Royal Forth Yacht Club

About

The Royal Forth Yacht Club is a long-established water-sports and yacht club based at Granton Harbour, offering recreational and competitive sailing, cruising in company, boat storage, and on-water services on the Firth of Forth. The club was founded in 1868, originally as the Granton Yacht Club, and later became the Forth Yacht Club before being granted the ‘Royal’ honourific in the 19th century. For more details, visit the club's website or its Wikipedia page.

Accommodation

The club does not provide overnight accommodation or lodging on site. Onshore facilities include a dual-floor clubhouse featuring a function room, a licensed bar, and seating for up to 70 people, along with a balcony, patio, and BBQ area. Visiting yachts can berth on the Edinburgh Marina pontoon, which is shared with the Forth Corinthian Yacht Club. More information can be found on the clubhouse page.

Boatyard Facilities

The club offers extensive boatyard facilities, including secure winter storage, yard access for maintenance, and contract and club crane booking for lift-in and lift-out services. An electric towing vehicle is available for use by authorized personnel, and the yard is managed with established rules for spraying, blasting, and electrical safety. Details can be found on the boatyard facilities page.

Moorings and Anchorage

The Royal Forth Yacht Club operates fully serviced member moorings with arrangements for both summer and winter. A manned launch service is available to access the moorings, along with access to the Edinburgh Marina Ltd pontoon, which provides water points but no shore power. Minimum insurance requirements and seasonal booking and payment rules apply. For more information, visit the club's website.

Clubhouse Features

The clubhouse is a dual-floor facility that includes offices, a bar, a kitchen, and seating for approximately 70 people. It features a balcony with views of the harbour, bathrooms, changing rooms, and showers on the lower floor, as well as a small patio and BBQ area overlooking a private slip and the Pharos Pier. The clubhouse is also available for private functions. More details can be found on the clubhouse page.

Training

The club offers a structured cadet dinghy programme for ages 8 to 18, which runs on Tuesday evenings from April to September. This programme is led by an RYA-qualified Senior Instructor and supported by volunteers. The club also organizes skill courses on demand, including Powerboat Level 2, Safety Boat, VHF, and Assistant Instructor courses, along with RYA Discover Sailing open days and club boat hire. For more information, visit the training page.

Racing

The club has an active racing programme that runs from April to October, featuring evening and Saturday racing, Open and Closing Regattas, passage races in conjunction with the Forth Corinthian Yacht Club, cup races, Summer Sprints, and one-design fleets including H-boats, Dragons, and Squibs. The club also hosts open and national events and conducts an annual prizegiving. More details can be found on the racing page.

Cruising

Regular Cruises in Company are organized throughout the summer, including a club 'Round the Islands' challenge and trips to nearby destinations in the Firth of Forth. An annual logbook competition is held for cruising reports. For more information, visit the cruising page.

Social Activities

The club maintains a year-round social calendar organized by the House Committee. Activities include music nights, Winter Talks, a Burns Supper, Christmas Lunch, prizegiving events, and fireworks night. The bar is staffed by volunteers, and the clubhouse is available for members' private events. More details can be found on the clubhouse page.

Seasonal Operation

The sailing and racing season primarily runs from April to October, with the cadet programme operating from mid-April to September. The boatman and launch service hours vary by tide during the summer and are from 09:00 to 17:00 in winter. The clubhouse and bar opening hours align with the boatman hours and event schedules. For more information, visit the seasonal operation page.