The executive technical delegate and the chairman of the jury, measurement and race officials teams for last year's Olympics in China - when the sailing was held in Qingdao - have all been re-appointed to the same role for 2012, when the competition is due to be held in Weymouth and Portland.

 

They will form the core of the team charged with ensuring fair play on the water and will work closely with London 2012.

 

The team is David Kellett, the technical delegate, and David Tillett, the jury chairman.

 

They are both from Australia.

 

They will be joined by America's Charley Cook, the race officials chairman, and Britain's Dick Batt, the measurement chairman.

 

Göran Petersson, the president of the ISAF, said: "The ISAF is delighted to announce the race officials management team and first technical delegate appointment for London 2012.

 

"The Olympic Games is a unique arena for our sport and at Beijing 2008 we made huge strides in making the most of the global showcase it provides.

“The early appointment of the management team is a reflection of their success at Beijing and recognition of the detailed preparations that were behind it.

 

"By making these appointments now, the ISAF Executive Committee aims to give the management team as much opportunity as possible to prepare for roles which will be crucial in helping to make the 2012 Olympic sailing competition at Weymouth and Portland a great success.”

 

The officials will work closely with Rob Andrews, who has been appointed as the sailing competitions manager by London 2012.

 

The group are due to hold their first meeting in Warsaw in May.

 

There were a number of innovations during last year's Olympics.

 

They included the medal race format, a final double-points race for the top-ten competitors, which was introduced to provide a media-and spectator-friendly finale to the sailing events.

 

Following on from the Games, sailing won the award for "The Best Sports Coverage by the Host Broadcaster" at the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Olympic Golden Rings ceremony last December.

 

Kellett, the ISAF treasurer and a member of the ruling Executive Committee, had acted as the ISAF liaision when the sailing competiton was held at Sydney at the 2000 Olympics.

 

He said, “It’s a privilege to be appointed as technical delegate for my second consecutive Games.

 

"I’m looking forward to working with London and the rest of the ISAF team from the Beijing Games in order to make the 2012 Olympic sailing competition at Weymouth and Portland a great success.”

A second technical delegate from the ISAF staff will be appointed later in the year.