Ben Ainslie was born on February 5, 1977 in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, UK. He has been married to Georgie Thompson since December 20, 2014. They have one child.
He was awarded the M.B.E. (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2001 Queen's New Years Honours List before being awarded the O.B.E. (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2005 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to yachting.
He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the Britsh Empire) in the 2009 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to Sport.
He was awarded the Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 2013 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to Sailing. He is a Finn Sailor.