Royal Temple Yacht Club

About the Royal Temple Yacht Club

The Royal Temple Yacht Club is a yacht club in Ramsgate, Kent, United Kingdom, founded in 1857, that organizes yacht racing and model yacht racing, as well as cruising, training through a Navigation School, social events, and an annual regatta (Ramsgate Week).

More information is available via RTYC’s website.

History and traditions

Founded in 1857 by yachtsmen who sailed from the Temple Steps in London, the club opened its Ramsgate clubhouse in 1896 and received Royal recognition in 1897, followed by an Admiralty warrant to wear the Blue Ensign in 1898.

The club has maintained a continuous racing and regatta tradition, including the annual Ramsgate Week and historic/classic yachting activity, as described in RTYC history.

Waterfront setting

The club is based on the waterfront at Ramsgate and overlooks the Royal Harbour and Ramsgate Marina.

Racing courses run in the approaches to the harbour, with views that include the Goodwin Sands and surrounding headlands, as described on RTYC’s on-the-land page.

Clubhouse and guest accommodation

The historic clubhouse includes two bars, an 80-seat dining room, an outside balcony with views over Ramsgate harbour, seven fully serviced bedrooms, a full-size snooker room with spectator seating, and two downstairs lounges with large-screen TV viewing facilities.

The clubhouse also provides conference and meeting facilities, and accommodation for navigation courses, as described on RTYC’s on-the-land page.

Racing programme

Regular racing includes IRC and cruiser class racing on Sundays (April–October), with starts typically at 10:15 and a start line off the pier head.

The club organizes seasonal series, evening and offshore races, and is the organising authority for the annual Ramsgate Week regatta and associated open and offshore events.

Further details are available via RTYC racing.

Cruising and the Cruising Social Evening

The Cruising Section organizes regular short cruises around the southern coast of the UK and on both sides of the English Channel.

It provides a programme to involve non-racing members and holds a monthly Cruising Social Evening on the second Friday of each month.

More information is available at the Cruising Section page.

Training and Navigation Courses

The club holds Navigation Courses during the winter months taught by professional instructors with extensive sea experience.

Current courses include First Aid, Day Skipper & Yacht Master Courses, RYA SRC VHF Courses, and an upcoming Powerboat 2 course.

Details are listed on RTYC training.

Marina moorings and berthing

Racing and visiting yachts use the adjacent tidal marina, described by the club as a 150-berth all-tide marina.

Pontoons are used for competitor berthing, and short-stay visitor berths are allocated in coordination with the club for events such as Ramsgate Week, as described on RTYC’s racing information.

Dining, bars, and social spaces

Within the clubhouse there are two bars, an 80-seat dining room, an outside balcony with views over the harbour, two downstairs lounges with large-screen TV viewing facilities, and a full-size snooker room with spectator seating.

Seven fully serviced bedrooms are also available in the clubhouse, as described on RTYC’s on-the-land page.

Events and guest functions

The club runs IRC and Cruiser class yacht racing every Sunday between April and October, with yacht races starting at 10:15 and lasting 2 to 3 hours.

It also organizes Ramsgate Week Regatta (19th–24th July 2026) and offers clubhouse functions, meetings & conferencing.

A 7-bedroom hotel for guests is available alongside clubhouse event spaces, as described on RTYC’s website.

Membership and crew categories

Membership commences upon receipt of payment and automatically renews after 365 days for members who pay via direct debit.

Full members are allocated a Buddy for the first 3 months.

Crew membership is only available to new members actively crewing on an RTYC boat and must be proposed and seconded by both the RCS & RCC; it has no voting rights, and it is not possible to change from a full member to a crew member.

“Friends of RTYC” and Crew membership have no voting rights.

Some age-restricted categories apply: Full Member under 35 (aged under 35 on 1st October) and Under 22 Member (under 22 on 1st October, with no voting rights or discounts).

Members are urged to settle their subscription payment via direct bank transfer and identify the transaction with “Surname + Initials” on the bank reference, as listed on the membership information page.

Visitor access and reciprocal arrangements

RTYC members are offered use of the facilities of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, but cabin bookings are limited to three nights per member in any one calendar year.

Members are asked not to go directly to reciprocal clubs; instead, they should contact the Honorary Secretary for a formal introduction to the Reciprocal or Affiliate Club, as described on RTYC links.

Seasonal operation

On-water racing and the main racing series operate principally from April through October with Sunday racing and evening series in season.

Navigation and theory courses are scheduled in winter months, and the Academy and clubhouse maintain year-round activity with seasonal variations in the sailing programme and event calendar, as described on RTYC’s website.