Print inscribed 'To Dr H[enry]. Burney and the Pupils of the Royal Academy, Gosport Hants, This view of a Regatta by the Young Gentlemen of the Establishment is respectfully inscribed by their ob[edien]t Serv[an]t John Harris'. The view looks across Portsmouth harbour from Gosport with the semaphore tower on the dockyard buildings at centre and HMS 'Victory' to the right, towards the harbour entrance. A rowing race is in progress with two four-man boats to the left rowing with pairs of oars and two larger 14-man boats at centre, one oar to a man (so seven a side). The left boat of each pair is crewed by figures in light dress wearing sennet (straw) hats: the right boat of each pair appears to be manned by figures in probably blue dress and peaked caps, that at far right also with six more as passengers in the stern, plus the coxswain. The dress of the figures wearing straw hats suggests they might be boys from ships in the harbour, or young seamen. Boys in the dark uniform and peaked caps also watch from the beach, with a dog and other adult spectators, one a seaman leaning against a stanchion below the flagpole also shown at left. Other pleasure craft ply in the harbour behind.

The uniformed figures in peaked caps are pupils of Dr William Burney's Academy, established at Coldharbour, Gosport in 1791, where it focused on preparing boys for entering the Navy as officers (though many also went into army and civilian careers). The artist has his back to the school building on the Gosport forshore, other views also showing the flagpole here as set in front of it. Burney died in 1832 and was succeeded by his son, Henry, and the family ran the school to 1889. Sometime before 1891, with the patronage of Queen Victoria and other members of the royal family, it became the Royal Academy until it closed in 1904. 'Victory' was permanently at Portsmouth from 1812 and is here flying the flag of an Admiral of the White as port commander. The January 1833 publication date shows the scene was probably sketched in the summer of 1832.

PAD1078 is another rather darker impression, with the sky and inscription cropped off. [PvdM 5/23]