5 Ways to Make the Most of Fowey Regatta Week

Are you visiting the gorgeous Cornish coastal town of Fowey this August? If so then don't miss all the fun and games of Fowey's traditional Regtta Week, running from Sunday 18th to Saturday 24th August. Fowey Regatta Week (or Fowey Royal Regatta to give it it's proper title) dates back to 1819 and with it's origins on the water with a variety of sailing races, it has expanded over the years to include a wide variety of activities to keep the landlubbers entertained.

I've lived in Fowey for almost a decade now (and been visiting for Regatta Week at least a decade prior to that) and here are my 5 ways to make the most of Fowey Regatta Week.

A black and white archive photo from a long ago Fowey Regatta Raft Race

1. Get Involved

The event programme really is action packed. Some events like Monday's Floral Dance, Wednesday's Carnival and Thursday's Giant Pasty have been on the programme for aeons but each year, the hard working committee of local volunteers give up their time to add brand new events and a fresh programme of live music across the town. The Classic car show & parade is heading into its third year and getting bigger each time.

Spot the Stranger is a really popular part of Fowey Regatta Week with people hunting through shop windows for the "stranger" (an item that shop doesn't sell). The businesses get involved on Wednesday mornings for the Traders' Carnival and the theme for 2024 is Childrens Books. You can buy printed copies of the programme in various shops or download a digital copy from the website.

Fowey Regatta Week fireworks can be seen from anywhere you can see Polruan

2. Donate!

Fireworks don't pay for themselves! Did you know that Regatta Week is funded entirely by donations? There's no big corporate sponsor, no grants, no pot of gold: just money donated by the town's businesses, locals and visitors.

You can become an official Regatta Patron, you can donate online, you can buy the official merchandise or you can even throw good old fashioned cash into a bucket as you watch the fireworks, line the streets for the carnival parade or enjoy live music on the Town Quay.

Obviously if you are a big corporate sponsor reading this then I'm sure the Committee would love to hear from you!

A Regatta Committee volunteer putting up bunting through the town

3. Volunteer!

I spent a few years on the Regatta Committee (it quickly became abundantly clear that this was incompatible with running a beach shop during the busiest week of the entire peak season) and trust me, it absolutely takes a village, well a town really.

Can you help check people in at the gate at the live music events? Can you help set up the Carnival? Can you carry a bucket along the route of the car parade? Can you help litter pick the school field after the live music events?

There are many spare hi-vis jackets and not enough bodies to fill them so again, if you have a few hours spare, contact the committee, they will be so glad to hear from you.

Fowey Church decked out with sails and bunting for Fowey Regatta Week

4. Buy the bloody Programme!

Honestly, it's only £3 and contains all the information you need to make the most of the whole week. There's a day by day breakdown of the various events, absolutely loads of information about the sailing and the various boats you'll see and a handy quick reference guide in the middle.

There is some basic information on the website but the income from programme sales is so vital to the viability of the event: don't be that person who gets uppity when your Facebook comment doesn't get the answer you want. Reducing the eleventy billion messages the committee receive via social media about the timings and locations of things would be a huge help so please buy a copy of the event programme and make everyone's life much easier, including your own!

The Fowey Regatta Week sandcastle & sand sculpture contest at Readymoney Cove

5. Have fun!

There's a giant pasty (which has been known to explode...), men in funny costumes banging drums and becoming ever more inebriated, there's 300 vehicles parading through town, decorated houses, shanty groups, raft races, biscuit decorating, a crabbing contest, royalty crowing, the annual gig regatta, a comedy night, SUP racing and loads and loads of fabulous live music. On Friday the focus is on Readymoney Cove with a 5k fun run, egg throwing contest, sand sculpture competition and even a mermaid!

Fowey Regatta Week really does offer something for everyone and as exhausting as it is, the additional revenue it brings in for the town's businesses and the boost to community spirit keeps us going until the next year.

Oh, and take it from me, the most nutritious thing you'll eat all week is a Cornish pasty, salad can wait! And, also if you do take part in the Carnival, best not to drink an entire bottle of wine whilst waiting to be judged....

 

Me, dressed as Queen Victoria for the 2022 Regatta Carnival and making great headway into the above-mentioned entire bottle of wine...