For Mike,
Granted, not all yacht sailors are idiots. I used to sail a lot until I joined the Army and discovered they don't have many yachts!
The situation in Southampton Water though is possibly unique to the area.
The Thorn Channel, which extends from just off the Isle of Wight to the Calshot Spit is the moving protected zone referred to by Chas. On most days, you will see hordes (and I mean literally hordes) of yachts making their way back to Hamble from the Solent. Quite a few do manage to keep just outside the restricted area when a ship is using the channel but you have to wonder at the mentality.
Hamble is on the east side of Southampton Water, yet the majority of returning yachts insist on using the west side of the channel. Given the prevailing wind is from the west or south west, they run the risk if being blown into the path of ships in the channel should anything go wrong.
The eastern side of the Water is big enough and deep enough for coasters, dredgers and chemical tankers to use when needed so should pose no problem to a shallow draught yacht. If anything went awry while navigating on that side, the worst that could happen is they could be blown onto the lee shore. No problem. The kids could get out and play in the sand!
I have witnessed a large yacht (can't remember the name now but it was an ocean going variety sponsored by a major financial institution and Hennesy) cross the path of an inbound, fast moving reefer twice in the space of a few minutes. The pilot had to resort to asking the patrol to arrest the idiot after the yacht had deliberately run right beneath his bow.
No sympathy for any of the local loonies here, I am afraid!
Kelvin