Most of Team GB to miss opening ceremony
Olympic organisers, Team GB sailors and the spectators expected to flock to Weymouth are all preparing for the start of the Games.
12,000 people are expected to watch Friday’s opening ceremony on the big screens at the Live Site on Weymouth Beach where the sailing action will also be televised.
12 of the 16 British Olympic sailors will also be at the Live Site two days before racing begins with only the 470 crews of Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell and Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark able to fit attending the main opening ceremony in London into their schedules.
The 12 will be introduced onto the stage in Weymouth between 7.50 and 8.10pm, before the opening ceremony begins at the Olympic Stadium.
Team GB sailing team leader Stephen Park said: ‘With most of the sailors unable to travel to London for the main opening ceremony due to training and racing schedules, we really wanted to the celebrate the start of the Games with our supporters in Weymouth and Portland, which has been home to our team for a number of years now.
‘We can already feel the excitement building here in Weymouth and Portland, and I know we can rely on some fantastic local support for Team GB’s sailors, who will be doing all they can to put in performances that they and we will all be proud of.’
It is free to attend the Live Site, but capacity numbers are limited.
Meanwhile, the finishing touches are being applied to the equipment that will be used to organise the racing.
See below for a timelapse video of the official graphics being applied to the start boat.
Olympic sailing park and ride site flooded.