STRONG demand from overseas teams has led the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy to put restrictions on its training facility.
The venue for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Sailing events has now made contractual arrangements with a number of international teams to use the venue and is not currently able to accommodate any other ‘non- contracted’ teams to launch and recover boats from the venue.
A spokesman for the sailing academy said the ‘very strong demand from overseas teams’ ahead of 2012 had ‘exhausted’ the available capacity.
As a result of these changes any overseas teams, who have not entered into contracts with the academy, will be turned away prior to the opening of the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta on August 1.
Competitors who have entered for that event will be able to arrive at the site on or after August 1, but not before.
The academy is expected to be particularly busy this week and next week when major Wayfarer and Optimist Class events take place.
Castle Cove Sailing Club has indicated that they may still have some availability for overseas sailors, both in the period up to the Sail for Gold regatta’ and up to 2012.
Contact details for Castle Cove can be found at www.ccsc.org.uk
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