ONE of London’s Olympic legacy projects has been opened by one of Britain’s greatest living sailors.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail solo, non-stop around the world, cut the ribbon at the new £3m Erith Yacht Club on Sunday.

The project will see the local sailing club with just 250 members, based in Anchor Bay off Manor Road, Erith, turned into a community sailing centre, with facilities for disabled sailors, as well as conference and meeting facilities.

Sir Robin, who has a long association with the club, joined representatives of all the funding organisations, construction companies and Bexley Council which helped with the funding bid, to celebrate the transformation of the club.

He said: "I've been supporting improvements on the Thames for over 20 years, and I think this is a really important facility for the development of sailing in London.

"It provides great opportunities for those learning on inland waters to take a step onto tidal waters."

He added: "The impressive facilities will help attract and retain club members, and it also provide much needed facilities for sailors visiting the Thames.

"We need more facilities like this, on this great river. "Erith Yacht Club has a great future and I wish them and their partners every success."

More than 300 people attended the event and toured the new facilities.

Among them were the two sons of former club member Alan Beckett, who invented the anchors which secured the mulberry harbours during the Second World War, and whose name is commemorated at the club.

They sailed to the club in their father’s boat Bonita, built in 1888.

Father Dane Batley-Gladden, son of the head of the club’s training centre, led the blessing.

During the afternoon younger club members staged several sailing races on the River Thames and there were boat tours around the bay.

Sir Robin also presented younger club members with their Jack Petchey awards.

Club Commodore John Edmonds said: “The funders of the project were delighted with what we have done with their money.”

The project was funded by cash from the Homes and Communities Agency, Sport England, Cory Environmental Trust in Britain, Royal Yachting Association and Bexley Council.

Erith's new riverbank clubhouse replaces the former Norwegian car ferry Folgefonn, which was moored in the Thames and had served as the clubhouse since 1981.

Folgefonn, believed to have been the first roll-on, roll-off car ferry, has been bought by a Norwegian naval museum and has returned to Norway for restoration work.

The club is now available to schools and community groups for sailing training, and to disabled sailors and groups, as well as for one-day conferences, meetings and for sailing-based team-building events.

For details, call the club on 01322 332943.