The Australian Sailing Team’s new National Training Centre in Sydney’s Middle Harbour will ensure our world class athletes and coaches can continue to perform on the international stage.

Minister for Sport Mark Arbib today officially opened the training centre with joint partners Yachting Australia, the Australian Institute of Sport and the Middle Harbour Yacht Club.

“This new, state-of-the-art training centre will provide Australia’s athletes and coaches with fantastic training facilities,” Senator Arbib said.

“Our sailing team has enjoyed great success in recent years and this new centre will help the team achieve even greater success in the future.

“The team recently returned from the Olympic test event in Weymouth where they achieved some exceptional results, including two gold and one silver medals.

“I am sure this excellent new facility will help the team as they prepare for the London Games.”

Australian Sailing Team High Performance Director Peter Conde emphasised the importance of the new facility.
 
“The new National Training Centre is a major development for the Australian Sailing Team and provides the first ever dedicated home for the team,” Mr Conde said.

“The Centre will facilitate a new level of interaction and engagement between coaches and athletes across our disciplines and will be incredibly important as we close in on the London 2012 Olympic Games and then well into the future.
 
“The setting is ideal, providing training access to a tremendous variety of wind, wave and current conditions for the Australian Sailing Team and Australian Sailing Squad.”

The Australian Government provides almost $6 million in annual funding to sailing in Australia.

More than $5.4 million is targeted towards High Performance sport, while sailing also received $290,000 as part of the Green and Gold Project, to give its athletes the best chance to achieve sustained international success.