Within a few miles there is something for everyone.

By Ferrybridge, at Portland Harbour, complete beginners can find shallow water just right for starting out. By contrast, at the eastern end of Weymouth Bay, Overcombe offers waves as well as wind for those confident enough to avoid the rock reef exposed at some states of tide. When the wind and waves are just right, Overcombe attracts experts from all over southern England - as does Kimmeridge, just up the coast.

And when the wind really gets up from the south-west the focus can be on Portland Harbour for another reason: the shelter offered by the Chesil bank means there can be flat water in the harbour even in the teeth of a south-westerly gale - making for one of the world's best-known 'speed sailing' tracks.

The area plays host to annual events such as the Four Nations Windsurfing Championships and the Volvo RYA Windsurfing Youth & Masters National Championships - and of course Weymouth Speed Week in the autumn.