Dartmouth's royal regatta is much more than just a rowing and sailing event, regatta committee vice chairman Jonathan Hawkins has declared.

And regatta bosses are already planning another high-flying regatta extravanganza, despite some complaints about the number of air displays involved in the huge event this year.

'Some members felt that there were too many air displays. The issue was discussed and voted upon and the view was that we asked Jason Aylett to book the air displays for 2013,' said Mr Hawkins.

And that will include the Red Arrows and the Blades which wowed the crowds this year.

Mr Hawkins was speaking following the annual regatta 'wash up' meeting which takes place in the wake of each year's event.

The committee is still waiting for the final cash count up to see whether this year's regatta has put the event in the black.

Last year's regatta made a £11,000 profit following two years of £12,000 a time losses.

'We are very hopeful that we will do better than break even,' said Mr Hawkins.

This year's regatta saw the crowd pulling Red Arrows in action over Dartmouth and a display by the Blades aerobatics team.

But there were also flying visits by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, an RAF Hercules, helicopters, a Royal Navy historic Sea Fury, an RAF Tucano and the Royal Navy Black Cats helicopter display team.

Around 20 of the 30 strong regatta committee were present for the wash up meeting which went ahead at the town's rowing club headquarters. Mr Hawkins said: 'There was some feeling that we are a regatta and should stay purely as a regatta but a number of us feel that Dartmouth regatta is more than one event.

'It is such a big event taking place in the unique environment that we have here.

'A number of us feel that Dartmouth regatta is a larger event than sailing and rowing.'

He went on: 'We are obviously a regatta and we are proud of the regatta tradition.

'It is very important to have the sailing and the rowing and we want to work with these groups to ensure the tradition continues and prospers.

'But regatta is a large event and we organise a lot of events outside the rowing and sailing and it is all part of the regatta.

'We are obviously sensitive to the issues and concerns but it was voted on.'

He said that the entries for the West of England Amateur Rowing Association at this year's regatta were up on previous years.

'The rowing is obviously a success with or without the air shows and WEARA did not have any problem,' he added.

On the cash front he said that the collection tin money was thought to be up on last year, the regatta ball was a sell out and the numbers attending the regatta rock event were up.

'We think we are going to be reasonably okay,' he added.

He said he and the rest of the regatta committee wanted to thank everyone who helped out and invited anyone who wants to join the committe to sign up.