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ellistine View Drop Down
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Posts: 762 		Post Options Post Options   Quote ellistine Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Olympic spectator
    Posted: 11 Jun 12 at 8:05am
This is what I know;

The spectator site is in the Nothe Fort Gardens. The Nothe Fort was built in 1872 and parking wasn't a high priority back then so there will be no parking anywhere near by. We do have a shiny new Park and Ride at the end of a shiny new relief road put in primarily for the Olympics. I've no idea what they will be charging for this. I'll be walking.

The BBC are covering the entire event. I doubt if they'll be broadcasting the commentary locally on the radio but you never know. The last few Sail For Golds have had local radio commentary but this is a whole different ball game. There will however be large screens with commentary at the Nothe as well as on the beach (which is Free to attend).

The medal races, and various other races will be held in the shadow of the Nothe fort wind permitting. If there's any North in the wind then bad luck, the boats will be miles away.

The sailors themselves will be sailing out of the WPNSA. WPNSA is on Portland and nowhere near the ticketed spectator area. The entire WPNSA site will be on lock down over the games so no access to the public and definitely no pit lane access. If getting up close and personal is what you want then you've just missed the last Sail For Gold which was very relaxed this year.



If you can get the train to Weymouth you'll be able to walk to the spectator area and be guided by an army of games 'ambassadors' who I'm sure will be happy to point you in the right direction - or to the nearest McDonalds.
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Caveman View Drop Down
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Posts: 64 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Caveman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jun 12 at 1:38am

I think you've missed the point. I was asking whether anyone knew what measures they are taking to make this an enjoyable and worthwhile event for spectators. I see that there appears to ne good availability of tickets for many of the medal races, so it would appear my apprehension may be shared by a lot of sailing fans.  

With regard to the side issue of radios, tickets that come with personal radios are not uncommon at sporting events. As it happens, in the last few days, I have booked tickets for the Goodwood Festival of Speed (a great motorsport event as anyone who has been will confirm). Each ticket includes a radioand the parking is free, plentiful and convenient. I could be wrong but, at Weymouth it appears to be £12 for park and ride.
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ASok View Drop Down
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Posts: 739 		Post Options Post Options   Quote ASok Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jun 12 at 10:03pm
Originally posted by Caveman

Will they give out those personal radios they have at other sporting events so we can hear a commentary?
   


What sporting event 'gives out' those radios??! This is the Olympics, I'm sure there will be a branded radio that you can buy at an over inflated price
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ellistine View Drop Down
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Posts: 762 		Post Options Post Options   Quote ellistine Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jun 12 at 6:04pm
Stay at home then. More room for the rest of us. If you think it's going to be rubbish, it probably will be rubbish.  Personally I think it's going to be great and I can't wait.
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Posts: 64 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Caveman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jun 12 at 5:53pm
I am coming late to this forum. Like many others, I applied for olympic tickets for various sports including sailing (the main sport I participate in). But I ended up with zilch apart from two tickets for the sailing and £500 more than expected in my account.
I love sailing but it has limitations as a spectator sport. Late in the day, the realisation is dawning that I might just have "bought a pup". A 300 miles round trip in the car to watch a race hundreds of yards away - even with the dubious option of watching it on a large TV screen is not doing it for me. Can anyone out there do a better job of selling it?
Will they give out those personal radios they have at other sporting events so we can hear a commentary? Will we be able to get close to the boats and competitors when they come off the water (pit pass equivalent)?  Will there be grandstand seating? Can I track the races on my smartphone? Is my daughter going to ask me to go home early? 
   
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Oatsandbeans View Drop Down
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Posts: 382 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Oatsandbeans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 12 at 7:27am
Yes, its a bit cheaper in Portland, but there isn't as much to do in portland compared to london. I suppose you could go down to Weymouth and watch the olympics and the big screen that they are putting on the beach- no I don't think I'll bother after all.
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pondmonkey View Drop Down
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Posts: 2202 		Post Options Post Options   Quote pondmonkey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 May 12 at 10:47am
a 2 week berth in St Cats is nearly £4k during the Olympics!
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Oatsandbeans View Drop Down
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Posts: 382 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Oatsandbeans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 12 at 7:15pm
Dean and Redyhof that run the marina are letting out berths for the 2 weeks at £47.50/m. I considered getting my boat down there for  the games but then I thought what would I be able to see -nothing as I couldn't get out into the bay. I wouldn't be able to mix it with the sailors in the dinghy park ( security!), and all the resturants around would be chocker - so i would end up sitting on the boat in the marina watching it on the PC and paying a load of cash for the fun of it. I don't think so!
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Posts: 188 		Post Options Post Options   Quote furtive Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 12 at 11:11am

Racing on the Nothe course will be very close to the shore (probably even closer than at the test event). Obviously when the boats are at the furthest extent of the course they're going to look a bit small, but the view will still be pretty good. If I had tickets I'd take some binoculars, but apart from that it should be pretty awesome. If I didn't want to go I'd probably not have applied for tickets...
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JimC View Drop Down
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Posts: 6661 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 12 at 11:10am
Originally posted by a_dowley

How long do you think it is going to take the ISAF to catch up?

Is it much to do with ISAF? My understanding was everything related to spectators, tickets and facilities was 100% up to the organisers. I suppose ISAF can make suggestions, but I don't know that they have much power to actually force anything to happen.


Edited by JimC - 17 May 12 at 11:14am
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