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The Solent is a magnificent sailing playground on the South coast of England between the mainland and the Isle of Wight. Approximately 30 miles long and 3 to 5 miles wide, it encompasses an amazing variety of geography and sailing conditions. You could choose a quiet natural harbour like Newtown Creek nature reserve or a busy cosmopolitan city like Southampton. Nowhere is more than a few sailing hours apart and it is all protected from the worst of any weather by the Island itself. That's not to say there are no challenges for the yacht sailor and for sailing instruction courses there is no better spot to learn due to the wide variety of navigational obstacles some natural and some man made. To give you an idea, here are some of the obstacles that you may find.

 An historic ship wreck

 Tides in excess of 4 knots

 Dangerous rocks

 Ferries

 A curved ledge with a trap in its hook

 High speed catamarans

 Oil tanker and container ships with moving prohibited zones

 An offshore sandbank suitable for hosting a cricket match

 The biggest yacht race in the world

 Radar speed traps

 Pile moorings

 In excess of 30 marinas

 A National Trust nature reserve

 Hovercraft

 Underwater submarine barriers

 Mid channel defensive forts

 Cross Channel ferries

 Ocean going liners

 Warships & a naval dockyard

 A small boat channel

 Fishing vessels

 Active minesweepers

 Floating dead whales

 Railway sleepers adrift

 Lighthouses, lateral buoys, cardinal buoys, safe water and isolated danger marks

 Locks

 Firing range danger area

 Sand bar

 Chain ferry

 Submerged pipelines marked by a fresnal lens

As a result of this variety, the Solent is a paradise for sailors and Cowes at its centre can rightly describe itself as the home of yachting. The annual Cowes week regatta sees the Solent filled with so many yachts, taking part in so many simultaneous yacht races, that its virtually impossible to navigate a straight course. But it is also this huge variety that enables so many sea schools and yacht charter companies to flourish in the area. It may not be as beautiful as the West Coast of Scotland, but I know where I would rather learn or instruct.

Martin Thomas BSc FCA
Commercially endorsed Yachtmaster & Cruising Instructor
Member of the Royal Institute of Navigation
Member of the Royal Naval & Royal Albert Yacht Club
http://www.solentsail.co.uk

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