Xu Lijia crosses the finish line to win gold in the women's Laser Radial class at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Photo: Pascal Lauener.
Today's Phrase
If you sail through something, you get through it very quickly and with ease.
For example:
My sister sailed through her exams and is looking forward to starting university.
Don't worry about your job interview, you'll sail through it.
We sailed through the traffic and arrived at the hotel ahead of schedule.
Don't confuse it with
If someone is sailing close to the wind, they are doing something dangerous or something that is only just legal or acceptable.
For example:
I think that journalist sailed close to the wind with the comments she made about the NHS.
Interesting fact
Chinese sailor Xu Lijia raced against three others in the medal race of the women's Laser Radial. She finished first, improving on her bronze medal from Beijing in 2008. The Laser Radial is sailed by a single person and has a shorter mast and reduced sail area, allowing light sailors to manoeuvre the vessel in heavy winds.
