Royal Thames Yacht Club

About

The Royal Thames Yacht Club is a yachting club focused on organised yacht racing, cruising rallies, and motor-yachting, alongside clubhouse social and hospitality services for members and reciprocal visitors. The club was founded in 1775 as the Cumberland Fleet, later becoming the Thames Yacht Club in the 1820s and being granted the Royal title in 1830. It is recognized as the oldest continuously operating yacht club in the world.

Accommodation

The club provides member accommodation in the Knightsbridge clubhouse, featuring 34 cabins, including single cabins with shared bathrooms and an Admiral Suite/family room. The rooms are non-smoking and equipped with en-suite options, TV, direct dial phone, complimentary Wi-Fi, and continental breakfast. Accommodation is available only to Club Members and Reciprocal Club Members. More details can be found on the accommodation page.

Moorings and Anchorage

The Royal Thames Yacht Club owns and operates pontoons and berths in the Hamble and Cowes. In Hamble, there are 116 metres of pontoon held under licence, with berths leased to members as annual permanent berths. The Cowes pontoon offers approximately 45 metres of continuous run in the RTYC section. Members can enjoy free stays of up to 14 days in any 30-day period unless otherwise agreed. More information is available on the moorings page.

Clubhouse Features

The Knightsbridge clubhouse overlooks Hyde Park and includes two bars, the Coffee Room for à la carte dining, the Britannia Bistro, and the Britannia Bar and deck. It also features multiple meeting and event spaces, private dining facilities for events up to approximately 170 guests, and a wine cellar. The clubhouse accommodates member stays with its 34 cabins.

Training

The club offers regular on-water training and coaching events, including RYA match-racing training, basic team-race training, and J/70 training weekends. The Club runs an Academy for competitive younger members (26 and under) and maintains training fleets to support fleet, team, and match racing development.

Racing

The Royal Thames Yacht Club has a full racing programme that includes fleet, team, and match racing, with over 80 days of competition annually. Racing activities take place on the Solent and at Queen Mary Reservoir, with participation in major events such as Cowes Week and the Cumberland Regatta. The club also provides race management expertise and competes in UK and international regattas. More details can be found on the racing page.

Cruising

The club organizes a year-round cruising programme that includes UK Solent events and overseas rallies. Examples of these events include Mediterranean rallies, Caribbean and US East Coast rallies, and longer overseas cruises. The club publishes a Cruising Booklet and an annual cruising events calendar for members to join rallies and organized cruises. More information is available on the cruising page.

Social Activities

The Royal Thames Yacht Club has an active year-round social programme, which includes traditional formal dinners, speakers and lecture series, wine tastings, themed events, and social activities for younger members. The clubhouse is also licensed for private functions, including civil marriages and civil partnerships.

Dress Code

The dress code requires gentlemen to wear collared shirts, with a minimum acceptable dress being a polo shirt with chinos or dark wash jeans. After 19:00 from Monday to Friday, gentlemen are required to wear a jacket or reefer (tie preferred) in specified rooms. Ladies are expected to dress appropriately, and exercise attire is permitted only when going to or from cabins. The club may relax the rules for specific events or due to temperature considerations. More details can be found on the dress code page.

Seasonal Operation

On-water programmes run year-round, with team and fleet racing conducted throughout the year. Sonars are based at Queen Mary Reservoir for autumn and winter, while J/70s are active from April to October. The moorings letting year runs from 1 April to 31 March for Hamble berths.