Gold medal-winning sailor unveils Olympic sailing facilities

Weymouth & Portland sail to gold as ODA completes construction on first 2012 venue

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has completed its construction work on the first venue for the 2012 Games it was announced, Friday November 28, as work was completed on new enhanced sailing facilities at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA).

The completion of works at Weymouth & Portland was joined by the announcement that the National Lottery has raised £375 million of its £750 million target for the London 2012 Games, through sales of specially-designated Lottery games. The money raised will go towards funding the provision of facilities and supporting infrastructure for the 2012 Games.

The Olympic and Paralympic sailing events in 2012 will be hosted at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy which offers world-class facilities and some of the best small boat sailing conditions in the world. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and its contractors Dean & Dyball have now completed work to enhance the existing sailing facilities with the construction of a new permanent 250m slipway and new race-boat parking, lifting and mooring facilities. The completion of the project delivers an early legacy of world-class facilities for elite athletes and the local community to use.

Beijing Gold medal winning sailor Paul Goodison joined ODA Director Ralph Luck, Olympic Gold-medallist Jonathan Edwards from the London Organising Committee (LOCOG), Jim Knight MP for Dorset and WPNSA Chairman Edward Leask to unveil the new facilities.

Paul Goodison, the World number one Laser sailor and Weymouth local who won Gold in the Laser class at the Beijing Games, said: “Winning gold in Qingdao was an amazing experience; I am now looking forward to 2012, training and competing out of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy on my home waters.”