AUSSIE HQ

The second-hottest spot for Australian sailors at the London Olympics, besides out on the water fighting for gold medals, is the Cove House Inn in Portland.

Although sailors from many countries drop by for pints, the Aussies have staked claim to the old stone pub that perches spectacularly atop wind-swept Chesil Beach, an enormous rocky berm that stretches for 18 miles along the English Channel.

The Aussies have set up a tent on the patio and decorated the pub with flags and inflatable Boxing Kangaroos, their national sporting symbol.

A rock band was playing Monday night and the place was jammed after Tom Slingsby won the gold medal in the Laser class and Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen clinched the gold medal in the 49er skiff class ahead of Wednesday's medals race.

As Slingsby was being interviewed by a TV crew, a cop took a photo with his smartphone. He later asked to touch the medal.

With Australia threatening to win more sailing golds than the strong, well-funded British team, even the BBC dropped by.

A signpost lists the distance in kilometers to London, Sydney and Wangi Wangi in New South Wales, where Outteridge and Jensen live.

— Bernie Wilson — Twitter http://twitter.com/berniewilson

EDITOR'S NOTE — "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.