Having already assembled three golds and one silver medal from his past four Olympics Games, success on home turf in this afternoon's Olympic Sailing Regatta (12pm start) will rewrite the history books in the sport.

Lymington-based Ainslie, who studied in Winchester and combined his academic and sporting commitments in the run up to his first Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, is more than familiar with conditions on Weymouth Bay.

Although most eyes will be transfixed on Ainslie and his Team GB teammates over the next few days, Weymouth College and the local community have been heavily involved in the build up to the London 2012 Games.

Having hosted pre-Games sailing camps with a number of nations including France and Germany, in addition to local business and enterprise opportunities at the College throughout the summer, the College's Sports Centre is now serving as an accommodation base for sailing spectators ahead of the packed Olympic sailing schedule.

The College's London 2012 activities were rewarded at Podium's Awards in May, with students and staff winning gold for 'Innovative International Collaboration' in Further Education for their project 'Sailing Camps, Business and Education'.

Lewis Stripp, General Manager at Weymouth College, said: "We are really excited about being involved in the Games, we have been involved in several legacy projects already and this is another great opportunity to capitalise on London 2012 and invest in facilities that will benefit the wider community. Weymouth has a fantastic atmosphere during the summer and the addition of the Olympics and Paralympics this year will really add to the buzz!"

By Stuart Appleby