WEYMOUTH DRAGON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2013
On course for a great event!
The British Dragon Association and the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) are very much looking forward to welcoming all Dragon participants and their friends and families to the next World Championships in September 2013 to be held close to Weymouth, Great Britain.
Our chosen venue, the WPNSA, is a world class venue for hosting major regattas. Although on the south coast of England, it is blessed with the lowest tidal range in the UK and benefits from sheltered conditions but reliable winds. The water is deep and any currents tend to be constant across the race course. The facility is set in the centre of the Jurassic coast of Dorset, the only Natural World Heritage Site on the UK mainland. It’s certainly worth thinking about taking a few days to explore the wonderful Dorset coast and countryside with its traditional villages, thatched cottages and inviting pubs.
The centre is the venue for the sailing competition at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and is also the major English training facility for aspiring Olympians as well as host to many training programmes for youthful sailors. Facilities are superb for our Dragon fleet. There is a dedicated marina for up to 125 keel boats plus marina facilities for RIBs, support boats and large yachts. It has three dedicated cranes and acres (even hectares!) of space for trailers and vehicles. Inside the centre, there are plenty of rooms for administration, the Jury and covered space for measurement.
“We extend a warm welcome to the international Dragon fleet to our award winning venue. During the event in 2013 all guests will have full use of our facilities both on and off the water. Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour are amongst some of the best racing destinations on this planet and the WPNSA venue is ideal for spectators to enjoy the atmosphere, whilst looking out on stunning views and sampling the local fresh food that Dorset is renowned for world wide”.
John Tweed, Chief Executive, The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy
The WPNSA is located between Weymouth and the Isle of Portland (in fact connected to the mainland by the Chesil Beach). Its location was chosen principally because of the sheltered sailing waters of Portland Harbour (great for dinghies) and easy access to Weymouth Bay where the Olympic fleets will be racing. There is plenty of open water for setting courses appropriate for the Dragon Worlds. Portland itself is famous for the quality of its stone, used to build many Victorian public buildings in London and for its harbour built for the Royal Navy centuries ago. There is a good chance (although no guarantees!) that we will have sunny and warm weather- the back end of summer on the English south coast is normally pretty reliable.
Weymouth is a popular holiday destination, enjoying a long sandy beach and sunny weather. There is a wide range of accommodation to suit all budgets. We found during our many visits to the WPNSA for our children to attend regattas and training weekends in Cadets and 420s that there is a wide range of lettings available plus a number of interesting Bed and Breakfasts. There are some reasonable hotels but not necessarily 5*. Further out of town but still within a not too long drive, you can find classic country cottages or pubs with accommodation. Finally, the marina can host large yachts so bringing your own accommodation is a viable option.
Getting to Weymouth will be straight forward. From personal experience it’s about a three hour drive from London, four hours from Dover and less than two hours from Southampton. The Worlds will take place a few weeks after the Gold Cup to be held in Douarnenez so it will be quite straight forward to transport your Dragon to Weymouth from Brittany. Ferry services are currently available from Roscoff to Plymouth, St Malo to Weymouth and Cherboug to Poole. There is also a 10% discount available with Condor Ferries for guests of the WPNSA, for full details please visit: http://www.condorferries.co.uk/specialoffers/WeymouthAndPortlandNationalSailingAcademy
There are also airports nearby at Bournemouth and Southampton as well as Gatwick and Heathrow. Rail services are available direct to Weymouth from London.
Planning for the Worlds is well under way. We recognise the importance to all Dragon sailors of selecting a PRO who understands our requirements and who has the experience to manage racing for a large fleet of keel boats. Race management is very much team orientated so our PRO and Chair of the Jury ideally will have experience of participating in events with the WPNSA. One of the benefits of hosting the Olympic regatta will be the pool of experience of race management, from skills in mark laying to being able to predict what the wind will do through the day. We will benefit from this legacy.
Our ambition is to give the Dragon class first class racing and the best of welcomes for these World Championships. We believe these Dragon Worlds will be a superb event for hosting guest activities and will generate a notable level of publicity for the class. I very much hope that within the Dragon class itself there are owners and friends of owners who will consider sponsorship opportunities for their businesses in support of these Worlds. Please call me for a chat!
Martin Makey
Vice Chairman British Dragon Association
+44 7860 729804
10/10/2012 11:29
