Olympic sailing venue award

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International award for sailing academy !

The new Dorset sailing academy which is set to host the 2012 Olympic sailing events has won an international award for the access it gives disabled sailors.

The Weymouth &  Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) at Osprey Quay on Portland opened ahead of schedule at the end of 2008. It was the first operational site to be completed ahead of the games.

The centre has received the Distinction for Accessibility award for 2009 from the International Association for Sports & Leisure Facilities (IAKS).

The academy was created to help novice sailors and Olympic competitors ahead of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The academy opened three and a half years before the games and has since hosted a range of sailing and windsurfing competitions. Many Olympic as well novice sailors use the centre as a training base.

IAKS is the only organisation for sports facilities recognised by the International Olympics Committee and the International Paralympic Committee. It has been running its awards programme for 20 years.

WPNSA came out on on top of 54 entries from 14 different countries to win the disability access award.

Paralympic sailor, Helena Lucas said: "I love training in Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour as they offer a wide range of sailing conditions. The Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy is an unbeatable venue for diabled sailors with new, customised facilities. I don't know of any other sailing venue where the needs for sailors of all abilities are so well catered for."

Chief Executive of WPNSA, John Tweed said: "We hold accessibility for persons with diabilities to our venue extremely highly as everone who wishes to experience a water based sport should feel free to do so without barriers."