The Mother of All Yacht Clubs

[Dockhead]

The first time I've seen even photos of the inside of the Royal Yacht Squaron's castle in Cowes:

Inside the Royal Yacht Squadron: a rare view – Yachting World

Although I live a couple hundred meters away during nearly half the year.

Wow.

[nigel1]

Little on the grand size for me I think.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by nigel1

Little on the grand size for me I think.

I don't think that either you or I need to ever worry about being invited to join

[nigel1]

Not to worry, I wont be inviting them to join mine

[GordMay]

Where's the docks?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Where's the docks?

They have a nice jetty and pontoon. But used only for events, as far as I can tell.

Lots of RYS boats live on the Hamble River, and there are a few in Cowes Yacht Haven, my boat's winter home.

The RYS is where yacht racing started -- the Urheimat of our sport. The original America's Cup race was an RYS regatta around the Isle of Wight.

It has even been claimed that World War I actually started at the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes. According to Robert K. Massey. Because of the rivalry between Kaiser Wilhelm II and his cousins, who raced against each other every year at Cowes Week (and visited their grandmother Queen Victoria who also lived at Cowes). According to Massey, this rivalry lead to the infantile Wilhelm's starting the arms race with Britain with his dreadnoughts.

Wilhelm can be discerned in the painting below of RYS members, which I pinched from the above-linked YW article.

[kismet]

Some suggest that there where others that came before...
http://www.ycaol.com/internat.htm

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by kismet

Some suggest that there where others that came before...
World's Oldest

I don't think anyone has argued that the RYS was the first ever yacht club. But it was certainly the most significant, by far, a fountainhead of history in our sport.

[socaldmax]

Wow!

They actually changed the rules to allow women to join in 2014! How progressive!! LOL

A lot of history and tradition there!

[JJ77]

Originally Posted by socaldmax

Wow!

They actually changed the rules to allow women to join in 2014! How progressive!! LOL

A lot of history and tradition there!

So Ellen MacArthur was not even a member?

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

The first time I've seen even photos of the inside of the Royal Yacht Squaron's castle in Cowes:

Inside the Royal Yacht Squadron: a rare view – Yachting World

Although I live a couple hundred meters away during nearly half the year.

Wow.

Dang. They don't seem to be on our club's list of reciprocals.

[SpiritofGlenans]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

The RYS is where yacht racing started -- the Urheimat of our sport. The original America's Cup race was an RYS regatta around the Isle of Wight.

I'm not so sure that's entirely correct. In Ireland the common wisdom is that formal racing started in Cork.
Have a look at the history of the Royal Cork Yacht Club on the link below
RCYC » CLUB HISTORY

[Roniszoro]

I think you will find that the New York Yacht Club is pretty swell also.

New York Yacht Club Home

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Roniszoro

I think you will find that the New York Yacht Club is pretty swell also.

New York Yacht Club Home

The New YOrk Yacht club is where they affixed Dennis Conners head to the podium that had held the America's cup before he lost it.

The above was a great cartoon in the New Yorker.


Nice pics, Dockhead - and I guess I won't have to send either my black tie or white tie outfit for dry cleaning in anticipation of an invite.

[K_V_B]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

The RYS is where yacht racing started -- the Urheimat of our sport. The original America's Cup race was an RYS regatta around the Isle of Wight.

Actually the origins of Yacht racing (and even the word Yacht) lie in the Netherlands.