Salcombe Regatta – a week of salty, seaside fun!
5th to 12th August 2017
The Salcombe Regatta has been the annual highlight in this picturesque harbour town’s calendar for over 120 years. With seaside fun and frolics both on and off the water, this eagerly-awaited week, with its irresistible carnival atmosphere, offers something for every age group.
Stroll down Island Street on Sunday 6th August (12-6pm) and the celebrations will already be well underway, with stalls, live music, cider, cocktails and BBQ street food served from outside the Island Street Bar & Grill.
On Wednesday 9th August, take the little ones to North Sands beach for donkey rides, a magic show, teddy bears’ picnic and bouncy castle fun. In the evening head over to the Ferry Inn to enjoy the hilarity of pig racing (yes, in a pub!) from 7:30pm.
“Regatta” means a series of boat races, so of course there are plenty of opportunities to partake in these, or simply enjoy spectating from the edge of one of the most beautiful harbours in the world.
Race times vary due to tide times, however most of the serious racing takes place in the mornings, including the popular harbour swim, where around 600 swimmers race from Smalls Cove to the Salcombe Harbour Hotel early on Thursday morning, before there is too much traffic in the water.
There are plenty of events scheduled throughout the week that will appeal to the whole family. Look out for sandcastle building competitions, ice cream eating competitions, crab catching, “spot the bloomer” in local shop windows (Cranch’s sweet shop is always the most difficult!) and the greasy pole at Whitestrand, where kids balanced on a pole over the water battle it out with pillows to avoid being the one to fall in!
The action-packed week culminates with a spectacular fireworks display on Thursday evening – impressive viewed either from land or on the water – and the traditional crabbers race at high tide on Friday evening, where local crabbers race out of the harbour over the bar and back again in fancy dress. The final event is a prize giving and atmospheric torch-lit procession with boats on the estuary lighting lanterns for a twinkling end to a wonderful week.
Book your holiday during Salcombe Regatta week to join in the fun!
Whether you prefer a holiday cottage a stone’s throw from the action, or somewhere more peaceful yet just a short drive (or sail!) from the town, browse our handpicked selection of holiday cottages in Salcombe.