Sir, The 10mph speed restriction is approaching on Windermere.

I own a holiday home on the lake, and also a speed boat which we use for both water sports and quiet family days out on the lake. I have accepted that the ban will come into force in March 2005, but I do not like what it means for our family or the other responsible users of motorised craft on Windermere.

I can see the concerns of the ban's supporters, and I am 100 per cent behind any measure that promotes responsible boating in terms of safety and the environment.

Ideas such as boat driving licenses, set hours in which the speed limit is reduced or even increased registration fees to support the lake all seem to provide a half-way house, instead of an outright ban on speeds over 10mph.

One worry I have, is that as a boater I can see that at 10mph the large cruisers actually create a larger wake than they do at 20mph, so I do not see how this is beneficial to the shoreline. I also see sail boats travel well in excess of 10mph during their regattas, but I suspect the limit will not be enforced for this group of lake users. As a speed boat owner I cannot help but feel discriminated against.

I have been told by the Lake District National Park Authority that there is no hope for a change to the law, and they have no intention of reviewing their position, but it seems such a shame to lose the only place left in the region where families can enjoy waterskiing and related sports. When a 10mph limit was introduced on Coniston, users were told that Windermere would remain a place where water sports enthusiasts could enjoy their sports.

If the 10mph limit is allowed to go ahead on the lake, there will be no place for our young people to learn these sports, and Britain will be the poorer for it. The north of England should be able to contribute athletes to the water sports arena, and we are in danger of losing any venue where local children could learn and enjoy these sports.

Kelly Short Chorley