boat" line-up which won gold in the Yngling competitions at Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.

But with the Yngling class having controversially been scrapped from the 2012 Olympics, when the sailing events will be held at Weymouth and Portland, Ayton has turned her sights on winning a third Olympic title, this time in the two-person 470 event with Saskia Clark.

She said: "After thinking really hard about my campaign and experimenting with match racing it was an easy decision in the end to choose the 470."

Ayton had originally planned to link-up with Pippa Wilson, one of her team-mates in Beijing, but she has decided to take an indefinite break from sailing.

Ayton said: "Teaming-up with Saskia seemed the most natural route and we are already building up a strong understanding and can't wait to get started on our campaign.

"This year is about building up the relationship and proving ourselves as a team."

She is now back in full training after having her first child, Thomas Flynn, in June, and believes she can win a place in Olympic history with another gold in 2012.

Ayton says she is determined as ever to master the task of juggling motherhood and being a full-time sportswoman while preparing for 2012 with Clark (pictured), who finished sixth in the 470 at the Beijing Olympics with Christina Bassadone.

Speaking at a sponsorship launch Volvo for six British Olympic sailors, she said: "After Beijing I wondered if I should go on to 2012.

"I wanted to be a mum and have a baby and both those things are right up there with getting a gold.

"Within a couple of months of having Thomas I realised that sailing is something that makes me tick. I wanted to get there to 2012 and it was a no-brainer to be honest."

Ayton won her first Olympic gold crewing for Shirley Robertson in 2004 and as skipper in 2008, before marrying Nick Dempsey, the Olympic bronze medallist in Athens 2004 and the current world windsurfing champion, in October 2008.

Robertson has two consecutive sailing golds from the 2000 and 2004 Olympics.

Clark said: "The new partnership in the 470 class is really interesting. 

"With Sarah being a double gold medallist I can learn a lot from her experience, whereas I have a lot of competitive experience in the 470, so as a team I think we complement each other really well."