As Great Britain’s Olympic sailors make waves in Qingdao, back here in Dorset work on part of the venue for the sailing events for the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games is also moving, with the start of construction on the £7.1m marina shoreside development.

Over the next nine months construction company G&H Group will bring the landward element of the Portland Marina scheme into existence, constructing 15 business/retail units, 5 large commercial units, a bar/restaurant, marina facilities building, 470-space car park and boat storage area.

Work on the marina itself – 250 berths of which will be used by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) in 2012 – is also on course, with the 875-metre breakwater nearing completion and construction of the hoist dock well underway. The site will be operational from October, when it will open for lift out and winter storage of boats, with the first pontoons to be installed early next year. April 2009 will see the full opening of the marina berths – more than three years ahead of Portland’s involvement in the Games.

James Beaver, Operations Director for Dean & Reddyhoff Marinas, said: “We’re delighted with progress so far on the marina and we have reached an important milestone this week with the start of landward building work. It’s exciting to see the Beijing Games underway and the reality of being part of a future Olympic and Paralympic venue is starting to sink in – our focus now is on making sure the facilities at Portland Marina are of a world class standard to match.”