The Solent (Cowes Parish) | strait / channel / passage / narrows

United Kingdom / England / Cowes-Northwood / Cowes Parish
 strait / channel / passage / narrows, invisible
The Solent is a stretch of sea separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. It runs through and greatly affects the character of the South Hampshire region, which consists of Greater Portsmouth, Greater Southampton and the Isle of Wight.

Hampshire's Solent is a great centre for yachting such as the Annual Cowes Week international competition. It is sheltered by the Isle of Wight and has a very complex tidal pattern, due to which Southampton greatly benefits as a port. Portsmouth lies on its shores. Spithead, an area off Gilkicker Point near Gosport, is renowned as the place where the Royal Navy is reviewed by the monarch of the day.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Solent
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   50°44'52"N   1°18'40"W