TODAY’S the day.

It is just over seven years since the announcement that the Olympics were coming to London, and the sailing events to Weymouth and Portland .

The news was greeted with unrestrained joy; it would be a chance to showcase Weymouth and Portland to the world and secure a lasting legacy for the people, and future generations, of the borough.

A great deal has happened in the intervening years; not all of which has been welcomed with the same enthusiasm.

There has been pain and problems along the way. The Echo has not shied away from reporting many of those uncomfortable truths; from roadworks misery to struggling businesses and more recent problems with the Nothe ticketed site and park and ride facilities.

But we have also been among the Games’ biggest supporters, offering unrivalled coverage through our Going for Gold pages and the Bring on the Games sticker campaign.

We are now urging everyone, the local and the visitor, the cynical and the disinterested, to get behind the Olympics.

The Games are here at last and at the risk of repeating an oft-quoted aphorism, it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We will be cheering on the sailors and hopefully celebrating their success. Everyone that cares about this little corner of the world should do the same.

It is our moment to shine, our chance to welcome the world to Weymouth and Portland and show what a beautiful place it is to work, live and play.

BRING ON THE GAMES!