Portland in Dorset could have a Wind Surfing Centre as early as Easter

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If a groundbreaking centre gets the go ahead, windsurfers could by Easter be flying to Portland in vast numbers as plans are in the air for a new windsurfing centre to be housed at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

 

Talks are taking place with a Tenerife based British company, the Official Test Centre, with a view to opening a similar enterprise in Portland.

 

Chris Knight, Business Manager said the venture could ‘hugely’ benefit the local economy by forming an ‘additional tourist attraction’.  He went on to say "Our aim is not small, it’s really high. We hope to be the main focal point of windsurfing for at least the south coast of the country.“That’s the aim and it would happen.”

 

He added: “It would be new and huge for the area. There’s nothing like it in the country, we’re sort of breaking new ground here. What we’d actually be doing is taking a business model that works in the Med and transferring it back to England. We’ve got small windsurfing centres in this country who are brand specific, however the exciting thing about this is it involves all manufacturers.  It doesn’t discriminate and it is very positive for the windsurfing industry, which is trying to increase participation in the sport “

 

The windsurfing centre, should it come about, would be based on the left side of the new slipway and operate akin to the SailLaser sailing centre, now based at the academy. The centre would be closely associated with local water sports retailer Windtek to provide tuition in the sport, club membership and the RYA Team 15 windsurfing club. Mr Knight said the centre would "draw people down from London for the weekend. The Official Test Centre is unique because it hosts all manufacturers at its centre and people can come along and essentially compare boards and sails to each other. You pay £50 a day and have free rein over all the kit. Most windsurfing centres are branded and will just have one brand, maybe two, in the view to promoting the sales of one brand, however we would flip that on its head.”

Mr Knight added that he hoped to confirm the plans soon, with a view to opening the centre at Easter.