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18 facts about the Royal Yacht Squadron’s colourful history

As the Royal Yacht Squadron celebrates its bicentenary this June, we take a look at its colourful history.

The Isle of Wight’s Royal Yacht Squadron, established 200 years ago, has a colourful history. Here, we detail 18 fascinating Royal Yacht Squadron facts.

• The Royal Yacht Squadron was established on June 1, 1815, at the Thatched House Tavern in St James’s, London W1. Originally named The Yacht Club, it comprised 42 gentlemen members, who agreed to meet twice a year to discuss their mutual interest over dinner
• At first, it was mandatory to own a vessel ‘not under 10 tons’. This was changed to ‘gentlemen actively interested in yachting’ when lightweight construction became more commonplace
• Members’ yachts are awarded the suffix RYS. In 1829, the Admiralty issued a warrant for them to fly what is now the Navy’s White Ensign rather than the merchant Red Ensign displayed by most other UK-registered vessels
• The Yacht Club became ‘Royal’ when the Prince Regent, a member, became George IV in 1820; 13 years later, it was renamed The Royal Yacht Squadron by command of William IV
• New members are proposed by existing members and then have to be voted in
• In the 1970s, the rejection of the Prime Minister, Edward Heath —a successful yachtsman—caused quite a stir and brought the club some adverse publicity
• The Queen is the current patron and The Duke of Edinburgh, the Squadron’s Admiral, continues to be an active participant
• Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy, Nelson’s captain at Trafalgar, was among the early Honorary Naval members
• The club’s present home, Cowes Castle, was built in 1539 as part of Henry VIII’s chain of coastal defences
• In 1851, the Squadron invited the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) to produce a challenge to its own fastest yacht. The NYYC’s schooner America won the race and so gave its name to the new trophy—the America’s Cup
• The first official race took place on August 10, 1826
• Only on very rare occasions do the wrought-iron gates of Cowes Castle swing open to admit outsiders
• Despite meeting all the pre-conditions, the tea merchant and unsuccessful America’s Cup contender Sir Thomas Lipton had to wait until his 80th birthday before his request was finally granted. He died two years later
• The first Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron, the Earl of Yarborough, was a prodigious host, who gave magnificent parties aboard his yacht Falcon and at his home on the Isle of Wight during the Regatta
• Members began publishing accounts of exploratory voyages from the mid 19th century. Lord Brassey’s Sunbeam logged 37,000 miles, but another member, Ben Boyd, was captured and eaten by natives of the Solomon Islands in 1851
• The explorer Capt Scott was a member—the St George’s Cross and crown burgee flown by his ship Terra Nova are displayed at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich
• Members’ yachts went to the Crimea and took part in both World Wars. In the Second World War, the Squadron offered its clubhouse to the Admiralty and the castle became HMS Vectis, suffering damage in the air raids on Cowes, which was targeted for its shipbuilding industry
• French painter Raoul Dufy depicted the Royal Yacht Squadron and its races in several works during the late 1920s and early 1930s. The most famous, Regatta at Cowes, 1934, is housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, USA

Cowes Week is on August 8–15 (01983 295744; www.aamcowesweek.co.uk)

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• Digital Edition

Cowes Week: facts and figures

• Helen Dormer
• July 31, 2010

What was the first boat built in Cowes? When was the first race run?

For some interesting facts about the world’s biggest sailing regatta – now in its 184th year – read on…..

The first boat built in Cowes was the Rat O’Wight, commissioned by Elizabeth I in 1589.

Cowes Week is the largest regatta of its kind in the world. It organizes 40 races daily for over 1,000 boats and about 8,500 competitors.

Over 800 cannons are fired to mark the race starts and finishes during an average week.

The Royal Yacht Squadron was once the Yacht Club. It became the first ‘Royal’ Yacht Club in 1820 when one of its members, the Prince Regent, became King George IV.

The Yacht Club was established way back in 1815 in St James Street, London, but moved to Cowes Castle in 1825. It was renamed the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1833.

The first Cowes Week race started on Thursday 10 August 1826.

The America’s Cup took its origins from Cowes in 1851 when the New York based yacht ‘America’ won the race around the Isle of Wight. They won the Squadron’s 100 Guinnea Cup and gave the trophy its name.

Over 100,000 visitors make their way to Cowes each year for the regatta, outnumbering the town’s population of 9,663.

The youngest skipper at Cowes Week last year was 13 years old. (In 2008, it was 12 years.)

The biggest ever class was the Laser SB3s in 2007 with 98 boats.

If all the shoes worn by sailors during Cowes Week were put end to end, they would reach across the Solent from Cowes to Southampton – that’s almost 10 miles.

The most successful male skipper in the last decade is Rupert Mander (Men Behaving Badly) with 37 wins. The most successful female skipper is Liz Savage with 23 wins.

The Royal Yacht Squadron Castle is one of two ‘Cows’ or castles built by Henry VIII in the 1500s to protect the English from potential French or Spanish invasion. The other ‘Cow’ was in East Cowes, but no longer exists.

