Weymouth Olympics

[Sans Bateau]

We were having supper with friends last night who are about to start their two weeks holiday. They were telling us that they had applied ages ago for 'passes' which would allow them to anchor off Weymouth for the Olympics. There was to be a taxi service provided to run people ashore.

However they were contacted just recently and told that because of the poor take up for the anchorage the taxi service would not run. boo hiss! However!!! as there were so many marina berths available they could have one of those at the same price, and still have access to the anchorage to spectate! Horrah!

Sounds to me though that so many people have been scarred off from visiting Weymouth the organisers have shot themselves in the foot!

 

[Bobc]

Their greed has backfired on them...again.

It makes me sick. I really wanted to go and watch for a few days but couldn't justify £1,000 for 3 nights, so that I could watch 2 days racing.

 

[Cardo]

Just shows what a balls up the whole thing was.

 

[epervier]

I love it,

people voting with their feet, a once in a lifetime event, so they've been telling us in the media, disgracefully exploited by greedy bar-stewards, they deserve for it to fail, coupled with the news that Lord Coe, (who has run quickly in past decades) had difficulty explaining why the Olympic stadium seats were half empty.

It's only day two and is living up to my expectations of how the privileged few can f**k it up for rest of us.

 

[KREW2]

I was driving our clubs water taxi/ferry yesterday, nice wind, lovely sunshine, no sailors, but plenty of police milling through our moorings on beautiful ribs, and designer jet skis.
They had nothing to do, so they just mildly harassed the few who just wanted to go and sit on their boats.
My mooring is only some 50 meters from the Portland arena. I was going to go and sit on the boat today for a few hours to see what was going on, then I thought why bother, because if one of those jobsworth started on me I know I would retaliate, and lose.

 

[Richard Shead]

Heading down sat 11th tickets were 100 quid and just booked hotel in town for 86 with parking

 

[KREW2]

Heading down sat 11th tickets were 100 quid and just booked hotel in town for 86 with parking

£100 for all of you?

 

[gerry99]

it is a complete fiasco from the beginning. If there had been any other publicly funded event that overran its budget by 4.25 times there would have been a major outcry and public enquiries. Either we were lied to about the costs of the Olympics or they were so incompetent they got the sums badly wrong or both. Not a good foundation on which to launch such and event

 

[prv]

If there had been any other publicly funded event that overran its budget by 4.25 times there would have been a major outcry and public enquiries.

Not sure about that. It seems to be depressingly common. Just look at anything involving government and computers.

Now if you'd said "privately funded event" you'd have had a point, as companies are spending their own money rather than yours and mine, so they are usually a bit more careful with it.

Pete

 

[Seajet]

I was driving our clubs water taxi/ferry yesterday, nice wind, lovely sunshine, no sailors, but plenty of police milling through our moorings on beautiful ribs, and designer jet skis.
They had nothing to do, so they just mildly harassed the few who just wanted to go and sit on their boats.
My mooring is only some 50 meters from the Portland arena. I was going to go and sit on the boat today for a few hours to see what was going on, then I thought why bother, because if one of those jobsworth started on me I know I would retaliate, and lose.

The phrase 'Chromium Plated Cockup' seems appropriate; a chum with a boat in Weymouth Marina was offered a fair bit of dosh if he'd move out, renting the space to some punter keen to watch people sail in circles; being an astute businessman he looked at the figures and replied " I don't think you'll have many takers at that rate, No Ta ! "

Then again that could be said for a lot of South Coast harbours, the idea that boat owners must all be millionaires just itching to get fleeced has to end, and town councils start pulling their weight to attract rather then repel 'tourists by water'.

In the debate over anchoring at Studland I saw figures of the average yottie - say a pleb like me in a 22' boat, not a 55' Hallberg Rassey - contributes 1000% more to the economy while visiting than divers driving up for the day, with packed lunches and pre-loaded fuel in the Chavmobile & boat !

 

[Twister_Ken]

I have a feeling when there's eventually a post-mortem on the whole Olympics event (which BTW, I think is great) something very nasty will be discovered in the ticketing pricing and allocation process. Weymouth/Portland trying to scalp sailors is just one example.

 

[Simondjuk]

Weymouth Marina website's Olympic page says they are charging £2.95 per metre per day if you want to spend all 16 days of the event there, which is a pretty standard plastic parking lot marina rate.

Whaar'am I missing?

