As well as an extensive sailing and cruising programmes, various onshore activities are on offer to RSYC members throughout the year to which new recruits are most welcome.
There are also formal Club dinners and parties in the Summer and New Year – please check the Events Notice Board in the foyer or the Event Calendar on our website for details.
Club Talks
Covering a range of varied and interesting topics, the Royal Solent hosts a number of popular talks for members throughout the year.
In addition to one-off talks on topics such as racing rules and local wildlife, there is also a programme of ‘First Wednesday Talks’ on the first Wednesday of the month from October to March. This features a variety of guest speakers organised by member and local historian, Kevin Shaw, who also delivers his very popular illustrated talks on historical events and figures. Recent topics have included ‘Samuel Pepys – His Colourful Life and Secret Diary Revealed’ and ‘RADAR: Bats, Bulbs, Birds Nests and Lancaster Bombers.’ Tea and coffee are served from 11am with talks commencing at 11:30am, plus many members stay on to enjoy lunch at the Club.
Scottish Country Dancing
The RSYC Scottish Country Dancing Group meets weekly from 19:00 to 21:00 on Wednesday evenings from October to Easter, with a Christmas Party, plus a ceilidh and dinner in April to mark the end of the season.
New members. New members are most welcome. Previous experience and partners are not required. If you are interested in joining us, please contact member Nick Measor by phone on 01983 760462 or via email at n.measor@btinternet.com.
Costs. The charges for Wednesday evenings are £20 for the Autumn term (October to December) and £40 for the Winter (January to Easter), or £3.00 per session.
Comment from a recent recruit: “We thoroughly enjoy all the time spent at Scottish Dancing. We didn’t know a soul when we joined, but everyone was very welcoming and helped us through our first dances. It is the best way to meet lots of people and the Scottish Country Dancing members must be the most friendly people we have met anywhere.”
Scrabble & Backgammon
On the first Thursday evening of every month, Scrabble and Backgammon are played by members and their guests for a nominal fee of £1 per head. After the first game there is a break for a sociable one course supper. Groups for the first Scrabble game are drawn out of a hat, while the groups for the second game are based on the players’ scores from the first. At the end of play, the total scores of both games are combined to identify the overall winner for the evening. It is very informal – if you have a large word that you’re unsure about you may ask one of your opponents as to its validity without penalty and players can look up two letter words on a laminated sheet without penalty!
The turnout for Scrabble each month is usually between 4 and 16 players. Backgammon is also played on the same evening, with the numbers fluctuating between 2 and 6 players. All are welcome!
Wine Society
The Wine Society takes place from October to March on the penultimate Thursday of the month. This is always a very popular evening, with a guest speaker, wine tasting & supper. There’s also a Wine Society Christmas Party and an occasional Summer event.
These events are open to all members, however first come first served, so please get your names down early to avoid disappointment.
Clay Pigeon Shooting
The Club normally hosts two clay shoots a year in the Spring and Autumn, with the shoot at at Top Targets, Tapnell followed by a lunch in the Club. They are enjoyable events and we are always keen to get more members to take part in the competition. Ideally, you need to have your own gun and license, but we have managed to accommodate people in the past who have neither. If you want more information or to be added to the email distribution for future information, please let Catherine Holmes know at catherineholmes66@hotmail.co.uk
We also continue to try and schedule hosting the Southern Bowl competition – this is an inter-club challenge between a number of yacht clubs based around the Solent, both on the mainland and the Island. The Royal Solent retained the trophy in 2018, this being the last year the competition was run. Since then, the interest amongst other clubs has grown, and before Covid struck, we had interest from 11 other clubs to compete in 2020. With Covid restrictions gone, we are now faced with the challenge of finding an alternative location to the now closed Bowcombe View Shooting Ground that can host such a large number of teams in a single location. Once we have found that and decided a date, we will be looking for our best shots to step forward for selection in order to defend the trophy yet again.
Film Nights
For many members, film nights at the Club have become somewhat of a firm favourite in the winter programme. Taking place on the second Thursday of every month between October and March, our film nights offer the chance to cheer up a dark evening and enjoy a movie on our big screen.
While the film is the main event, the evening isn’t just about watching a movie and wouldn’t be complete without the opportunity to socialise and critique the first half over a delicious supper served during the interval.
We aim to show a mix of genres to cater to everyone’s tastes, with recent films such as ‘The Miracle Club’, ‘Wicked Little Letters’ and ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ all being very well received.
With limited seating for the screening in the Hudleston Bar, advanced booking is advised, as is an ice cream to enjoy during the second half of the film!
Gentlemen’s Lunches
Our extremely popular Gentlemen’s Luncheons have now been an important part of the Royal Solent social calendar for over 20 years!
The lunches are mainly run throughout the winter months and provide a thoroughly enjoyable way to get together with old friends, and make new ones, within the Club. We actively encourage members to invite guests along to these fun events, giving an opportunity to proudly show off our Club’s facilities, excellent food and stunning views. Plus, we may even win some new members as a result.
Please don’t hesitate to come along and mix with fellow members, have a super lunch and, who knows, a little fun. Keep an eye out for booking to open in the Club’s regular What’s On emails.
Golf
We participate in several Club meetings during the year against Island clubs such as Sea View & the Royal Thames, plus we hold an annual RSYC golf day at Freshwater Bay Golf Club. Check our Calendar and notice board in the foyer for future events.
Other activities ashore
- Ladies’ Lunches
- Pilates
- Quizzes
- Opera & Jazz Nights
For further information about any of the activities, please contact the Royal Solent via email at events@royalsolent.org or by phone on 01983 760256.
