Thousands of spectators turned out to watch the world’s best sailors battle for victory on borough waters at the Skandia Sail for Gold regatta.

More than 1,500 attended the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy on Saturday to soak up the excitement of 2012 Olympic hopefuls competing in their double-point medal races.

Big screens with live race tracking and commentary, a regatta village of stalls, a medal ceremony and the chance to mingle with Olympic and Paralympic stars ensured a large turnout to the final day of the week-long event, with many families bringing picnics.

Young sailors and windsurfers from OnBoard clubs at SailLaser and the Official Test Centre were treated to a close-up of the action with boat trips by the Sailing academy into Portland Harbour.

All Saints pupil Jake Keenan, aged 14, said: “It was really good. I’ve seen the Olympic windsurfers launch before but I’ve never seen then racing, it was really exciting.”

Freya Stanger, aged nine, of Radipole Primary School, said: “It was really amazing, we’ve been seeing the people who might be at the Olympics next year.”

Academy business manager Chris Knight said: “It’s not only been the largest Skandia Sail for Gold regatta we’ve ever done but a huge amount of learning has been put in place over the past few years so that the facility is running at 100 per cent shore-side.

“A lot of the volunteers and race management are in their third year now and everyone knows what they’re doing. The atmosphere has been great and because this was a selection event for the test event it’s been a crucial one.”

Huge cheers erupted when Weymouth’s windsurfing champion Nick Dempsey claimed gold in the RS:X class, Weymouth’s Saskia Clark and Hannah Mills took silver in their 470 dinghy class, Weymouth Laser star Paul Goodison claimed bronze and Portland’s Finn sailor Giles Scott picked up silver behind gold winner Ben Ainslie.

Olympian Nick Dempsey, of Wyke Regis, described the turnout of spectators as ‘absolutely unbelievable’ and said: “When you win regattas away from home you go to the prize giving, then it’s in the car and drive home for two days.

“Here we’re surrounded by family and friends, it’s incredible. It just gives you a taste of what it could be like in a year’s time.”

Borough mayor Graham Winter said: “It’s a marvellous event, a good introduction to what we can expect from the Olympics.

“It’s lovely to see all the international sailors and all the people from across the south coast coming to be involved.”