Royal Yacht Squadron

2025-10-03T09:24:16Z

195.99.109.85:

{{Short description|British sailing club}}
{{About|the British yacht club on the Isle of Wight}}
{{Redirect|Royal Yacht Club}}
{{Redirect|RYS||Rys (disambiguation)}}
{{redirect|The Yacht Club|the song by Owl City|All Things Bright and Beautiful (album)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox yacht club
| clubname = Royal Yacht Squadron
| burgee = Royal-Yacht-Squadron-Burgee.svg
| burgeecaption = Burgee
| ensign = Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg
| ensigncaption = Ensign
| nickname =
| short name = RYS
| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1815|6|1}}
| location = [[Cowes Castle]], [[Isle of Wight]], England
| chairman =
| commodore = Robert M. Bicket <ref>https://www.rys.org.uk/the-rys/flag-officers</ref>
| website = {{Official URL}}
}}

The '''Royal Yacht Squadron''' ('''RYS''') is a British [[yacht club]]. Its clubhouse is [[Cowes Castle]] on the [[Isle of Wight]] in the United Kingdom. Member [[yacht]]s are given the suffix RYS to their names, and are permitted (with the appropriate warrant) to wear the [[White Ensign]] of the [[Royal Navy]]<ref name="Y1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.rys.org.uk/da/11662|title=Overview: The Royal Yacht Squadron}}</ref> rather than the merchant [[Red Ensign]] worn by the majority of other UK registered vessels. The club's patron was Queen [[Elizabeth II]].

The Royal Yacht Squadron entered the [[2021 America's Cup]] in [[Auckland]], New Zealand, with the [[Ineos Team UK]] syndicate led by Sir [[Ben Ainslie]], but did not win. In March 2021, an entity associated with the RYS, called Royal Yacht Squadron Racing Ltd, was officially accepted as the Challenger of Record for the [[37th America's Cup]] competition.

==History==

[[File:East Cowes Castle, by J M W Turner 1827.jpg|thumb|The 1827 regatta in [[J.M.W. Turner]]'s ''[[East Cowes Castle (painting)|East Cowes Castle]]'']]
Founded on 1 June 1815 in the [[Thatched House Tavern]] in [[St James's, London]] as '''The Yacht Club''' by 42 gentlemen interested in sea yachting,<ref>[http://www.british-towns.net/attractions/attraction_selected.asp?GetTLID=3336 British Attractions – Royal Yacht Squadron – Outdoor Venue]</ref> the original members{{efn|
{{wikitable| class="wikitable"
|+ Original Members
|-
| [[Henry Jeffrey Flower, 4th Viscount Ashbrook|Ashbrook, Viscount]] || Kirkwall, Viscount
|-
| Aylmer, Charles, Esqr. || Lewin, Thomas, Esqr.
|-
| Baring, William, Esqr. || Lindergreen, John, Esqr.
|-
| [[Armar Lowry-Corry, 3rd Earl Belmore|Belmore, The Earl of]] || LLoyd (of Marle), Esqr.
|-
| Berkeley, Capt. Frederick || North, The Revd Chas. A.
|-
| Blachford, P.B. Esqr. || Nugent, The Rt. Hon. Lord.
|-
| Buckingham, The Marquis of. || Pullam, The Hon. Chas. A.
|-
| Cawdor, The Rt. Hon. Lord. || Ponsonby, The Rt.Hon. Lord
|-
| Challen, S, Esqr || Puleston, Sir Richard, Bart.
|-
| Craven, The Earl of || Scott, Harry Esqr.
|-
| [[Sir William Curtis, 1st Baronet|Curtis. Sir William, Bart.]] || Shedden, Colonel
|-
| Denhurst, Viscount. || [[Thomas Assheton Smith (1776–1858)|Smith, Thos A, Junr. Eque.]]
|-
| Fazackerley, F.N. Esqr. || Thomas, Sir George, Bart.
|-
| Fitzharris, Viscount. || Thomond, The Marquis of.
|-
| Fitz Gerald, John, Esqr. || Uxbridge, The Earl of.
|-
| Grantham, The Rt Hon. Lord || Wardle, Baylis, Esqre.
|-
| Grant, Charles, Esqr. || [[Sir Godfrey Webster, 5th Baronet|Webster, Sir Godfrey, Bart.]]
|-
| Hallifax, Thomas, Esqr. || [[Weld-Blundell family#JosephWeldRYS|Weld, Joseph, Esqr]]
|-
| Hare, The Hon. William. || Weld, James, Esqr
|-
| Herbert, Henry Ar. Esqr. || Whatley, Colonel.
|-
| Hippesley, Sir J.C. Bart. || [[Owen Williams (British Army officer)|Williams, Owen, Esqr]].
}}
}} decided to meet in London and in Cowes twice a year, to discuss yachting over dinner. Membership was restricted to those who owned a vessel not under 10 tons. {{efn|Today this is interpreted as an individual "actively interested in yachting".<ref name="Y1"/>}}

The [[Charles Anderson-Pelham, 1st Earl of Yarborough|Earl of Yarborough]], later first commodore of the club, welcomed [[the Prince Regent]] as a member in 1817. In 1820, when the Prince Regent became [[George IV]], it was renamed the '''Royal Yacht Club'''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Guest |first1=Montague |last2=Boulton |first2=William B. |author1-link=Montague Guest |title=The Royal Yacht Squadron |date=1902 |publisher=[[John Murray (publishing house)|John Murray]] |page=54 |url=https://archive.org/details/royalyachtsquadr00guesuoft/page/54/mode/1up?view=theater}}</ref>

