Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy

The academy was formed as a not-for-profit company in 1999 and officially opened on 1 April 2000. It occupied converted naval premises until a clubhouse was built, which was opened in June 2005 by the Princess Royal. £7.85 million of funding for the project was donated by charities, individuals and local councils; ==Facilities==

Portland Harbour and Weymouth Bay are the main areas used for sailing. The harbour covers an area of , and is ideal for sailing as it is exposed to reliable winds from most directions, but is sheltered from large waves and currents by Chesil Beach and the breakwaters. The clubhouse houses facilities on two floors, including a gymnasium, seven lecture and meeting rooms for 260 people, an event hall with kitchens and a bar, VIP meeting rooms and offices, a lounge bar and cafeteria seating 350 people, and two balconies. The outside of the academy complex has a slipway and two deep water slipways, 30 pontoons with disabled access, cranage and boat hoists, boat storage and parking areas. The clubhouse generates 15–20% of its electricity from solar cells, and rainwater is collected from the roof to wash boats. ==Events==

racing at the 2006 National Championship Since opening the academy has hosted national and international sailing events, including the J/24 World Championship in 2005, staging trials for the 2004 Athens Olympics, the 2006 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships, the BUCS Fleet Racing Championships, the Sail for Gold regatta and the RYA Youth National Championships. Local events are also held at the academy; nearby schools have extra-curricular sailing lessons, and in October each year WPNSA hosts Weymouth Speed Week. The British Olympic Sailing Team train at WPNSA. The academy also hosted the Moth World Championship in 2008. 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games In 2005, the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy was chosen as the venue for the sailing competition at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. WPNSA was chosen to host these events due to its existing world-class facilities. The Olympic Delivery Authority has built upon these facilities, providing a new 220m slipway accessible at all states of tide and wind, an additional 70 marina berths, and an extended dinghy park with capacity for 600 boats. In addition, the Academy provides direct access to Portland Harbour and Weymouth Bay, which have been credited as some of the best sailing waters in the World. Olympic sailing events took place between 28 July and 11 August 2012, and Paralympic events between 31 August and 5 September. One course was in Portland Harbour and four in Weymouth Bay. Sailors from all over the world competed for 30 medals in the Olympic Games and 18 medals in the Paralympic Games. A cruise liner berthed at Portland Port was used as accommodation. The academy is around from the Olympic Zone in central London. There was concern about the logistics of transporting athletes from London to the academy, as there is no motorway in Dorset, and transport links are already often congested in summer. Weymouth and Portland Borough Council lobbied the Department for Transport to reinstate double track between Moreton and Dorchester South on the South West Main Line and increase services from Weymouth railway station to London Waterloo and Bristol, and to introduce new direct services to Exeter. Services to London Waterloo began running every 30 minutes from December 2007, but services through Bristol to Cardiff were stopped. On 5 April 2007, Dorset County Council granted planning permission for a relief road scheme to alleviate congestion between Weymouth and Dorchester, which includes a single carriageway running north of Weymouth, and a 1000-space park-and-ride scheme, costing £84.5 million. Events after the Olympics and Paralympics In October 2021, Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy was announced as the host of the 2023 29er World Championships. ==References==