Royal Yacht Squadron members are allowed to fly the White Ensign of the Royal Navy rather than the Red Ensign, flown by the majority of UK registered vessels.

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Team New Zealand Retains America’s Cup by Beating Luna Rossa

A syndicate representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron won sailing’s biggest prize for the second time in a row.

By Andrew Das

For days, the Italian racing boat pursued its rival from New Zealand in the America’s Cup. Sometimes, the Italians looked for an advantage by cutting in as close as safety allowed. Other times, they veered as far away as the course allowed, seeking an edge by giving it rival a wide berth.

Both teams had millions of dollars at their disposal. Both teams had expert crews. But, as in most sailing races, the outcome eventually came down to one simple fact: New Zealand’s boat was faster.

“At times,” said Jimmy Spithill, the co-helmsman for the Italians, “it felt we were taking a knife to a gunfight.”

Team New Zealand retained the America’s Cup on Wednesday, speeding away from its Italian challenger Luna Rossa to claim sailing’s biggest prize in its home waters off Auckland. The victory was the second in a row for a syndicate representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, and the fourth win in the finals since 1995 for a team from New Zealand.

It also marked the second victory in a row for Team New Zealand’s 30-year-old helmsman, Peter Burling, who added another title to a résumé that already includes nine world championships and Olympic gold and silver medals.

“It means the world to us and the team,” Burling told Radio New Zealand, the national public broadcaster.

New Zealand’s clinching race victory came two days after it seized the momentum in a taut competition by exploiting its speed advantage to pick up back-to-back wins on Monday. It won again on Tuesday and Wednesday, when it became the first to reach seven wins.

The clinching race on Wednesday began evenly, with the two boats battling closely. But slightly better tacking and slightly better speed gave New Zealand a seven-second lead at the end of the first leg. From then on, New Zealand slowly and methodically extended its advantage. Every Luna Rossa effort to close the gap was in vain.

The final margin was 46 seconds. The final score in the competition was 7-3.

The Kiwis’ victory ended one of the most unusual editions of the America’s Cup, which was first contested in 1851. This year’s races took place without their usual huge crowds of visiting spectators, many of whom had been kept away by strict coronavirus restrictions that had effectively closed New Zealand’s borders to noncitizens. The racing schedule also had to be modified several times to accommodate stringent — and changing — lockdown rules that at times forced delays in the competition.

The entrants were unlike any that preceded them, too. This year’s America’s Cup was contested by a new class of boat: sleek, 75-foot foiling monohulls which — when raised out of the water and riding above the waves on their spider-like foils — were capable of speeds of as much as 60 miles an hour. The boats did not so much slice through the water as glide above it. And none did that better than Team New Zealand.

But there were subtle distinctions that only the racing could reveal. The Kiwis had emphasized speed in their racing boat’s design, with a flatter hull and smaller foils that minimized drag as its cut through the water. Luna Rossa’s larger foils offered advantages in stability and maneuverability, and the Italians used weeks of challenger races to hone the tactics they put to use several times in the finals. But speed proved to be the difference, and Team New Zealand simply had more of it.

“Deservedly champions,” Spithill said of his opponents after the series ended.

Still, he admitted, he had a few regrets.

“I believe we left some wins on the table,” he told reporters. “But that’s sport, and I truly believe the better team won.”

Over the first six races of the finals, the mantra had been a simple one: Win the start, win the race. In each of those races, the team that was first across the starting line was also the first to reach the finish line. The largely drama-free racing had showcased the skills of the teams and the precision of their boats, but it also led to an unwelcome accusation: that the finals were boring .

That changed on Monday. Taking advantage of shifting winds and unleashing the speed that many suspected it had not yet fully shown, Team New Zealand surged from behind to win consecutive races, breaking the tie and giving the team a 5-3 lead. The Kiwis added a fourth straight win on Tuesday , and suddenly the prize for years of planning and millions of dollars in investment felt close enough to touch.

“This team’s been in this position before,” Burling said after moving within one win of the seven New Zealand needed to claim the trophy. “We just want to keep improving, keep moving forward and we’re really excited about another race.”

Light winds had forced the teams to abandon the second race on Tuesday, when New Zealand seemed poised to seal its triumph, but that only delayed what many by then saw as the inevitable. Even as Luna Rossa lamented another “painful” defeat on Tuesday, its co-helmsman Francesco Bruni found no fault in his team’s performances.

Team New Zealand, he seemed to be saying, had simply been faster.

“I think we did a fantastic race honestly,” Bruni said. “No regrets.”

Mike Ives contributed reporting.

Flag Officers of the Royal Yacht Squadron

The Hon Sir James Holman

[email protected]

Vice Commodore

P l f french esq.

[email protected]

Rear Commodore Finance

Jeremy bennett esq.

[email protected]

Rear Commodore Yachting

B b huber esq.

