The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has completed its construction work on the first venue for the 2012 Games, it was announced as work was completed on new enhanced sailing facilities at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA).

The completion of works at Weymouth & Portland was joined by the announcement that the National Lottery has raised £375 million of its £750 million target for the London 2012 Games, through sales of specially-designated Lottery games. The money raised will go towards funding the provision of facilities and supporting infrastructure for the 2012 Games.

The Olympic and Paralympic sailing events in 2012 will be hosted at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, and the adjoining Portland Marina, which offers world-class facilities and some of the best small boat sailing conditions in the world. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has now completed work to enhance the existing sailing facilities at WPNSA with the construction of a new permanent 250m slipway and new race-boat parking, lifting and mooring facilities. The completion of the project delivers an early legacy of world-class facilities for elite athletes and the local Dorset community to use.

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Works on Portland Marina, which will be used alongside the Sailing Academy to provide berthing and land based facilities at Games time is progressing ahead of schedule, meaning all key facilities will be ready more than three years ahead of the start of the Games.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: "We will stage a world-class Olympic and Paralympic Games and the ODA's completion of construction work on our world-class sailing venue, three and a half years before the event, is a major milestone on our journey to 2012. We have put athletes at the heart of the 2012 Games and the facilities at Weymouth and Portland will provide competitors from all round the world the best possible arena for medal-winning performances."

(CD/KMcA)