London Olympics Information

London 2012 Olympics Guidance, News and Information

About Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy

Official site
http://www.wpnsa.org.uk/

Location: Portland, Dorset

Status
WPSNA has been upgraded for the 2012 Games by the creation of facilities for race-boats and yachts, and a special marina has been built. WPSNA will continue to benefit from the enhanced facilities even after the games and serve as a world-class sailing venue.

About Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy

Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy is situated on Osprey Quay, which is at the tip of the Isle of Portland. The site where the sailing academy stands today was earlier a Naval Air Station. Proposal for Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy was made in 1999. In 2000, WPNSA started functioning from the ex-naval buildings. National Lottery and South West Regional Development Agency were the two main financial contributors for the academy project. WPNSA in partnership with Sail Laser offers a comprehensive range of RYA (Royal Yachting Association) approved courses. On-shore facilities at the venue include a clubhouse that provides two-floored comprising a licensed bar and restaurant and seminar rooms, quality slip-ways, a fully-submersible boat hoist, an expansive dinghy and car parks and a permanent crane.

18,000 m^� has been reclaimed from the sea by putting Portland stones in place for a slipway to be used during the Olympic Games. A new pier has been built to install two yacht-lifting cranes, and a floating platform with a 70 berth facility to house race-boats has been put in place. A 560 berth commercial marina complete with a retail shopping arcade has been opened as a part of regeneration of the Osprey Quay. 250 berths will be allocated for the 2012 Games. The enhanced facilities in the region will continue to serve the local community and will function as a cutting-edge training facility. Spectators will be free to view the sailing events from the shore and from many vantage points around the shore.

An attraction which can't be missed is the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage site, where visitors might chance upon fossilised fauna and flora of the prehistoric era.