Regatta and Raft Race Season

From July into late August the harbour villages run their regattas. Saundersfoot, Solva, Dale, Newport at the Parrog and Tenby all have their own, and the smaller ones are advertised on a laminated sheet in the village shop rather than anywhere findable online.

The sailing is the serious part: dinghy classes racing round marks off the beach, with a committee boat and a start gun. Dale is the sailing centre of the county because the Haven gives reliable wind and sheltered water, and its racing is properly competitive.

The rest is not serious at all, which is the appeal. Swimming races off the beach, rowing, greasy pole, tug of war, and the raft race — teams building something out of barrels and pallets, launching it, and mostly not finishing. Crowds line the harbour wall for this specifically.

Where to watch. Harbour walls and headlands. At Saundersfoot the harbour arm gives you the water and the beach at once; at Solva the walk up onto the Gribin gives you the whole inlet from above.

The honest bit. Everything is tide-dependent, so start times are set by the water rather than by convenience, and they shift year to year. Some events get cancelled outright if there is swell in the bay. Nothing here is on a timetable you can rely on more than a few days out.

Practical. Harbour villages have small car parks and the regatta fills them. Park at the top and walk down. Wisemans Bridge and Coppet Hall are the overflow for Saundersfoot.