March 2008 Annual Open Meeting will be held on Monday 28 April 2008 at 8.30pm in the Hannen Room (Next to the Church) 1 December 2007, Letter to subscribers etc Wargrave & Shiplake Regatta 2007 was an interesting year for Wargrave & Shiplake Regatta … Everything was lined up and ready for another great event. Marquees, catering, bar, boats and loos – everything was booked, in place and ready to go. Entries were as strong as ever – the Draw had been prepared and the programme, with 410 races overall, was even ready to go to print! But it was not to be. Safety is always top of our priority list, and it would simply have been too risky to run the regatta so soon after such a massive flood, even if the waters had receded. Happily, we were able to avoid many of the cancellation charges that are inevitable in these circumstances, and which could have harmed the regatta in the longer term. However, the fact that we were able to cover some £14,000 of unavoidable costs was entirely due to the generosity of our subscribers, entrants, advertisers and well-wishers … I write now to record and pass on the Committee’s deepest appreciation for your continued kindness, benevolence and support. As a result, the Regatta enters the New Year financially able to start planning for the 2008 event, to be held on : Friday August 8th and Saturday August 9th 2008 Details of the event will be sent to subscribers, competitors and supporters in May, as usual. Entries will close on Tuesday July 15th. To save costs, the regatta will be making wider use of the internet to communicate in the future. Accordingly, the date and venue of the regatta’s Annual Open Meeting will be posted on our website – www.wargrave.net/regatta/ - in February. With our warmest thanks once again for all your support – and with every good wish for the festive season and 2008! P.D.Symons Hon.Secretary 30 JULY 2007 - Press Release 2007 Regatta Cancelled 29 JULY 2007 - 2007 Regatta Cancelled Tonight the Regatta Committee took the decision to cancel this year's regatta. Subscribers and competitors will shortly receive a letter with more details. 22 JULY 2007 - High water levels and floods At present the river is unuseable and is likely to stay that way for several days. We have been unable to get the boats in the water and the river is too dangerous to allow practice in any case. We need to face the fact that the regatta could be cancelled. Please watch this website and keep your ear to the ground. MAY 2007 - New Arrangements for Fireworks To counter problems experienced in recent years and ensure that visitors can watch in safety and comfort, the Committee has decided to implement new arrangements for our Fireworks Display. Immediately after Prize Giving, a fence will be erected between the upstream end of the Refreshments Tent and the river bank, to secure the tented area of the Enclosure Visitors will be asked to move upstream outside this area, towards the regatta's General Start, from where they will be able to picnic, barbeque, relax and enjoy the Fireworks in safety and comfort For the convenience of those intending to stay after Prize Giving, a notice will indicate the position of the fence MAY 2007 - Gazebos Please note - it will NOT be possible for spectators, competitors or their families to erect Gazebos in the Enclosure before 0500 Friday 10 August 2007. Gazebos may only be left erected in the Enclosure overnight on Friday August 10th at your own risk. Gazebos must be dismantled and removed from the Enclosure after the final race on Saturday 11 August 2007. MAY 2007 - Letter to Supporters 2007 Dear Regatta Supporter, 2007 will be another exciting year for Wargrave and Shiplake Regatta, with two new skiffs for Senior Skiff racing events, built for us by Mark Edwards in Richmond. These represent yet another step in our ongoing boat enhancement programme, another example of why Wargrave and Shiplake continues to renowned for the highest possible standards of organisation, presentation and racing. Like all outdoor events, the Regatta becomes more expensive to promote each year. We are responsible for the entire funding of our Firework Display, and unlike other regattas, we own our boats and look after their upkeep, maintenance and storage. As always, we are largely reliant on the pre-regatta generosity of Subscribers who, in 2006, provided over 25% of the funds needed to stage the Regatta, and whose support is warmly appreciated. However, the number of Subscribers has fallen significantly in recent years. For us, that is worrying news. It is essential we bring the need for more subscribers to the attention of EVERYONE who attends the regatta, competitors and spectator's alike because we cannot continue to 'rely on the few'. To secure the longer term future of the event, we need to restore a more positive balance between income and expenditure - and for that, we URGENTLY NEED MORE SUBSCRIBERS. In the hope that you will be able to support us - as a subscriber AS WELL AS competitor or spectator - we enclose details of this year's event, together with an envelope addressed to the Hon. Treasurer for your convenience. Please return the enclosed slip with your cheque (for no less than £5 per badge), indicating how many enclosure badges you would like. Charges for entry to the Enclosure are being held at £5 per head, to cover admission for both days, whilst the charge for Car Parking will also be maintained at £5 per car As always, we are particularly keen to bring the Regatta to the notice of newcomers to the district. Further details can be obtained from our Entries Secretary: Anne Paddison (tel: 0118-940 1173). With our sincerest thanks for your continued support - and we very much look forward to seeing you, your family and friends on the river bank once again in August. P.D.Symons - Hon.Secretary G.C.van Zwanenberg Hon. Treasurer May 2007