The Royal Victoria Yacht Club (RVYC) celebrated its 180th anniversary at its Fishbourne clubhouse, over the weekend of 28th and 29th June.
Established on 24 May 1845 (Queen Victoria’s birthday), RVYC has had two distinct eras: From 1845 to 1965, it was a prestigious yacht club with splendid premises (the former Prince Consort building on Ryde sea front), and membership of the great and good.
A prestigious club
As such a prestigious club, it is not surprising that it was chosen by the International Olympic Committee to host the Olympic yacht races of 1908 for Eight Metre, Seven Metre and Six Metre yachts, with the start and finish on the Club line from Ryde Pier.
Post-war social changes led to hard times for the club and it was in danger of folding completely. But in 1961, a merger with Fishbourne Sailing Club and Wootton Creek Sailing Club brought an enormous turn-round with a revitalized and younger membership and the club left Ryde for its current site in Fishbourne, where a new clubhouse was built and formally opened in 1962 by the late Prince Philip.
Although unrecognisable from its Victorian and Edwardian heyday, reminders of its history can be seen in artefacts on show in the clubhouse.
Continued to thrive
The club has continued to grow and thrive, having survived Covid lockdowns, it hosted HRH The Princess Royal’s visit in 2021 to celebrate its 175th anniversary. With its thriving cadet section and ever-growing fleet of MOCRA multl-hulls and Scows, the club has an enviable position at the mouth of Wootton Creek, with stunning Solent views.
Membership is growing and the club has become a popular venue for hosting open events and rallies.
Celebratory regatta
On Saturday 28th June, the club held a special regatta, sponsored by Mermaid Gin, with races for all craft, from MOCRA multi-hulls to Scows and Optimists. This was followed by a BBQ and live music from long-standing RVYC favourites, The Accelerators.
Visiting Commodores
On Sunday, Commodore Helen Vrba welcomed visiting commodores from Brading Haven YC, Sea View YC and East Cowes Sailing Club, plus some of RVYC’s longest serving members – Bill Cooper, Mike Thomas, John Cleaver and Bob Cheek.
The celebration sail past of members’ boats was a spectacular sight with many dressed overall, who made their way from the top of the creek to sweep past the pontoon, where the salute was taken by RVYC Commodore and previous RVYC and guest commodores, before heading out to sea.
A successful weekend
A great variety of craft took part, from large cruisers and multi-hulls, to paddleboards, rowing skiffs and two swan pedalos.
This was followed by afternoon tea on the lawn with a toast proposed by former Commodore, Alan Colville, celebrating the club’s past and all that the future holds.
News shared by Helen on behalf of RVYC. Ed
