Boating businesses will also benefit, as the BLSS kickstarts the season early and stimulates spending by owners keen to win.

Bell Lawrie has sponsored the regatta for the past six years and has seen it go from strength to strength with around 200 yachts now participating.

The five-day series for a wide range of classes takes place on Loch Fyne and draws competitors from the UK and Ireland and from as far as Hong Kong and the UAE. This year also saw a guest appearance from double Olympic Gold medallist Shirley Robertson.

The series attracts over 2,500 people to the picturesque West Coast village over the late May holiday weekend, generating around £1m each year for the local economy.

The event, which has been going for over 30 years, also boasts an impressive array of shore side activities organised by the Tarbert Enterprise Company, making it a real weekend out for all.