THE Olympic spirit soared as schoolchildren across Weymouth and Portland marked the end of their own torch relay.

The School to School Torch Relay ended yesterday at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

Local dignitaries along with pupils, staff and parents from each of the 25 schools in the Chesil Education Partnership turned out in force to celebrate the ‘closing ceremony’.

The rain held off as crowds gathered to cheer for the torch on the final leg of the Olympic-inspired relay.

A total of 26 torches have been made by Portland-based engineering company Sea-NC – one for each school – as well as the main torch used for the duration of the relay. An embroidered flag with the name of each school travelled with the torch and a message of inspiration added to a book of friendship along the way.

The flag and torch were presented to the Sailing academy at the ‘closing ceremony’ while the book of friendship was received by young sailors competing in a nationwide regatta currently taking place at the venue.

Portland youngsters helped carry the torch, flag and book of friendship on the last leg of the relay.

Cheering crowds greeted the team which consisted of representatives from each Portland school as they approached the sailing academy.

Athena Jones, five, of Brackenbury Infant School, carried the torch to the excited crowd while Chloe Powney, four, of Little Stars nursery and Zach Dalby, five, of Grove Infant School, helped deliver the book of friendship.

A total of 13 GCSE PE students of Royal Manor escorted the youngsters and helped carry the flag to the ceremony.

Weymouth and Portland Mayor Margaret Leicester attended the event to officially end the relay.

Organiser Caroline Peer, Chesil development leader, said: “It has been a fabulous week and it has really brought all of the schools together in the build up to the Olympics.”

Throughout the relay teams from each school braved the bad weather to run, cycle and walk the torch from one school to another.

Radipole Primary School unveiled a huge ‘Swan Car’ which they used to take the torch to Southill Primary while the Wyke Regis Junior School Samba band made a musical journey to All Saints School.

John Tweed, chief executive of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, said: “It is great to see all the schools getting involved in the build up to the 2012 Olympic torch and the Sailing events.”

The flag and torch will be displayed at the sailing academy along with a burgee-flag – awarded by the National School Sailing Association who were hosting their 50th nationwide regatta at the venue on the same day.

Youngsters pass torch around island

CELEBRATIONS kicked off yesterday at Portland-based schools before the relay ended at the sailing academy.

Schoolchildren at Southwell Primary School gathered as the torch was passed around a spiral of pupils before it was taken to St George’s.

Youth Olympic ambassadors of St George’s Primary received the torch before school children formed an arch where a representative from each class ran through passing the torch.

The torch was then run through Grove Park on the next leg of the journey to Grove Infant School, where it was towed in a Team GB sailing boat to Royal Manor Arts College. Finley John Short, six, of Grove Infant School said he had loads of fun watching the torch being towed to Royal Manor.

He said: “We watched the torch being taken up the road in the boat and it was really fun.”

Once at Royal Manor Arts College the torch was convoyed by car to Underhill Junior School and Brackenbury Infant School and Community Nursery before being taken to Portland castle. Representatives from each school then took the torch to the academy.