The organisers of this year’s Falmouth Classics plan to further enhance the event by offering free berthing for visiting competitors and sticking with the three day format, but currently have just over half the money needed to cover costs.

Although the Falmouth Classics Association has managed to secure sponsorship to cover the free berthing, it is still looking to raise around £7,000 of the £15,000 required to stage the regatta.

To this end, chairman Henry Roberts approached Falmouth Town Council, requesting a grant of £1,500 which would be put towards the cost of promoting the event. A similar request last year resulted in a grant of £1,700 being awarded and councillors last week approved the latest request after hearing from Mr Roberts.

He said: “Falmouth Classics had been a single day event for many years, tucked onto the front of Falmouth Week, and was getting less and less competitors taking part.

“One of the reasons was that people would not come from up-country and from the continent for just one day’s racing so we turned it into a three day event last year. The enthusiasm that was generated from that made us feel we had made the right decision.

“The event is being expanded to enable it to compete with major classic events in France, Devon and the Solent. Included in this is the offer of free berthing for visiting competitors.

“The berthing is paid by a sponsor, but the costs of promoting it is not. To reach the widest target audience requires professional press releases and publications – the grant is required to further this end.”

Councillors were told this year’s regatta will again be held over the same weekend as the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival and it is expected that around 1,000 people will take part.

In supporting the grant application, Councillor Diana Merrett said: “I have to admire what you did last year – the town was absolutely booming. The amount of people that were in town was brilliant.”

The Falmouth Classics regatta, which will include a parade of sail, is to be held from June 13 to 15 and the Sea Shanty Festival runs from June 14 to 16.