As news of yet more celebratory regattas marking the Olympics and the Queen’s Jubilee fly in, the simmering expectation for a fantastic summer of sailing ahead has been notched up to a new level (‘eager anticipation’). Fuelled by bright sunshine and soaring temperatures, you might think summer was already here!

Of course, as we head in to April, there’s still a long way to go yet (cue sighs of relief from event organisers around the country).

But a recent trip to Weymouth proved that the Olympic sailing venue is taking no chances. The Academy building itself, together with the harbour, slipways, breakwater and pontoons, was the first of all the Olympic venues to be completed; now the focus is on the finishing touches. I noticed workers industriously occupied in painting fresh white lines along the promenade. A simple enough task in itself, perhaps, but it’s one symbolising years of meticulous planning, as the seaside resort and its freshly installed infrastructure brace for an unprecedented influx of visitors this summer.

Let’s just hope that two new snack kiosks that have also been added to the seafront - designed to look like upturned boats - don’t have any particular symbolism!

With the ice and snow having melted away and the temperatures soaring, the sailing season lies temptingly around the corner, bringing with it the promise of a bumper mix of events in 2012.

It seems as if the whole country will be taking to the water over the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend, as clubs and organisations take advantage of the bonus bank holiday to run additional events. At the centre of all this will be the special Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, which will see one of the largest flotillas ever assembled on the river, with 1000 boats of all sizes thronging the Thames and showing off in front of some 30,000 shore-side spectators.

This early summer weekend’s overdose of sailing activity should spur on enthusiasm for the usual summer line up, including of course Cowes Week, Round the Island Race and hundreds of championship events and regatta weeks scattered throughout July and August.

And then of course comes the event to top all events: the 2012 Olympic Games. Even though only a handful of Britain’s elite dinghy sailors will actually get to take part, there’s no doubt that the British sailing public will be behind our Olympians as they battle for medal victory on the waters of Weymouth and Olympic fever inevitably grips the country.

It’s been a busy start to the year for one man in particular. What, with just a few months to go until he competes for a fifth Olympic medal; the Finn Gold Cup coming up on his home waters; guest appearances at the London Boat Show; a new clothing collection from Henri Lloyd to endorse; oh yes, and the small matter of a new America’s Cup campaign to announce - Britain’s most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Ben Ainslie CBE has certainly got a lot on his plate.

Ben’s latest announcement means that almost as soon as he steps ashore from the last race of the Olympics, he will be boarding a plane to San Fransisco in order to take up the helm of an AC45 wing-sailed catamaran in the America’s Cup World Series. This exciting, action-packed series starts in September and is the precursor to the America’s Cup.

Ben has also stated that his next ambition, after the 2012 Olympics, is to win the America’s Cup.

In return for the 3 million Euros it costs to underwrite an AC World Series campaign, he has agreed to lend his services to Russell Coutts of ORACLE Racing in the 34th Cup in 2013, a partnership which will most probably land him the role of tactician rather than helm, yet another chance for him to cut his teeth before he finally gets to handle his own campaign for the 35th Cup sometime after 2013.

A very happy new year to all our readers, and welcome to the first issue of All at Sea, in this, the year of the 2012 Olympics.

As this paper enters its 11th year and the spotlight naturally falls onto our Olympic sailors, All at Sea is getting ready to bring you exciting insights and all the info you really want to know as the momentum builds and stories behind the 2012 Games unfold on our home waters of Weymouth. Take a look at the new regular Olympic column, which starts in this issue on page 26.  

In the coming year, sailing and watersports will no doubt be riding high on the Olympic wave, and as Britain’s most widely read waterfront newspaper, All at Sea promises to report on all this - and more, bringing you all the latest news whatever your boating interest.

Writing this from the Tullet Prebon London Boat Show, it’s fantastic to see the huge diversity of boating interests represented, from our Olympic hopefuls to elite offshore racers, motor and sail cruisers, racing powerboats, entry level dinghies and kayaks, wakeboard and water ski demos, and much more.