A new sailing academy in Pwllheli, North Wales, should boost the local economy to the tune of a million pounds every year.

Plans are underway to attract even more major national and international sailing events to Pwllheli once the £8.3m project has been completed.

This will help develop the area as a whole to become a sailing destination for world-class sailors as well as opening the door for new sailors and provide more opportunities for people to become involved in sailing.

The project will further enhance Pwllheli’s international status as a recognised sailing venue, and will provide a substantial boost towards the local economy. Pwllheli is fortunate to have some of the best sailing waters in Britain with no commercial traffic and stunning scenery. The new sailing academy will provide a wealth of opportunity to young people and establish better links between Pwllheli Marina and the town centre. The aim is for the project to be completed by 2013.

Andrew Topham from Boatshed North Wales commented: “This is great news that the new sailing academy has been given the green light. Pwllheli already has an outstanding reputation as one of the finest sailing venues in the UK and attracts national and international sailing events and regattas. With the development of the Sailing Academy I’m sure we’ll see more and more people visit the area which has to be a good thing for boat sales.”