The club started organising racing as a principal feature of the annual regatta, which is now known as [[Cowes Week]]. In 1833, [[William IV]] renamed the club '''The Royal Yacht Squadron'''.
Its association with the [[Royal Navy]] began early and [[Horatio Nelson|Nelson's]] captain at [[Battle of Trafalgar|Trafalgar]], Admiral [[Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet|Sir Thomas Hardy]], headed the list of naval members. The spirit of invention led to yachts "of such celerity in sailing and beauty of construction" that they were of utility to the Royal Navy.
In 1829, the Admiralty issued a warrant to wear what is now the navy's [[White Ensign]]. The [[Maritime flags#Yacht club burgee|burgee]] (a triangular shaped flag identifying yacht club membership) is differenced with a [[St George's Cross]] and crown on a white background.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

In 1851, one of the "forred" hands, on board the yacht ''America'' concerning the first sailing of the [[America's Cup]], 1851 wrote 'The Royal Yacht Club—In a fix' (tune). "Come listen to my ditty, and a song to you I'll sing..."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://amicus.collectionscanada.gc.ca/aaweb-bin/aamain/itemdisp?sessionKey=999999999_142&l=0&d=2&v=0&lvl=1&itm=37866329|title='The Royal Yacht Club—In a fix.'(United States : s.n., 1851)}}</ref>

Another naval connection is that the [[Antarctic]] explorer [[Robert Falcon Scott]] was a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron. To enable the application of naval discipline on board a civilian ship, he registered the ''[[Terra Nova (ship)|Terra Nova RYS]]'' as a yacht of the squadron and sailed under the White Ensign on his second and [[Terra Nova Expedition|final expedition]] to [[Antarctica]] in 1910.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

In August 2013, the members of Royal Yacht Squadron voted to allow full membership to women, which had been restricted since its foundation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/sailing/10223747/Royal-Yacht-Squadron-to-admit-women-as-members-for-first-time-in-198-year-history.html|title=Royal Yacht Squadron to admit women as members for first time in 198-year history|website=The Daily Telegraph|date=5 August 2013 }}</ref>

==Racing==
[[File:Cutter Genesta.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Genesta (yacht)|Genesta]]'' (1885), the club's first challenger for the America's Cup]]
In 1851, the club's commodore, visiting the [[Great Exhibition]], issued a challenge for the squadron's £100 Cup for a race around the island. The New York City–based ''[[America (yacht)|America]]'', representing the [[New York Yacht Club]], triumphed in this race, giving its name to one of the oldest and best-known trophies: the [[America's Cup]]. The victory was witnessed by [[Queen Victoria]] and the Prince of Wales, later commodore of the club and [[Edward VII]].{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

The site is also used as the start of the [[Round the Island Race]] which occurs annually.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

During the [[American Civil War]] ''Deerhound RYS'' witnessed the fight between [[United States Navy|USS]] ''[[USS Kearsarge (1861)|Kearsarge]]'' and the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] cruiser [[CSS Alabama|CSS ''Alabama'']]. ''Gazelle RYS'' rescued the Empress Eugenie at the end of the [[Franco-Prussian War]] and the squadron yachts supplied British soldiers in the [[Crimean War]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=rys – Yachts, Yachtsmen and the Crimean War (2013)|url=https://www.rys.org.uk/the-rys/history/appendices-to-making-waves/yachts-yachtsmen-and-the-crimean-war-2013|access-date=2021-09-27|website=rys.org.uk}}</ref>

The German [[William II, German Emperor|Kaiser]] brought the 1887 America's Cup challenger ''[[Thistle (yacht)|Thistle]]'' to Cowes in 1892, which encouraged the Prince of Wales to build the royal cutter yacht ''[[HMY Britannia (Royal Cutter Yacht)|Britannia]]'', one of the most successful racing yachts of all time.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

==The Pavilion==
[[Image:Royal Yacht Squadron Mermaid.jpg|thumb|The Bronze Mermaid by Jonathan Wylder on the breakwater of the RYS Haven, which was modelled on the swimmer [[Sharron Davies]]]]
The Pavilion, designed by the architect Thomas Croft, was opened in 2000. This building provides on shore facilities for yachtsmen and their families while allowing the castle to retain its 'country house' ambience.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

==See also==
* [[Royal Air Squadron]]
* [[Royal Automobile Club]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|last=Dear|first=Ian|title=The Royal Yacht Squadron, 1815–1985|publisher=Stanley Paul|date=1985|isbn=978-0091625900}}
*{{cite book|last1=Guest|first1=Montague|authorlink1=Montague Guest|last2=Boulton|first2=William B.|url=https://archive.org/stream/royalyachtsquadr00guesuoft|title=The Royal Yacht Squadron <nowiki>[...]</nowiki> Complete list of members with theirs yachts from the foundation of the club|publisher=[[John Murray (publishing house)|John Murray]]|date=1902}}
*{{cite book|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41973/41973-h/41973-h.htm#page1|last=Pritchett|first=Robert Taylor|year=1894|chapter=The Royal Yacht Squadron and The History of the Royal Cups|publisher=Longmans, Green & Co, London|pages=9–20|title=Yachting Volume II}}
*{{cite book|last=Reid|first=Julian|date=2015|url=http://rys.org.uk/assets/RT-40.jpg|title=Original Members of The Yacht Club}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Royal yacht clubs]]
[[Category:1815 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:America's Cup yacht clubs]]
[[Category:Organisations based on the Isle of Wight]]
[[Category:Organisations based in the United Kingdom with royal patronage]]
[[Category:Gentlemen's clubs in England]]
[[Category:Yacht clubs in England]]
[[Category:Cowes]]

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Royal Yacht Squadron