Dartmouth is now the last regatta in the UK that is supported by the Royal Navy with its own guardship.

Even the massively popular Cowes Week regatta on the Isle of Wight does not rate a Royal Navy visit.

This week the Senior Service assured Dartmouth that the town will always have a guardship for its royal regatta – as long as it is operationally possible.

'Dartmouth is unique in providing a guardship and we will continue to try and provide one if we possibly can,' said the Bristol-based deputy naval regional commander Cdr Tom Herman.

His comments came as Dartmouth was preparing to welcome its latest regatta guardship to the port in the shape of the 685 tonne Hunt Class minesweeper HMS Chiddingfold.

The warship was expected to arrive in the Dart yesterday at around 11am, shortly after the Chronicle went to press, after sailing from Faslane in Scotland.

Dartmouth had originally been told that that the minehunter HMS Blyth was the ship for Dartmouth regatta until she was redirected to Bournemouth for that town's air festival.

Cdr Herman assured Dartmouth there was no question of the Royal Navy changing its mind about supplying a guardship for the town's annual regatta.

'The Royal Navy has always tried to support Dartmouth regatta,' he said. 'Even when we pulled Blyth, we were trying to find another ship.

'Dartmouth should not always think that it is going to get a ship but we will always try to support the regatta.'

He said that when Dartmouth was without a regatta guardship for some five years it was the regional naval office which has restarted the tradition.

'There is no other regatta that now has a guardship provided by the Royal Navy – and that includes Cowes.'

He said that the tradition is still alive for Dartmouth because the port is home to the Britannia Royal Naval College and, although it is not a naval base, it is still a 'hugely important town for the Royal Navy'.

He added: 'We try to recognise that by putting a ship there for what is a major maritime event for Dartmouth.'