THE Weymouth Beach Volleyball Classic is set to go ahead despite doubts over its future.

The event had been under threat due to the withdrawal of title sponsors RAF Careers but a tie up with the Weymouth BID ensures that the event will go ahead next month from Friday, July 27 to Sunday, July 29.

This year for the first time the event is part of the newly-formed UK Beach Tour (UKBT), which has 20 events taking part across the country, and events range in standard from one to five star with the Weymouth Classic is just one of three, five-star events.

Overall is it expected that about 80 teams will take part in the event from across Britain and Europe, including families, friends, coaches and supporters it is expected that at least 500 extra people will be in the town for the weekend.

This will be the 35th year that the Classic has taken place on Weymouth Beach and it attracts most of the top British players as well as teams from Europe.

This year already has confirmed entrants such as Mel Coutts and Lynn Beattie, who played for Scotland in the recent Commonwealth Games, and they are likely to be joined by the other English and Scottish Commonwealth teams in the next few weeks.

The event is the star attraction of British Beach Volleyball and is regarded by the players as the Wimbledon of the sport in Great Britain.

At the other end of the playing standard, on the evening of Thursday, July 26, the weekend launches with the Battens Charity event when local businesses can enter teams into a friendly competition.

Pete Bennett, co-director of the Classic, said: “We are delighted to have the support of Weymouth BID to ensure the 2018 Classic can go ahead.

“We think this is an ideal tie up for us and the BID as we attract large numbers of people into the town who stay in local accommodation and eat in the local pubs and restaurants and without the event they would not think of coming to Weymouth.”

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