5:38 PM Fri 28 Nov 2008 GMT
The Olympic Delivery Authority has completed its construction work on the first venue for the 2012 Games it was announced today as work was completed on new enhanced sailing facilities at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy. The works have enhanced the existing sailing facilities with the construction of a new permanent 250m slipway and new race-boat parking, lifting and mooring facilities.
The Olympic and Paralympic Sailing events in 2012 will be hosted at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, and the adjoining Portland Marina, which offers world-class facilities and some of the best small boat sailing conditions in the world.
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 today.
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.'
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has now completed work to enhance the existing sailing facilities at WPNSA 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 Dorset community to use.
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.
Works on Portland Marina, which will be used alongside the Sailing Academy to provide berthing and land based facilities at Games time is progressing ahead of schedule, meaning all key facilities will be ready more than three years ahead of the start of the Games.
Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said:
'We will stage a world-class Olympic and Paralympic Games and the ODA's completion of construction work on our world-class sailing venue, three and a half years before the event, is a major milestone on our journey to 2012. We have put athletes at the heart of the 2012 Games and the facilities at Weymouth and Portland will provide competitors from all round the world the best possible arena for medal-winning performances.'
The ODA's completion of enhanced sailing facilities is only the first phase in the wider regeneration of Weymouth & Portland ahead of the 2012 Games. Dean & Reddyhoff Marinas was selected by the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) to develop and operate a new 560-berth commercial marina at Osprey Quay of which 250 berths will be used during the 2012 Games. Work on the marina is well underway and it is on target to open in April 2009. The development also includes new marine retail and commercial units, bringing enormous social and economic regeneration to the local area.
Richard Reddyhoff, Director of Dean & Reddyhoff Marinas said:
'There is no doubt that Weymouth & Portland is a fantastic sailing destination and we are working alongside the Sailing Academy to make sure there are first class shoreside facilities to match. Work on the marina is moving fast and we are very much on schedule for an April opening - meaning the whole site will be ready more than three years ahead of the start of the Games.'
The enhanced facilities that the ODA has constructed will further enhance WPNSA's reputation as a world-class training and competition venue. With the new facilities in place, the Academy is already lined up to host the RS:X World Championship, the Techno Junior Windsurfing World Championship and Skandia sail For Gold Regatta in 2009, as well as the IFDS (Paralympic Sailing) World Championship in 2011.
by ODA media
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