royal yacht squadron isle of wight

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Inside the Royal Yacht Squadron – we get a rare view of this most exclusive club

• Belinda Bird
• May 18, 2015

Sarah Norbury jumps at a rare chance to see inside the Royal Yacht Squadron, that unique and intriguing yacht club at the centre of Cowes, in its 200th anniversary year

Photo: Paul Wyeth

The Royal Yacht Squadron’s Castle clubhouse is best known to most sailors as the centre of the action at Cowes Week. Puffs of smoke in the aftermath of the bangs waft across the water towards the fleets of yachts, their crews’ faces pinched with concentration as they plan their beat up the rocky Island shore.

No first-timer to Cowes Week can fail to be awestruck by the Castle. Competitors mill around before their starts, staring at the flags and course-boards, getting a sight down the startline straight into the windows.

Looking is as near as most sailors ever get to this most aristocratic of clubs. Members will repair to the Squadron after racing, taking tea on the lawn, before entering the Castle for cocktails before a party or the fabulous Squadron Ball, but for the rest, the Castle itself, built by Henry VIII to repel the French, is a visual symbol of the club’s exclusivity.

The Platform, from where Cowes Week starts are signalled. Photo: YPS/Boat Exclusive

The most prestigious club in Britain, possibly the world, is wreathed in mystique. The only way to join this club of Kings, Lords, Hons and Sirs is to be invited by a member and be subject to a secret ballot. The fact that the membership list reads like Debretts is an indication of most sailors’ chances of being invited.

It’s said that wealthy tea merchant Sir Thomas Lipton was blackballed for being ‘in trade’, which is why his 1898 bid for the America’s Cup was sponsored by the Royal Ulster YC. He was allowed in eventually, but died just two years later so scarcely had time to enjoy the Castle’s delights.

Some accept a blackballing with grace, others kick up a stink, like the owner of a 150-ton schooner who, the story goes, sent a message to the club that he was anchored within close range and would commence shelling unless he received a personal apology from Percy Shelley, son of the famous poet, who had blackballed him.

Flying the white ensign

The appeal of being a member is obvious. Who wouldn’t want to fly the white ensign from their stern? The Squadron is the only yacht club with a Royal Navy warrant to do so, granted in 1829. And who wouldn’t want to walk boldly in to meet and drink with the great and the good?

I asked the current commodore, the Hon Christopher Sharples why, when a number of royal clubs are struggling to find new members, the Squadron has a healthy waiting list. “It’s a very fine club,” he responded. “People enjoy the standards and the tremendous history. Members treat the Castle as a much-loved country home.”

RYS commodore, the Hon Christopher Sharples

Originally named The Yacht Club, it was founded on 1 June 1815 by a group of 42 gentleman yachting enthusiasts. Five years later, member King George IV conferred the Royal in the club’s title and in 1833 King William IV renamed the club the Royal Yacht Squadron. Members met in the Thatched House Tavern in St James’s, London, and in Cowes twice a year for dinner.

Today there are 535 members and dinner is served in the magnificent Members’ Dining Room, under the painted gaze of illustrious past admirals and commodores. The room is adorned with silver trophies and scenes of the high seas, and waiters bring course after course from the kitchens and wine cellars below. There are bedrooms for overnight stays, a room for members to keep their ‘mess kit’ or black tie, which is required dress on Saturday nights, and even gun lockers for shooting parties.

But sailing is the club’s raision d’être and neither a title nor a fortune are a guarantee of entry. The club professes that “any gentleman or lady actively interested in yachting” is eligible for nomination.

The Library, a peaceful sanctuary as well as an important archive. Photo: YPS/Boat Exclusive

The Squadron was where yacht racing was born. In the early 1800s the aristocracy came to Cowes to socialise and cruise in their boats. The first races were duels between the yachts of the day, then rules for fleet racing were drawn up. The first club regatta, later to become Cowes Week, was in 1826. For more than a century the reigning monarch would be there to present the King’s or Queen’s trophy.

Some of history’s greatest yachtsmen are on the Squadron’s membership roll: Sir Thomas Sopwith, John Illingworth, Sir Francis Chichester, Sir Alec Rose, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. Ties with the Navy are strong and some of British maritime history’s most famous names have been Squadron members, not least Nelson’s vice-admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy who commanded HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, Admiral Lord Cochrane who was the inspriation for C.S. Forester’s Hornblower novels and Admiral Sir Jeremy Black, captain of the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible during the Falklands War.

The public’s more usual view

Perhaps the club is still best known around the world for hosting the race around the Isle of Wight in 1851 won by the schooner America , which took home what became known as the America’s Cup. The Squadron donated the Cup itself in 1851 and mounted a number of challenges to win it back.

More than 160 years later the America’s Cup has still never been won by a British challenger, but now the commodore believes the Royal Yacht Squadron has “the best chance we have ever had” with its sponsorship of Ben Ainslie Racing as official British challenger for the 2017 Cup.

