Olympic organisers declared their first test event for the Athens 2004 Games a success in August as an international regatta in the Greek capital is widely praised by participants.

More than 500 sailors from 50 countries took part in the eight-day competition at the unfinished Agios Kosmas marina, on the city's southern coastline, which will host the sailing events in two years time.

Camping out

The use of temporary facilities to house competitors, officials and media while building work continues on the permanent buildings expected for Games time, met with widespread approval.

The facilities are even better than what we needed. The tents are the best possible solution for pre-Olympic test events, said International Sailing Federation (ISAF) president Paul Henderson.

Competitors, coaches and officials who visited the construction site earlier this year admitted their surprise at the progress made.

Im shocked, this wasnt what I expected, it looks like the Olympics are ready to go, everything is in place, said French Finn class sailor Pascal Rambeau.

Pleasant surprise

New Zealand windsurf coach Matthew McCormack was taken aback by the facilities laid on for what is billed as a pre-pre-Olympic competition, as a further test event is still scheduled for next year.

"I wasnt expecting something on this scale its much bigger than Sydney, he said.
It was not all plain sailing for organisers, as a day was lost to persistently difficult weather conditions and Mistral and Finn class competitors complained of light and inconsistent winds.

Competitors also got a foretaste of tight security measures with some sailors complaining of long waits at the entrance to the coastal facility.

Tight security

"The security was unbelievable, getting anyone in who was not directly involved in the event was impossible," said McCormack.

More than 500 security personnel were drafted in for the event the absence of spectators but a shortage of checkpoints led to long delays for competitors and officials.

"In Sydney it was controlled but with a smile, here it was more stressful. The security men were so serious that it was scary, making us ask ourselves, 'is it actually risky?'" said Rambeau.

The regatta provided a first run-out for some of the 30,000 members of the public who have so far volunteered to work on the next Olympics.
First-time volunteer and retired beautician Eleni Zoulia, 55, admitted not knowing anything about sailing but claimed to enjoy the experience nonetheless.

"It has been great fun," she said.
"I believe in volunteering and I believe in the Olympic ideal so I'm fortunate that this opportunity came at the right time for me."