LUCY Macgregor believes that togetherness and unity will boost the strong medal claims of Team GB’s sailing squad this summer.

The British sailing line-up for London 2012 was this month confirmed and Poole’s Macgregor is confident the host nation is a “strong team”.

Macgregor, 25, will lead an all-Dorset crew alongside sister Kate and fellow Poole girl Annie Lush in the Match Racing class.

The trio have been tipped as medal contenders with Team GB’s 16 sailors – including Lymington’s Ben Ainslie and Sherborne’s Andrew Simpson – carrying big hopes.

Macgregor revealed that the British sailing team had been focusing on becoming a close-knit unit and she insisted that could play a major role in their bid to triumph at the Games.

She told the Echo: “I think that one of the really strong things about Skandia Team GBR is that we are working really hard on being a close team.

“We are doing things like team-building sessions to ensure that when it comes to the Games everyone knows each other really well and knows what works for people.

“That means you can not only get what you need to perform your best but also help others get what they need. I really enjoy that side of it. We enjoy being a team of three but I also enjoy the challenge of working in a bigger team as well.”

While finishing on the podium will be the ultimate goal for Macgregor, she is also keen to see her compatriots achieve success.

She added: “Our main concern is us – it has to be – but we want the rest of the team to do really well.

“I’m sure it’ll be a bit of an emotional roller-coaster with various people finishing on different days.

“One thing is in some ways managing that and making sure the team stays quite stable throughout.”