Falmouth is Ben Ainslie's favourite place to sail, with its abundance of facilities
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Sailing guru Ben Ainslie chooses his top 10 water sport locations in the UK. So pack up your car, pull on your wetsuit and enjoy a summer on the water
1. Falmouth
Sentimental to Ben because he sailed here as a child, with 326 miles of coastline and ideal conditions it’s not surprising that Cornwall is one of the best places in Britain for sailing. Falmouth itself boasts an abundance of facilities, including waterskis, kayaks, dinghies, surfboards and powerboats to hire, a surf school and numerous beaches. The best for water sports is Maenporth Beach, where most of the surfers can be found owing to the biggest waves and excellent amenities, including scuba diving equipment for hire. Gyllyngvase Beach is also popular for water sports, it’s within 10 minutes walk from the town and has good facilities, but can get very crowded with tourists in the summer months.
2. Lymington
Ben’s current home is the stunning coastal town of Lymington. It’s world renowned as a sailing resort with its two large marinas, Berthon and Haven, and there are plenty of sailing clubs. There are launching points if you’re bringing your own boat, and there’s space for 100 boats to moor at the town quay. At New Forest Water Park nearby, you can try a range of water sports on the two lakes, including waterskiing and wakeboarding, or try yacht cruising, sea kayaking, powerboating and wind surfing on the open sea.
3. Cowes
On the beautiful Isle of Wight, Cowes is one of the most popular destination harbours at the centre of the Solent – an area of varied coastline and fierce tidal streams, making it ideal for sailing and yachting. A huge variety of water sports are available including sea kayaking, paragliding, sailing, dinghy sailing, canoeing, power boating, surfing, body boarding and diving.
4. Poole harbour
Poole is home to one of Britain’s most beautiful beaches, Sandbanks, with three miles of golden sands and clean, clear waters, perfect for water sports. There are countless water sports centres around Poole harbour that offer equipment to hire and lessons from one hour tasters to two day courses in windsurfing, kite surfing, paddle boarding, wakeboarding, kayaking, power kiting, winching, jet skiing and snorkelling.
If you’re not quite ready for the open seas, try sailing, windsurfing and kayaking at Poole Park, situated just off Poole harbour on the largest inland saltwater lake in the UK.
5. Weymouth and Portland
Weymouth and Portland is a haven for water sports with Portland’s multi-million pound sailing academy, and facilities so superb that Portland harbour has been chosen as the host for water sports in the 2012 Olympics. Portland’s sheltered harbour provides a safe environment for a range of water sports from sailing to kite surfing, while Weymouth Bay has designated channels for waterskiing and windsurfing to keep water sports separate from swimmers.
6. Salcombe
On the South Devon coast Salcombe’s picturesque natural beauty, secluded beaches, wrecks and wildlife make it a stunning area for water sports. There are five estuaries with a total length of over 175km, ideal for canoeing, sailing, waterskiing and diving. If you want to learn to sail, the Island Cruising Club Salcombe (ICC) is a sailing training centre offering sailing holidays, and short breaks for all ages. Sailors should be aware of the Bar in Salcombe – a sand spit hidden by the sea opposite Sharp Tor, made famous by Tennyson’s poem “Crossing the Bar”. To avoid capsizing, sailors are advised to ensure there is enough depth of water over the Bar for safe crossing.
7. Abersoch
Abersoch is a pretty village in Gwynedd, Wales, on the Llyn Peninsula, an area of breathtaking beauty, coastal footpaths and beautiful beaches. The calm, flat water in Abersoch Bay is best for sailing, powerboating and windsurfing, while the beaches at Porth Neigwl (Hell’s Mouth), Porth Ceiriad and Porth Oer are regularly exposed to Atlantic swells making them ideal for surfers and body boarders. International regattas are often hosted in Abersoch, with events for all sizes of boats from small dinghies to One Ton Cup class yachts.
8. Largs
Largs is a popular seaside town in Ayrshire on Scotland’s stunning West coast, with Largs Marina a hotspot for sailing and windsurfing. Close to Largs is the National Centre Cumbrae, which runs a variety of water sports courses, has excellent facilities and qualified instructors.
9. Hayling Island
Hayling Island is a small island off the South coast with miles of golden beaches facing the Solent and around the harbours of Langstone and Chichester. About a third of the beach is protected from sea breezes by groynes, which stops the island from getting too hot in summer and too cold in winter, providing excellent sailing and windsurfing conditions. Kite surfing is also becoming very popular on Hayling Island, as the shallow bay of West Beachlands is an ideal setting.
10. Brighton
Brighton’s pebbly beach was voted one of the top 10 beaches in the world and becomes a vibrant hive of activity in the summer. Canoeing, kayaking, sailing, snorkelling, windsurfing, dinghy sailing and diving are among the many water sports that are offered on Brighton or nearby Hove.
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