Olympics: 2010 International Team Access at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy

The WPNSA 2012 Olympic sailing venue slipway in use by sailors. Image copyright Katie Doerr.

by Cailah Leask

The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) has announced new information on international team training access to the venue during 2010. The opportunity for International teams to train at the venue was announced earlier in the season and teams from across Europe including Italy, Spain and Sweden as well as the more distant shores of Japan and Brazil have already been honing their skills on the waters of Weymouth and Portland. With just under 1000 days to go to the start of the Games, mapping training programmes and booking venues is an important element to campaigns.

A range of packages, depending on the size of the team has been developed and these are available either on a 12 monthly basis from July to June in the following year, or on an arrangement for the whole period to the end of June, 2012. The Academy has just announced that to assist teams to establish themselves at the venue prior to major European events next year, a new half year rate will now apply for access from January 1st to June 30th 2010. These packages are available from January to June, 2010 at 50% of the full year rate. Queries on access should be directed to Rachel Sadler at the venue and then interested International teams will be able to make training arrangements via their Member National Authority or other organisations recognised by the International Sailing Federation.

The packages will continue to include standard dinghy boat parking and launching, container storage, rib launching / mooring / storage and cranage for keel boats as well as full access to car parking, changing rooms and canteen.

The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy is the first sailing venue in recent history to welcome international sailors to train and compete at the completed venue prior to the Games. This is an important step giving elite level sailors and windsurfers the opportunity to use the actual London 2012 on-shore facilities and race courses for training purposes that will ultimately be used by both the Olympic and Paralympic competitors.

Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy