West of Scilly TSS

Off the Isles of Scilly to the west, this scheme channels traffic between the Atlantic, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. It was added in the mid 2000s, together with the scheme to the south, to keep large ships away from the islands. The Scillies are home to seabird colonies, grey seals and marine protected areas. For the fleet it is only an obstacle on the most northerly routes. In other races, such as the Vendée Globe, it has already been made an exclusion zone.

Category: Maritime trafficCorridors where merchant ships travel in lanes separated by direction, like on a motorway. During the race they are closed to the boats.