Home : London Olympics 2012 Venues : Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour

Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour

Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour will be the venue for the Olympic and Paralympic Sailing competitions. It was the first London 2012 Games venue to be finished.

Key facts

Sport: Sailing, Paralympic Sailing
Location: Dorset, on the south coast of England
New or existing: Existing
Permanent or temporary: Permanent
Number of events: 13

About Weymouth and Portland

The venue comprises the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) and the adjoining commercial marina.

It has kick-started the regeneration of the former Naval Air Station at Portland, now known as Osprey Quay, where new residential, commercial and marina facilities are already underway.

Weymouth and Portland provides some of the best natural sailing waters in the UK, with facilities on land to match. The site has already hosted numerous international sailing events, including the 2006 ISAF World Youth Championships attended by over 60 nations.

Work to enhance the sailing facilities at Weymouth and Portland has been completed. The enhancements to the existing WPNSA facilities include a new permanent 250m slipway and new lifting and mooring facilities.

The project was completed on budget and ahead of schedule, providing world-class facilities for elite athletes and the local community more than three years before the Games.
During the Games

A ticketed onshore area from which spectators can view the competition is under consideration. This area would have the added benefit of a video screen to keep spectators updated on the action. Please be aware there would be no seats – standing or sitting on the ground would be the only options for spectators.
After the Games

The National Sailing Academy will benefit from the improved facilities that the Games will leave behind, providing a state-of-the-art facility for elite training, competition and local community use.

This use has already started: from a community programme through to hosting the Olympic Windsurfing discipline, RS:X class World Championship in 2009. This events programme is extensive and will also include hosting the IFDS (Paralympic Sailing) World Championship in 2011.