Neill, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Communities and Local Government, whose portfolio includes Olympic legacy, toured the facilities at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, where he met the chief executive John Tweed.

Neill claimed that Weymouth's reputation as a holiday destination would be enhanced by hosting the Olympic and Paralympics sailing but the improvements to the infrastructure being put in place for the Games would also make it more attractive to businesses.

"The new superfast broadband being installed for the Games will make a huge difference to attracting companies to the area," said Neill.

"That, plus improvements to the road network, despite the inconvenience of roadworks, will make Weymouth and Portland "more attractive for businesses to relocate here which will be a positive economic legacy.

"This is going to be a 'win-win' situation for Weymouth and Portland and I am also very impressed with the level of local volunteering for the Olympics."

Nick Dempsey and Bryony Shaw (pictured above), meanwhile, were in good form at the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta, winning silver and bronze in the RS:X men's and women's windsurfing events.

Dempsey went into the medal race assured of silver, but gunning for gold after a week of almost neck and neck racing with Dutchman Dorian van Rijsselberge, who had a seven point margin over the Briton going into the final day.


With Dempsey needing to put three sailors between himself and van Rijsselberge to grasp gold, the 30-year-old Athens 2004 bronze medallist took the fight to the Dutch sailor, forcing him onto the back foot at the start and leaving him to pull his way through the fleet.

At one stage, it looked as though Dempsey had done enough, but the Greek competitor positioned between the Briton and the Dutchman fell in on a tack, and allowed van Rijsselberge to come back and finish the race in fifth just three places behind Dempsey's second, instead of the four places the Briton needed to clinch gold.

Dempsey lost out on test event gold by a single point.

"I am happy, it's just a shame I did not win," said Dempsey.

"It is very, very difficult to sail someone down the fleet and then sail yourself back up past everyone and that is exactly what happened.

"I managed to sail him back to last place, so we were effectively ninth and tenth, and then got myself up to second and so that's all I can ask of myself."

Dempsey hopes that the event will help him come back even stronger next year.

"This is the most important event of the year for me because this is event that really most resembles the Olympic Games," he said.

"Really, it's about winning here, about winning under pressure, in the Olympic format so it has been great experience.

"The organisers have thrown us a few swerveballs this week and I think we've dealt with them quite well."


Shaw (pictured above with Dempsey) was buoyed by her bronze in the RS:X women's event, having pushed into the top three positions for the first time heading into the final day.

The Beijing bronze medallist did not enjoy the best of medal races, finishing seventh after falling in on a tack, but it was enough maintain her overall third behind Poland's Zofia Noceti-Klepacka and Spain's Marina Alabau.

"This is my target regatta for the year, so to medal here I am really, really happy," Shaw explained.

"There's a year to go and all the preparation is about board speed, and just making sure again that I am minimising mistakes, getting the experience and reeling in the Spanish and Polish girls."

"I feel like I am so much better than I was in Qingdao [where the sailing events were held at the 2008 Olympics].

"This is about being an all-rounder in Weymouth, so I feel like I am on track.

"There has been a real buzz, Skandia Team GBR is really tight, building towards next year and so we always try to emulate this [event] as a full dress rehearsal.

"It is all about preparing for next year."

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