EVERY pint of Dorset Gold ale sold by a Bridport brewery will help launch local youngsters into Olympic waters.

Palmer's Brewery of West Bay Road is sponsoring the Chesil Trust charity with 5p from every pint of the golden premium ale sold to help enable young or disabled people to sail in the world-class waters of Weymouth and Portland.

Partner of the brewery Cleeves Palmer launched the sponsorship at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy yesterday, along with the academy's director of development John Tweed, who is also clerk to the trust, and members of the charity.

Mr Palmer said: "Following the announcement that the Olympic sailing events were to be held off the South Dorset coast and that as a company we have actively supported the young in West Dorset with an array of sporting initiatives, we thought it would be good to help sailing. The Chesil Trust organises sailing for the young and less able-bodied and consequently we have entered a long-term agreement with them.

"If it inspires a future generation of excellent British sailors that's fantastic, but as important to us is to give a whole range of people an experience that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy."

The initiative began on June 1 and is expected to last for many years, with Palmer's making an annual payment to the charity to be used on a mutually-agreed project.

Palmer's is England's only thatched brewery and the Dorset Gold ale, described as full, fruity and lightly-hopped with Kent goldings, is a traditional brew.

Mr Tweed said: "It's a great piece of new sponsorship for the Chesil Trust.

"Obviously the amount we can do in terms of 'Sail for a Fiver' initiatives does depend on attracting funds, and we hope other companies will follow their lead.

"We're going to wait until we have a fair amount of money in the fund, then agree with directors of Palmer's what it should be spent on.

"We want to use it for major initiatives not just have the money trickle out."