These days, it's not just a matter of having a dozen boats turn up and getting stuck in. Racing is extremely competitive, can be at a very high level and takes place over several days involving up to 200 boats. There's perfect water here but not enough space on land of the right sort ( for example nowhere secure to park boats costing many thousands of pounds) nor are there the right buildings - with classrooms, boat maintenance sheds, briefing rooms,  shower facilities, kitchens and eating areas, office space, jury rooms to evaluate protests, measuring rooms for hulls and sails and so on.

It is a complicated business and it needs a sophisticated building.

The Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy (WPSA) was established in the spring of 1999 as a non profit making company to set up a sailing centre of excellence to fill this gap. It is being supported by the RYA who are giving a great deal of advice and, in time, this centre is to become the National Sailing Centre and the focal point of the 9 RYA Regional Sailing Centres spread around the country. As such, it will be the venue for the sailing Olympics when the Games next come to Britain (possibly in 2012).

We should not think though that this Project will only involve racing. Whilst it may be true to say that the Olympic Sailing Team will be the very peak of the triangle of Academy users - there will be plenty of others providing a very broad base indeed. There will be extensive schooling to achieve RYA qualifications at many different levels. Many groups will come to learn how to sail or how to sail better. Individuals will bring their own boats to either challenge each other or simply potter about the harbour. One of the big users will be the Dorset County Council (DCC) who will be moving their Outdoor Education Centre (OEC) from its buildings in Weymouth into the new premises. This will bring many school children into contact with these high quality facilities at an early stage and hopefully generate an interest in a sport which may lead on to greater things in due course. As well as sailing, the OEC will train orienteering, rock climbing and potholing from the Centre.

The centres activities are not to be confined to sailing. Canoeing, wind surfing, diving and in fact all watersports except jetskis will be welcome to come along and either learn or base themselves on site for whatever period they choose. It is planned that the area involved will be big enough to be able to provide parking for everyone on all but the biggest event days.

Unfortunately, this sort of development does not come cheaply.

The Academy is busy looking for sponsorship, grant aid and eventually lottery money to help achieve the several million pounds needed. There is a great sense of optimism that, despite the large sums involved and some of the difficulties of development, we will see the Project come through to a successful conclusion before too long.

This sort of facility is long overdue in this prime watersports area and the closure of the naval air station on Portland is the golden opportunity many of us have been waiting for.