I am writing to express my disappointment with some aspects of the Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta.

Although it is obvious that much work has resulted in very many excellent displays and events which are a credit to the town I have to say that the flypasts on both Thursday and Friday and the Friday “illuminated river procession” were feeble.

I appreciate that health and safety has to be a factor in the aerial displays but if boats on the river were the cause of the cancellation of Friday’s flypasts, one has to question the competence of the organisers in their inability to secure the estuary. The illuminated procession was a joke – one small craft with a few fairy lights!

We enjoyed the regatta with visitors from France but, frankly, these issues were an embarrassment and our visitors, whilst gracious, were both scathing and amused by our incompetence.

Stuart Andrews

Hampton Lodge, Bath