Olympic boat to be launched in Emsworth

The 30ft yacht, created as a "floating collage of memories", is due to sail along the south coast of England from July in the Olympics run-up.The boat will arrive at the sailing venue in Weymouth and Portland, Dorset, in time for the games in August.It was built in Emsworth, on the Hampshire-Sussex border.The artists who came up with the idea, Gary Winters and Gregg Whelan, visited 20 locations across the region seeking wooden donations to be used in the building of the craft.The pair, known as Lone Twin, also invited members of the public to bring wooden pieces to their boatyard at Thornham Marina.The only criteria was that the items were made from wood and had a story behind them.Donations include a section of Brighton's West Pier; a plank from the London 2012 velodrome; several hockey sticks; a Victorian police truncheon; large crates used to transport gold as British securities to Canada during World War II and a hairbrush used by a make-up artist at Pinewood Studios in the 1960s.A spokeswoman for the project said: "People from all walks of life responded by giving treasured items from all parts of the world and, more humbly, their garages."Each and every fascinating back-story was digitally recorded and photographed with its donor."The boat's two-month route will include Portsmouth, Margate, Brighton and Hastings.The Boat Project has been funded by the Arts Council England's Artists' Taking the Lead project as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.