 

[deuc02]

I love it,

people voting with their feet, a once in a lifetime event, so they've been telling us in the media, disgracefully exploited by greedy bar-stewards, they deserve for it to fail, coupled with the news that Lord Coe, (who has run quickly in past decades) had difficulty explaining why the Olympic stadium seats were half empty.

It's only day two and is living up to my expectations of how the privileged few can f**k it up for rest of us.

So well said. Have a gold medal.

 

[Sandy]

Now if you'd said "privately funded event" you'd have had a point, as companies are spending their own money rather than yours and mine, so they are usually a bit more careful with it.

Having done some post-graduate research on the subject of private/public spending I find it hard to agree with that view; there are some really, really good case studies in the literature. Private company cock-ups are very, very well hidden (we don't want to upset the shareholders) and public ones are very, very public (something to do with public accountability). Both cock-up equally badly.

Don't be fooled about the money not being yours and mine; it is! You and me are paying customers. Jo Bloggs pays if it is public or private - just the way the world works.

 

[epervier]

Been down to Brixham this morning, from Calshot, to pick up some trawl nets, I used the coast road, with the temporary signs approaching Weymouth warning of delays due to the Olympic Games, park and ride fields of freshly cut grass 12 and 8 miles from Weymouth,with not a single vehicle in them, the traffic was light going and returning, so I guess the games are a resounding success

 

[woodstock]

Poole Quay Boat Haven charged us £41 for a 28' boat at the weekend - or tried to, I should say - we cleared out soon after arriving. Their excuse? 'It's the olympics'. Er... do they realise it's 30 miles away?

 

[Theta]

I must say that the town has been pleasantly quiet over the weekend. Far fewer people than we normally get for a sunny weekend in the school hols.

 

[xyachtdave]

I've just booked a decent looking guest house for 2 adults and 1 child (family room) for £95 a night. One call to Weymouth Tourist Info and a list of places with vacancies took 2 minutes.

If the pictures on the web are accurate, 5 mins from Weymouth beach for that money during the Olmypics seems reasonable.

470 Women's racing is on....if Saskia Clark and Hannah Mills read YBW and need any top tips, feel free to PM me!

 

[TrailerSailer]

Experiences of Weymouth at the weekend

A long post of experiences this weekend.

Went down to the boat in Portland Harbour on the moorings on Saturday. Picked up a friend on the opposite side of Weymouth. Aside from not being able to go through town there was no significant traffic and no problems parking at Ferrybridge.

Out to the boat by tender and had a chat with the police. Very friendly and no hassle factor. Professional - and I suspect slightly bored. They gave us a quick and friendly briefing and advised us of which marshalls were getting a little too eager.

Saturday saw us go down to Lulworth and back. Followed all the written and verbal instructions given by "the professionals". Once I got down to Lulworth was met by an aggressive locally hired heavy. Clearly he had never been given responsibility for anything in his life and was enjoying telling people off for following the written port instructions; which he probably had difficulty understanding himself. He could not even comprehend that as a yacht closing on the lee shore ready to enter Lulworth we may just be a little more interested in getting the sails down than listening to him spout off!

For the rest of the afternoon he berated all and sundry. Took it out on the local commercial fishermen, his colleagues who were manning the line beside him and being offensive to various boats with some quite racist comments. Strangely WeyBay control did not want to bring him under control. That said you need to speak to them on Ch 8 which is not in the writen port instructions and they can't figure out why nobody contact them...

Anyway that evening we drifted off Weymouth beach for dinner and the spectacular evening event. And it did look great from the sea. We were accompanied by a couple of police boats, but they were pleasent.

Got back onto the mooring around midnight. Spoke to port control as we went across the harbour and had an armed escort as we arrived. After picking up the mooring had a nice chat and bid all goodnight.

Folloing morning spoke to the new police shift - MOD Plod. They heard the previous day's radio comms and were disgusted with the approach by their non uniformed "colleagues". Was advised that we had free passage within the restricted area as we had been cleared and confirmed that we had done nothing wrong the previous day.

Got out to watch the first Finn race and the second Star race. Good views and the police once again calmed down over zealous marshals and got all boats a good view.

Overall impression was that inside the cordon it is extreamly well done, but the outside line of boats don't know their stern from thei bows. If you are "accredited" get out on the water and enjoy.

 

[BrendanS]

TrailerSailor, good informative post, thank you.