TODAY marks 50 days to go until the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.

This week the world’s best sailors are battling for victory on borough waters at the Skandia Sail for Gold regatta.

In just over seven weeks time the selected Olympic contenders will return to Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour to race across the 10 Olympic sailing classes.

Weymouth Olympic windsurfer Bryony Shaw said: “50 days means we’re coming to the final few weeks run-up.

“At the moment I feel like my preparation is going well, I’ll have more idea at the end of this week.

“It’s been really nice to see everyone get together over the Jubilee weekend and to see the national pride there and all the entertainment and fireworks up in London.

“I’m sure we’ll put on a good show for the home Games and hopefully it will be a couple of weeks for everyone to really enjoy.”

Olympic festivities in Dorset will ignite on Thursday, July 12 with the arrival of the Olympic Torch Relay.

The flame will arrive in Shaftesbury and travel to Dorchester and through West Dorset before reaching Osprey Quay, Portland, where it will travel by water to Weymouth Beach for official evening celebrations.

The free but ticketed event has capacity for 12,500 people and wristbands can be applied for from 7am next Tuesday, June 12 at dorsetforyou.com/sailing2012 The torch relay will resume its journey on Friday, July 13 at around 7am from Portland Bill and journey around the island before travelling across Weymouth, through Purbeck and into east Dorset.

Portland sailor Ali Young, selected to represent Team GB in the women’s Laser Radial dinghy event, is looking forward to watching her Skandia Team GBR teammate Katrina Hughes carry the flame through Osprey Quay.

She said: “50 days to go is another milestone.

“There’s still a lot of work to do, a lot of little small gains we can make between now and the start.

“I’m sure the excitement will grow and the country will get behind the Games.

“The torch relay will really hype it up around here.

“I’m looking forward to it and watching Kat carry the flame but then it will be head down and get on with the job.”

The London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony on Friday, July 27 will be complemented by a Coastal Voices mass choir performance on Weymouth Beach and the Battle for the Winds three-day performance across the borough.

Olympic sailing races will begin on Sunday, July 29 and run until Saturday, August 11.

The Paralympic Games opening ceremony will take place on August 29.

Find out more at the website london2012.com/joinin