The History of London’s Coveted Royal Yacht Squadron

When you think of the Royal Yacht Squadron a lot probably comes to mind. Did you know that the Royal Yacht Squadron is an amazing yacht club that is nearly 200 years old? It was founded in 1815 and continues to be a rich part of living history today. The Royal Yacht Squadron was first founded in St. James’, London.

To become a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron when it first started, you had to own a vessel that could not be more than 10 tons. In today’s version of the Royal Yacht Squadron, you will find that most of the people are just interested in yachting. Interesting enough, the founder of the club was known as The Earl of Yarborough and his first member’s name was Prince Regent. When the Prince joined the RYS it became “royal.” Want to become a member in 2016? A current member has to nominate you and then you are voted in.

The members of the Royal Yacht Squadron didn’t just sit around on their yachts all day. They took voyages for miles and miles. One of the most famous voyages is known as Lord Brassey’s Sunbeam and he logged 37,000 miles! Another famous story of the RYS and their members was when Ben Boyd was actually captured and eaten by natives.

The Royal Yacht Squadron is also a rich part of history. During both World Wars, there were several yachts and their members that went to help. The Squadron offered up the clubhouse during WWII and it actually suffered damage. The damage was caused by air raids. The area was specifically targeted because it was a place where ships were made. As you can see, this would be a great target for an enemy during WWII!

Many people want to get into the Royal Yacht Squadron for several reasons. One is because of the rich history of the club. Another reason is that it is a prestigious club as they do not just accept anyone. Even though the cup has never been won back by a British challenger, 2017 is quickly approaching and things could change.  Become a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron or you could also try one of these 5 exclusive yacht clubs.