On either side of the banks of Portsmouth Harbour, a kind of inland lake at the northern end of the Solent, are two famous places in English nautical history: Gosport and Portsmouth.

Gosport is one of the oldest water sports harbours in the UK, but is still one of the places where top Olympic sailors and other competitive sailors, from young to old, make their home on the water.

Located on an island, Portsmouth is not only a very lively city, but also one with a very ancient history. This can be traced back to the 3rd century in Roman times.

In later times, it became one of the most important shipping cities in England and there were many shipyards. Especially as a naval port, the city became increasingly important over the centuries and many famous (or infamous?) ships had Portsmouth as their home port.