• 1. Flying the white ensign
• 2. Bicentenary celebrations
• 3. Inside the Castle

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Six Metre Worlds 2023

31 August to 8 September – Cowes, UK

The Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight (UK) will host the 2023 International Six Metre World Championships from 31 August to 8 September.

Further information about this event can be found on this website. You can follow the event on our social media pages at Facebook and Instagram

A full entry list for the regatta, including links to find further information about each of the boats competing can be found here .

Click here for the Official Notice Board where you will find the Notice of Race, Official Documents and in due course the Results.

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+44 (0) 1983 292 191

Royal Yacht Squadron Tour

• This event has passed.

Join Royal Yacht Squadron Honorary Historian, Commodore David Hughes, for a tour of this historic building. Founded 1815 by a group of friends, the Royal Yacht Squadron quickly became the favourite yacht club of the aristocracy, its regatta at Cowes one of the most fashionable events of the season. Yet the Squadron has always been more than just a smart club. Its members helped create the sport of sailing, writing rules, running competitions, putting up prizes (including the first America’s Cup in 1851) and handling some of the finest and fastest yachts in the world. The Clubhouse, Cowes Castle, was build in 1539 as part of Henry VIII’s chain of coastal defences and has been home to the Royal Yacht Squadron for over 160 years.

Please note, this tour will be videoed, but the film will be used only by Members of the Royal Yacht Squadron and will not be distributed more widely.

Newsletter Sign up

Sign up to receive news and information about the Isle of Wight Literary Festival.

Weekly round-up: Five stories you may have missed

A story about a boy who was surprised with a teddy that has hearing aids was among our most read this week in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight.

A variety of local issues featured on the BBC News website, BBC Radio Solent and South Today .

We have picked five stories to keep you up to date.

Maiden crosses Ocean Globe Race finish off Cowes

British yacht Maiden crossed the finish line off Cowes after a 27,000-mile race around the globe .

Maiden and the crew of 12 women powered towards the finish line off the island finishing the gruelling race shortly before 12:00 BST on Tuesday.

The Ocean Globe Race (OGR) marks the 50th anniversary of the first Whitbread round-the-world race in 1973.

The race saw 14 yachts set off from the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes on 10 September at 13:00 BST .

Teen jailed for festival terror plot

A 16-year-old boy has been jailed for seven years for plotting a terror attack after researching the Isle of Wight Festival as a potential target.

The teenager from Cowes on the Isle of Wight, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was planning to attack people he believed had insulted Islam.

He also shared terrorist publications with others, Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said.

He was found guilty in February of preparation of terrorist acts.

Boy surprised by teddy bear with hearing aids

A boy who lost his hearing in both ears during cancer treatment has been surprised with a specially made teddy .

Thomas was given the toy, based on his favourite Marvel character Black Panther, which has hand-sewn hearing aids attached - like the ones he wears.

It was created by audiologist Ruth Avierinos who wants to "reduce the stigma around hearing conditions".

Thomas attends preschool at the Elizabeth Foundation at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.

'Nightmare' bin collection improving, says council

Southampton residents waiting for their bins to be collected have called it a "nightmare" with rubbish blowing across the streets .

Over 10,000 bins were uncollected in the city in March, which was down from the almost 15,000 missed in February .

Waste and recycling collections in the area have faced disruption following changes to shift patterns and safety practices introduced in January.

The council says it is prioritising collecting bulky and household waste.

Cathedral's new peregrine falcon lays eggs

A peregrine falcon has laid two eggs at Winchester Cathedral and experts expect to see more.

Mel, who took over as the site's resident female falcon in March after the previous bird Winnie was found dead, laid one egg on 12 April and one on 14 April.

Keith Betton, chair of the Hampshire Ornithological Society, said normally peregrines lay up to four eggs.

He added that any fledglings should hatch in May.

Follow BBC South on Facebook , X , or Instagram . Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2240 .

Fifes at the RYS Regatta

Monday 11 july - thursday 14 july 2022, high water portsmouth.

The Royal Yacht Squadron is delighted to be hosting the Fifes at the RYS Regatta 11th-14th July 2022, here in the iconic waters of the Solent, and we hope that many of you who have competed in the Fife Regatta on the Clyde will make it south to Cowes.

There will be three socials during the Regatta:

Monday 11th July - Opening Reception with Canapes, £20.00 per person, tickets available via the online entry & socials form Tuesday 12th July - Owners’ Dinner and Drinks Reception, £85.00 per person, tickets available via the online entry & socials form Thursday 14th July - Prizegiving, tickets for owners and crew are included in the entry fee. Prizegiving will commence at 18.00 with a buffet supper following at 19.30

Race Documents

List of Entries  as at 10th July 2022

Notice of Race

Online Entry & Socials Form

Sailing Instructions

Regatta Guest Information Pack Amendment 1 Amendment 2 Results  Results Day 1 Results Day 2 CLASS 1 DAY 3 RESULTS CLASS 1 OVERALL RESULTS Class 2 Day 3 Results Class 2 Overall Results

Royal Yacht Squadron

The Castle, Cowes, Isle of Wight, P031 7QT

Tel: +44 (0) 1983 292 191

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