Cowes Week will spread its sustainability message again this year, using Red Squirrel electric bikes to make their trips up and down the Medina River.

The electric bikes, which are usually available for hire, have been offered up to the prestigious sailing event by Visit Isle of Wight.

Laurence Mead, Cowes Week regatta director, said: "It’s a surprisingly long way from one end of the town to the other, particularly when you’ve got to do it 30, 40, 50, 100 times.

"We’ve got our regatta office literally one end of the Medina River and the boats two miles up the river, so we’re always going up and down it and it’s a great way to get there."

The team behind Cowes Week are keen to encourage sustainability do so in many ways.

Laurence continued: "We’re very aware of our place on the ocean. We go up and down, racing our little boats, but the ocean’s a big place, an important place and it’s important to us always that we minimize our impact on the water, both in terms of the fuel we use, and the amount of plastic we use.

"It’s a huge event with a lot of people coming. Last year we gave away free multi-use water bottles, that also has a big impact."

Will Myles, managing director at Visit Isle of Wight, said: "Cowes Week is one of the biggest events on this island during the year, and we’re happy to partner with them, giving them our Red Squirrel electric bikes for the duration, allowing that sustainability message and the ability for their staff to get around the site with minimum carbon footprint on the event."

Visitors from around the world will attend Cowes Week, which was preceded this year was preceded by the King's Cup, also hosted in Cowes on Thursday, August 8.

It saw the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge compete, accompanied by celebrity friends Katie Thistleton, John Bishop, Helen Glover, Dan Snow, Fara Williams and Bear Grylls.