About 10 years ago when Folk Week and the Regatta "coincided" I had a conversation with one of the organisers of the Regatta in the Elsinore. He is a man a know socially and professionally.

He insisted it was all to do with the tides.

So I looked back over the previous 25 years or so. I had access to programme dating back over that period.

Regatta had been as early as the 2/3/4th of August and as late as the last weekend in August and running into September on one occasion. This unfortunately somewhat negates the suggestion given to Malcolm that the Regatta worked to a timetable.

I next looked at the times and heights of the tide for that particular year. Two weeks prior (which would have left folk week clear) the maximum difference in the tides was 11 minutes and 100 millimetres (about 4 inches)

I'm sure people will come to their own conclusions.