THE chairman of Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy is stepping down to focus on commercial work with Lord Coe.

Edward Leask has been at the helm of the Olympic sailing venue since 2007 and is leaving to focus his attention on the CSM Sport and Entertainment businesses. Lord Coe became chairman of the company, which is the sports and entertainment division of London-based communications and sports marketing group Chime Communications plc.

Mr Leask said: “I have been involved with the academy ever since its inception in 2000.

“Not only do we now have a fully functional Olympic standard water sports centre which has proven itself across windsurfing, dinghy sailing, yacht racing, match racing and triathlon events but also across specialised Paralympic regattas and special needs water sports activities. “The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy is now the venue of choice for training, ranking, national to European and worlds events as well as being a wonderful open door facility for local people to come and enjoy both as a spectator and a participant.”

Mr Leask recently invited teenage Portland sailor Adam Greaves to the London CSM Sport and Entertainment office to spend time with Lord Coe. Adam told Lord Coe about his initial sailing experience at 11 years old from the academy as part of the widely successful Sail for a Fiver legacy programme.

He also spoke about his GCSEs and becoming an RYA dinghy instructor teaching Sail for a Fiver youths with SailLaser himself. Adam also spoke of an upcoming yacht race to France and his aspirations for the future to study sports science as well as racing in the America’s Cup.