Olympic sailing medallists and hopefuls will train on the 2012 waters this week as part of their first camp ahead of the Games.

Britain's sailing stars and up-and-coming prospects are to be put through their paces from Monday to Friday in the first of five 'winter' training sessions in Weymouth, Dorset - site of the 2012 sailing events.

Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson, Star gold medallists in Beijing, bronze medallists Chris Draper and his new crewmate in the 49ers Peter Greenhalgh, Beijing bronze medallist Bryony Shaw in the RS:X windsurf class and Beijing gold medallist Pippa Wilson are among around 45 Skandia team GBR sailors due at the five-day event.

They will be backed up by around 20 support staff to help every aspect of their performance from life skills, to sport psychology, a meteorologist to help them gage wind, tide and weather as well as access to a new, top-secret performance centre.

The centre, in Portland Marina, opened in August and includes a gym, boat workshop and physio room.

Pete Cunningham, head physiologist at the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), said: "We have to train as much as any sport and it's essential we provide them with facilities.

"Everyone is welcome to come and train - unlike China where it was harder to go sailing.

"The fact the academy is now open makes it more important for us to have the bits we don't want prying eyes to see such as our performance centre."

Team GBR will have fitness tests every four months against "gold standards" for each of the 10 Olympic and three Paralympic classes to check their progress on body weight, height, aerobic fitness, upper body strength, endurance, agility and body fat.

"We expect progression. We have a long-term plan," he added.

Cunningham said: "Someone like Ben (Ainslie) is desperately keen to keep his fitness, although we don't see much of him he still has a strength programme."

John Tweed, chief executive of Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, said: "We have some of the best small boat sailing waters in the world."

It became the first Olympic venue to be ready after work to extend the marina on reclaimed land was finished in November 2008.

International teams can use the facilities to train ahead of 2012, Tweed said.

"It's the first time since 1972 that the sailing venue has been open for international teams," he added.

"In China they had to go to a different marina."