The countdown for the Port of Dover Community Regatta has begun, with just nine days to go until the event on Saturday, July 26.

It starts at 10am with the 16 adult and four junior Port Dash teams in the water, pitting their techniques against each other in the harbour.

In the true spirit of the race, the port has a wide range of group names taking part, including Bish, Bash, Bosh, The Misfits, I Can’t Believe We’re Not Better, Skull Duggery, Shark and Oar, the Lynx Effect and the Turtle Heads.

The event will be opened by the Admiral of the Fleet and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, Admiral the Lord Boyce, on the music stage at 10.45am, followed by the start of a full day’s musical entertainment including Mel Harris, Ben Mills, Dover Has Talent, Jodie South and the Electric Beatles.

In the arena, the Kent Fire and Rescue and other blue light services will be demonstrating their skills by dealing with a dramatic kitchen fire, and the Dover and Walmer RNLI boats will stage a sea rescue in the harbour.

More than 300 classic cars and bikes will be on display along the eastern end of the seafront and about 100 stalls, selling a wide range of food including tasty treats from Germany, Spain and the Caribbean and hand-made cakes and sweets, to crafts, ceramics and plants.

There will be plenty of community information available from charities including the Dover Lions Club, Emmaus, the Royal Life Saving Society, the British Heart Foundation and Dover’s air cadets.

A climbing wall, fair rides, face painting and glitter tattoos will be some of the activities available for all.

Bringing the event to a close will be an air display over the harbour by the renowned Blades aerobatics display team, who are all former Red Arrows pilots.

The 15-minute show will include more than 30 in-air manoeuvres containing a variety of aerobatic stunts flown just feet apart.