COWES Week Limited is continuing to work toward its August regatta — in spite of current restrictions.

Work is continuing from home on all the organisational aspects of the week, and organisers remain committed to running the event if at all possible.

Laurence Mead, regatta director, said: "We continue to move forward with plans for the event and remain hopeful that by the time we get to mid-August ­— still four months' away ­— the necessity to socially distance ourselves will have reduced sufficiently.

"We can react quickly to changes in the Government restrictions and guidance, switching on or off various components with the minimum of lead time, and allowing us significant leeway ­— perhaps until the beginning of July ­— before we need to make any big decisions.

"The safety of participants and the hundreds of volunteers working behind the scenes is foremost in our minds, of course, but providing we can run an event that complies with all guidance in place at the time, we fully intend to do so.

"I suspect there will be a lot of sailors desperate to get boats on the water by August."

The event is scheduled to take place from Saturday, August 8 to August 15.

The notice of regatta will be issued in the next few days on the Cowes Week website, while the advanced notice of regatta is already online.

For more information and updates, go to www.cowesweek.co.uk