THREE hundred young dinghy sailors took to the water to attempt the challenge of turning their boats on a whistle – simultaneously.

The challenge provided a stunning spectacle on the 2012 Games waters as the Optimist dinghies successfully co-ordinated eight tacks in a challenge never attempted before.

The event on Sunday was part of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) Open Weekend at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

It also kicked off an exciting week of youth Sailing in the Volvo Musto Optimist British National and Open Championship with 498 young sailors competing across three classes from across Europe, Asia and even Oceania.

Business manager at the academy, Chris Knight, said it was one of their biggest regattas so far, as family members accompanied each competitor, which resulted in an estimated £1.5million boost to the local economy.

He said: “Weymouth and Portland have got 500 more families holidaying here than it would have if the sailing event wasn’t taking place.

“These are incredibly exciting times because not only are we 100 per cent finished in terms of development as an academy, all our facilities are firing on all cylinders. Our on-site sailing school and windsurfing school are up and running and our events calendar for this year and more importantly the next three years is really filling up. We’re drawing a lot more people and events to Weymouth and Portland.

“The Sail for £5 scheme is going great guns with thousands of local school children being introduced to sailing.

“Weymouth College has a classroom and a small fleet of dinghies on site and they host some of their watersports qualifications here.”

He added: “The academy is doing a wide range of events, from community activities to elite racing at the Sail for Gold.

“It’s the second time Sail for Gold has been an ISAF World Cup event and a lot of competitors are viewing it as a test event for the Games.

“We’re really starting to think about the delivery of the Games and we’re working with Portland Marina and RYA Portland House, it’s all coming together.

“Race tracking was trialled at a youth nationals event earlier this year and spectators at Sail for Gold will be able to see 3D race tracing on each course on site at the academy. We’re encouraging members of the public to come here during the event.”

Today, Olympians Sarah Dempsey and Saskia Clark will be out on the water with young Optimist sailors to offer advice and tips. Triple Olympian champion Ben Ainslie, who began his sailing career in an Optimist, also made an appearance earlier this week to inspire the young sailors to become the future racing stars.