Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta
| Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Regatta |
| Frequency | Annually, in August |
| Venue | Dartmouth, Devon, England |
| Founded | 1822 |
The Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta is a regatta in the English county of Devon. The first recorded regatta was in 1822 and the regatta was formally established in 1834. It is based on the River Dart, in the town of Dartmouth, and the village of Kingswear opposite.
The regatta takes place over the Thursday, Friday and Saturday where the Friday is the last Friday in August. The regatta is formally opened on the preceding Wednesday evening, although as the regatta has grown, some events start as early as the weekend before.
The regatta is organised by a committee appointed at a public meeting each year called by Dartmouth Town Council. Many other organisations are involved in running events under the auspices of the Regatta Committee.
The first recorded regatta in Dartmouth was in 1822. There were three sailing races, one six-oared gig race, and a military band played out at the Dartmouth Castle and 120 attended a ball.
In 1834 the regatta, which used to be run by leading gentlemen of the neighbourhood, changed its format when the inhabitants of the town called a meeting and elected a committee of their own.
In 1856 it became a royal regatta when Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and the Prince of Wales came into Dartmouth in a flotilla of nine boats on an unscheduled visit because of bad weather, arriving the day before the regatta started on 11 August. Prince Albert and his son went up to Sharpham Point in the new steamboat Dartmouth, which had arrived on the river only the previous day. The Queen followed in the state barge, going as far as Dittisham. The Queen came ashore at 6 pm and was met by the borough mayor. The Queen then drove in a carriage over 'The Ridges' to the 'Black House' at the junction of Jaw Bones/Swannaton Road/Stoke Fleming Road. She was accompanied by Sir H.F. Seale on horseback. That night there were special illuminations both ashore and afloat. The Queen donated £25 and Prince Albert gave £20 for three rowing races to be competed for by the sailors of Dartmouth and this was done on the second day of the regatta. The Queen the next day sailed on to Plymouth but before leaving bestowed the title of 'Royal' on the regatta.
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Wikipedia