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SITE VISIT: LOCOG chief executive Paul Deighton, left, and ODA chief executive David Higgins at the sailing academy Picture: FINNBARR WEBSTER/F6210

OLYMPIC chiefs hailed Weymouth and Portland as a "dream venue" as they saw the construction of new sailing facilities.

Chief executive of the London 2012 Organising Committee Paul Deighton was delighted by his visit to the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy at Osprey Quay, Portland.

He said: "If you look at the backdrop it was as though the gods made this for a sailing event.

"This is my dream venue and I could not have written a script better than this.

"For us it ticks all the boxes so this is going to be an absolutely brilliant venue for 2012."

Mr Deighton was among a party of delegates from the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and London 2012 Organising Committee who visited for an update at the academy. They were joined by South Dorset MP Jim Knight, representatives from the South West of England Regional Development Agency and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

Mr Deighton said planning was going ahead to decide where to place the awards podium and large screens for spectators to watch the Olympic action.

He added: "I can imagine screens on Weymouth beach and creating the places where people will want to go for some excitement.

"The games has been a catalyst to helping generate investment in the area consistent with what the local authorities want."

The ODA is spending £7m on a permanent new 150m slipway and new race-boat parking area, lifting and mooring facilities at the academy.

ODA chief executive David Higgins returned to the area after a recent holiday and agreed that people will want to visit the events.

"From the video footage people will feel they are part of it but they will want to be where the action is."

"This really is a model for the rest of the Olympic sporting venues and if we can achieve over the rest of the country what we are doing here it will be fantastic."

"Weymouth's Georgian seafront will be a real magnet with people wanting to experience the water during the games."

Mr Higgins said as the facilities will be ready later this year and he expects sailing teams to begin training here as soon as the Beijing Olympics has finished to get used to the conditions.

He added: "It's not just about the 17 days of the games.

"The fact this will be finished so early gives the opportunity to get three years of use before they start."

The site is on track to be the first venue to be ready for the Olympics.

Sailing academy chairman Bill Ludlow said the investment by the ODA fulfils their aim of becoming a world class sailing centre.

He said: "It will cause a substantial legacy as this is what we wanted to do at the start but we could not afford it until the Olympics came in.

"The new slipway puts us in a much more advantageous position as it enables us to launch a large dinghy fleet in any wind direction up to force six."

3:30pm Friday 2nd May 2008

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