With its natural beauty and spectacular coastline, the South West is one of the top places in the UK to get afloat. Estuaries and sheltered waters, harbours, open seas and lakes create endless possibilities for boating, windsurfing, paddleboarding and more.

Lively watersports centres and sailing clubs cater for all ages and skill levels, with locations ranging from the Jurassic Coast and English Riviera to Cornish coves, rugged Atlantic seascapes and the dramatic tidal waters of the Bristol Channel.

Highlights include Europe’s largest natural harbour at Poole in Dorset, with Christchurch Harbour likewise a mecca for watersports. Other boating hotspots include Salcombe and Dartmouth in Devon, along with Falmouth, Penzance and the Camel Estuary in Cornwall.

Look out for the major regattas across the region that provide a festival vibe and attract sailors and their families from far and wide throughout the summer months.

The South West has also twice hosted Olympic sailing events: at Torbay in 1948 and at world class venue Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy in 2012, which continues to be the base for the British Sailing Team.

Whether you are just beginning your own journey afloat, or aspiring to represent GBR, the South West has all that you need to make the most of your time on the water.

Bath • Bristol • Cornwall • Devon • Dorset including Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch • Gloucestershire • Somerset • Swindon • The Isles of Scilly • Wiltshire