THE opening ceremony of the Sail for Gold regatta will take place at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy tomorrow (7pm).

Racing is scheduled to begin from 11am on Sunday with more than 180 athletes from 20 different nations competing on the Olympic-class sailing waters of Portland Harbour.

Sail for Gold marks the third stage of the European Sailing Federation (EUROSAF) new series.

The series, first announced in 2012, is based on five established regattas within Europe, and aims to provide top competition for the world's best sailors.

The Sail for Gold entry list includes three gold medallists from last year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Portland’s Paralympic champion Helena Lucas will be competing in the 2.4mR keelboat class along with her biggest British rival Megan Pascoe, who beat Lucas to event honours at the last EUROSAF event in Holland by a single point.

Lucas, 38, of Fortuneswell, said: “I can’t believe its 10 months since the Games and the last time I sailed and competed out in Portland Harbour.

“I’m really looking forward to Sail for Gold, and I think it’s going to trigger some great memories from the Games.”

Other London 2012 champions include the Netherlands trio of Udo Hessels, Marcel van de Veen and Mischa Rossen in the Sonar keelboat Paralympic class and China’s Olympic gold medallist Lijia Xu in the Laser Radial class.

Hot on Xu’s heels will be Portland’s Alison Young who will be eager to continue her fine form of three podium fin-ishes from her last three regattas.

Other big name Sail for Gold entries include Portland’s Olympic silver medallist Stuart Bithell and his crew Chris ‘Twiggy’ Grube, Dorset sailing sisters Lucy and Kate Macgregor, racing in the Nacra mixed catamaran and women’s 49er FX skiff classes respectively, Weymouth’s Olympic gold medallist Laser sailor Paul Goodison, bronze Olympic medallist windsurfer Bryony Shaw and Weymouth’s double Olympic medallist windsurfer Nick Dempsey, inset.

Members of the public are welcome to attend the Osprey Quay venue throughout the five-day regatta, which culminates next Thursday.

Visit sailforgold.co.uk to find out more.