Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers blog

UPDATE: Check out the latest photos from the Brain Bus at Dartmouth.

The Yahoo! Answers Brain Bus Tour sails into the Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta this Thursday and Friday (August 24^th and 25^th). We’ll be there finding out if the nautical revellers are port or starboard, sorry, left or right brain.

The Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta is an annual event that began in 1822. It hasn’t run every year since then however but this year is the 161^st. In 1856 the regatta accidentally became a royal event when Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and the Prince of Wales sailed into the port because of bad weather. The Regatta’s patron is now is Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. He takes part in the opening ceremony which peaks with the Mayor presenting the Chairman of the Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta a Silver Oar. This is a symbol of the Regatta Chairman’s authority for the next three days.

The Regatta opens on the 24^th and includes a whole host of events. But before we get into those, we are curious, just what makes a regatta distinct from other sporting or cultural events? The regatta includes the presence of several Royal Navy ships including the frigate HMS Kent and landing ship HMS Sir Belvidere. It seems a little strange to ask but we’re still curious: Why do ships built from steel float in water?

As well as a naval presence, the Royal Air Force will be providing a major display. Spitfires and many other vintage aircraft make up the Battle of Britain memorial air display, which makes us wonder how did the Allies win the Battle? A more modern sight, the mighty twin rotor Chinook helicopters, will be demonstrated but how do they avoid their sets of blades clashing each other? Then to cap it all off, the Red Arrows display team will perform above the port. Just what makes a Red Arrows display so spectacular?

The Regatta takes place in the port caused by the estuary of the River Dart. In past times Dartmouth was of great strategic importance as a deep-water port. It was also a base for pirates no less. Of course piracy doesn’t exist in the UK any more, but how was piracy eradicated?

The estuary also features a well-preserved castle, strategically placed to defend the entrance to the river. Naturally this isn’t the way key parts of the UK are defended now, so when and why did castles like Dartmouth go into decline?

The Regatta also features a whole host of other events including a fireworks display, rowing, sailing, a road race, tennis, golf and a tug of war competition. And if that isn’t enough, there is of course the whole of the beautiful county of Devon to enjoy this summer. Hopefully see all you landlubbers there.

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team