THE Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta is having to claw its way back into profitability, according to retiring treasurer Elaine Gilbard.

She told the regatta’s annual meeting in the Guildhall last Friday that last year’s event suffered a loss of £26,725.

The last-minute cancellation of the Red Arrows’ aerobatic display and bad weather contributed to a drop in crowd numbers, she said.

‘Our car parks had about 700 fewer cars on the Friday and 400 fewer on the Saturday than had been predicted by South Hams Council, resulting in the loss of £11,000 income,’ she said.

‘The collecting tins were down by £2,629, with many fewer people attending the event.

‘Last year we were very grateful to receive a legacy of £4,000 but despite our best efforts the sponsorship was down by £9,123.

‘The weather played up again just to give us a triple headache.’

Ms Gilbard said funds had also been ‘severely depleted’ by new restrictions on VAT during 2015.

‘Air displays and fireworks were deemed a non-business activity,’ she said.

‘Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs decided to go back four years and our irrecoverable VAT for the 2014 regatta was £9,118.

‘The irrecoverable VAT this year was £4,105. A sizeable chunk of lost cash. This will continue now forever.’

Ms Gilbard said the other ‘major loss to normal income’ centred around changes to the operation of the fairground in Mayor’s Avenue car park.

‘Having received a huge offer from a previous fairground operator, South Hams Council was obliged to put to the car park for the fair out to tender,’ she said.

‘We lost the income from the fairground that we had always relied upon.

‘As a result, we approached the 2015 regatta with a vigorous view of our finances. All the events were given a strict budget. At the same time every effort was put into maximising our income.

‘It was reasonable to expect that with all the goodwill that we have in the town and a bit of luck with the weather that we could provide a really good regatta and have a reasonable financial result.

‘No one could have predicted the tragic accident at the Shoreham air show on August 22, that was only four days before our opening ceremony.

‘Our schedule of air displays was, of course, completely disrupted.

‘The Red Arrows posted on their website that they would be unable to fly until further notice. So people were forewarned and those who visit our regatta mainly for the displays did not turn up.’

She said air displays director Jason Aylett did his best to replace lost displays – which included the last-minute fly-past of a Vulcan – and achieve good results, but it was ‘too late’ to advertise the replacements and entice the crowds.

‘We will now have to claw our way back to profitability in the coming months,’ she said.

‘I would like to thank the general public and the businesses in the town for their generosity with the collecting tins and the sponsorship and all the invaluable help they give us during regatta.’

In his report to the meeting, retiring chairman Jonathan Hawkins said: ‘Regatta in 2015 cost in the region of over £210,000, you will see that we did not have a good financial year.

‘The weather and Shoreham air disaster affected numbers both in terms of money and visitors, but we are looking towards 2016 positively and with careful reflection.

‘Plans for 2016 are well advanced, but we need new helpers and committee members and I appeal to you to come and please join us.’

Mr Hawkins, who was standing down after three years, said the regatta was renowned as the ‘best in the west’, and 2015 was no exception.

And the poor weather did not dampen spirits, he said.

‘But with ever more cuts by local councils, forcing our small committee to take on ever more burdens and responsibilities, it has proven to be a hard year,’ he said.

Mr Hawkins, who was on holiday and not able to attend the meeting, said each year despite ever more legislation, health and safety requirements and local government cuts the committee worked to ensure the town had a varied and exciting programme of events.

He said the local rowing had a good number of entries in 2015 and the sailing regatta was again one of the biggest in Britain.

For 2016 the committee will be asking for financial support to replace the finish canons, he said.

He said the committee would continue to work with the Showmen’s Guild to provide a funfair, which last year had been the best for many years.

‘Regatta is like a giant jigsaw, each event as important as another, all making up an exciting an interesting programme,’ he added.

Ms Gilbard was standing down after seven years and a new treasurer has yet to be found.