RYA Sailing School, Solent Yacht Charter, Yacht Guardiennage & Maintenance.

The Solent and Isle of Wight is one of the premier yachting and cruising areas in the world and has many beautiful locations with many harbours, marinas, rivers, creeks and beaches to explore, including Cowes, Yarmouth, Lymington, Beaulieu River, Newtown River, Hamble River and Portsmouth Harbour. Just outside of the Solent are other great cruising locations, including Chichester Harbour to the East and Poole Harbour to the West. Beaulieau River In the Solent, almost opposite Cowes, the Beaulieu River and the 18th century shipbuilding village of Buckler's Hard occupy a superb location surrounded by oak woodland within the Beaulieu Estate.

Bembridge Harbour is located on the East side of the Isle of Wight offering easy access to the Solent. It is a large natural, sheltered picturesque harbour whose entrance is restricted by the tides. The Harbour is adjacent to two attractive villages with good restaurants and spectacular walks.

Chichester Harbour is an area of outstanding natural beauty and with its easy access to the Solent, makes it an ideal water recreation centre. There are many related activities such as sailing, fishing, walking and wildfowling as well as 4 marinas and 14 sailing clubs.

Cowes is one of the premier yachting centres of the world, home to the Round the Island Race, one of the world's largest yacht races, and of course the world famous Cowes Week. Although Cowes is much more than just one week of sailing, its facilities and attractions are enjoyed by thousands of yachtsmen. There are several marinas and many wonderful pubs and restaurants situated in Cowes High Street and beyond.

Gosport Marina is a large marina situated on the port hand side of the busy Naval and commercial port of Portsmouth, opposite HMS Warrior. The Gosport Marina is ideally situated as a base to explore the many places of interest in the area. HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose are just 10 minutes away using the Gosport ferry.
The Submarine Museum is only a short walk from the marina, as is the shopping precinct which caters for most needs.

The River Hamble at the heart of the sheltered waters of the Solent, is protected from the open sea by the Isle of Wight, is an ideal base for cruising whether sailing around the Solent and Isle of Wight, or further afield on the South Coast, the Channel Islands or France. Recognised as the home of British Yachting, there are several major marinas on the Hamble River which offer extensive facilities for visiting yachtsmen and these are supplemented by Harbour Authority midstream pontoon berths. All marinas offer good restaurant facilities, or you can venture into Hamble village to the delights of the village pubs & restaurants.

Littlehampton is a small South Coast port situated at the mouth of the River Arun mid-way between Selsey Bill and Shoreham. Despite its strong tides and harbour bar, the harbour provides good shelter for the visiting yachtsmen within close proximity of all the town's amenities. The historic town of Arundel is just five miles upriver and is accessible either by land or by small boat.

Lymington is a bustling market town with a wide variety of shops from picturesque boutiques on the cobbled quay to the larger supermarkets. The Georgian and Victorian architecture and the varied and colourful history helps to create a distinctive quaintness drawing visitors back time and again. The restaurants and hostelries are too numerous to mention! There are two marinas which provide all the facilities and services one would expect of a leading yacht centre but if you want to absorb the atmosphere in the very centre of town, go right in to the Town Quay where facilities are limited but charges very reasonable.

A short sail to the east of Cowes is Osborne Bay, which makes a perfect lunch stop at anchor and can provide spectacular views of sailing at its finest. Above the bay lies Osborne House, which was Queen Victoria's family home and is one of the most popular tourist attractions on the Isle of Wight. A chance here to swim from the stern of your yacht or laze on deck and watch the world go by.

Poole

Poole Harbour is one of the world's largest natural harbours and its extensive sheltered waters provide a magnificent haven for recreational sailing and water sports. The mudflats and salt marshes are of great ecological value for feeding and roosting birds. The Dolphin Haven at Poole Town Quay is a purpose built visitors' boat haven offering up to 100 pontoon berths with full on shore facilities. Due to its prime location, the Haven does get busy in season and yachts intending to visit Poole should book ahead to ensure a berth.

Southampton has it's fair share of Marina's with visitor facilities at Hythe, Town Quay, Ocean Village, Kemps and Shamrock Quay. All with full facilities and very much welcome all visiting yachtsmen.

Yarmouth

Yarmouth is a picturesque fishing, ferry and yachting port widely regarded as one of the jewels of the South Coast. The deepwater harbour retains its old world aura while visiting yachtsmen will find a range of amenities which are very much up to date and accepted as being among the best in the South. Yarmouth Town is well stocked for provisioning and chandlery, and visitors will find no shortage of hostelries, cafes and restaurants around the town. With the advantage of accessibility at all states of the tide, Yarmouth has much to offer the yachtsman and makes an ideal transit point for passage-making across the Channel.