[email protected]

Royal Yacht Squadron

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

Tel: +44 (0) 1983 292 191

Photography

S q u a d r o n   6 8  

I t   j u s t   s o   h a p p e n s ,   s o m e   y a c h t s   s i m p l y   m a k e   y o u   w a n t   t o   d o   m o r e  .

Racing out to new destinations is what the elegant Squadron 68 is designed for. Take in your surroundings from the elevated flybridge, with the breeze on your face and the horizon all around you. Dine with friends in the single-level saloon, served from the well-equipped galley. Lightness, space and a fluid design make time above or below deck both graceful and free-flowing. With no question, this is a yacht that will move you.

R e v i t a l i s e ,   r e f r e s h ,   r e n e w  

Spend all day on the expansive flybridge, with three individually-styled areas to suit your mood. From triple sun loungers to sumptuous dining to forward seating, the Squadron 68 adapts to whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it. Whether resting at anchor or cruising offshore, adjust your environment to enhance your experience, just the way you like it.

B u i l t   f o r   t o m o r r o w ’ s   w o r l d  

With contemporary styling the Squadron 68 is effortlessly modern. Packed with the latest technologies, the highest quality of materials and made, by hand, in England. The new Squadron 68 pairs fashionable convenience with a considered layout ensuring family adventures beckon every time you approach its sheer, alluring beauty.

Advanced design, superior living

A generous layout with multiple entertaining areas and all conveniences provided, ensures you can relax and socialise with ease on board the Squadron 68.

Elevated views from the flybridge

Three beautifully defined areas on the large flybridge makes time spent together both enjoyable and effortless.

Contemporary vision

A modern specification with a glass-bridge helm reflects the stylish design of the entire yacht, above and below deck.

Motorboat & Yachting review

MBY deputy editor Jack Haines takes a test drive of the Fairline Squadron 68.

Watch the review by clicking here

BoatTEST.com review

Watch a detailed review of the Squadron 68 from Capt Steve Larivee.

“Fairline Yachts has always produced well-built boats, but the company has stepped up its game with the fit-and-finish.”

See what he’s talking about by clicking here.

AQUAHOLIC review

Join Nick Burnham of AQUAHOLIC on a very detailed tour of the Squadron 68 at Ocean Village, Southampton.

Watch the review

And watch Nick’s sea trial by clicking here

D e c k   p l a n s  

I n t e r i o r   d é c o r  .

A Fairline interior fulfils its purpose when you step on-board and say, “Ahhh.”

Creating a space that is truly comfortable requires more than reaching for a cosy pillow and blanket; it’s about tapping into sensibilities that speak to our deepest and most essential needs.

Our new interiors are defined by serene living spaces, as the focus of life on-board moves closer to the water. Earth tones, deep blue hues, natural weaves, and linen textures make way for an interior collection that is as gentle as the Mediterranean breeze.

One area effortlessly flows into the next using dynamic diagonal lines, leading your eye-line through the space. Oak wood floors, beautifully lacquered cabinetry, luxury natural fibre carpets and vertical slatted timber details harmonise and evoke a sense of calm. It’s the perfect setting for waterside living and entertaining.

P r i n c i p a l   d i m e n s i o n s  

E n g i n e s   &   p e r f o r m a n c e  .

Caterpillar C18-1150

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F i n d   y o u r   i d e a l   S q u a d r o n  

Squadron 50, squadron 68, news & events.

18th April 2024

Authorised Dealership now in San Francisco

Fairline has announced MRN Yacht Sales as its partner in California.

27th February 2024

Come and start your career with Fairline

Our Recruitment Open Day is set to take place on 2nd March. We're gearing up to fill positions at our Oundle manufacturing facility, promising exciting opportunities for job seekers in the marine industry.

5th February 2024

Miami line-up announced

Fairline has announced its line-up for Miami International Boat Show (14-18 February 2024) which includes the Squadron 68, Squadron 50, Targa 45 OPEN and the F//LINE 33.

25th January 2024

Squadron 58 wins at the Motorboat of the Year awards

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Why Choose OYS...

The Oakville Yacht Squadron is a club dedicated to the education and exploration of sailing, incorporating the benefits of both racing and cruising.  We pride ourselves on our friendly and welcoming atmosphere.  OYS maintains active members involved in both racing and cruising.  Our Sailing School has harboured many great sailors at recreational, competitive and Olympic levels.  Looking forward to seeing you dockside!

Our active race programs compete up to 3 times a week. Join our vibrant racing program, or come to the docks to crew on a boat!

With organized club cruises happening many weekends throughout the sumer, make new friends or connect with old ones as you visit other clubs on the lake.

Regatta, Sailpast, Pub Night BBQs and Banquets are only a few of the regular social events hosted at our beautiful waterfront location

Join the Oakville Yacht Squadron

OYS would be delighted to have you as members of our club.  With lots of programs running all year long, there is something for everyone to enjoy.    Looking forward to seeing you dockside.