Latest Updates
Royal Solent Yacht Club

History

The Royal Solent Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most prestigious yacht clubs on the Isle of Wight.

First formed by a dozen well-connected enthusiasts in the summer of 1878 to promote both their passion for yachting and the social graces surrounding it, the original headquarters of the Solent Yacht Club was in the George Hotel, Yarmouth. There rooms were leased for £45 a year and extra was paid for the privilege of raising their Club's flagstaff! Original joining fees and annual membership were both set at one guinea (£1.05) and within two years the SYC had over 50 members and was hosting its own summer regatta as the long-term centre piece of its sporting and social diary.

Attrill and Caulcutt
Charlie Attrill as the RSYC boatman with a young John Caulcutt.

Early members included the Marquis of Londonderry (the first Commodore), Prince Henry of Battenburg (husband to Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter, Beatrice, who became a regular visitor to the club) and Hallam Tennyson (Lord Alfred’s son) but the key contribution came from Sir Charles Seely of Brook (Commodore for 12 years) who bought the current site besides Yarmouth Pier and provided the purpose-built Clubhouse (in return for annual rent) which opened in 1898 for the Club’s 20th anniversary. Such connections may have expedited the granting of the right to the Blue Ensign for SYC members in 1902, but the steady development of the racing programme also helped, with its inclusion of events for Solent Seabirds, cruiser handicap yachts and notably, in 1913, the new Yarmouth One Design.

By the start of the 1st World War in 1914 membership stood at 130 members including  four women, but with the Solent a key area of naval activity during the war, the sailing, if not the social activity, ceased until 1919. After this the SYC again steadily developed in size, scope and standing throughout the 1920s and 1930s including the members’ acquisition of the clubhouse freehold.

Ellen MacArthur, a Life Honorary Member, sailing with Joe Lester and Dick Knight.

Again in the 2nd World War, with the Isle of Wight and the Solent the centre of much military activity, the Solent Yacht Club had to abandon all sailing. If at first it proved to be a popular social centre in dark days for members and local off-duty officers, that ended when the ARP requisitioned the club for the rest of the war. With peace came the immediate revival of full club life and two memorable events: first, the amalgamation with the local West Wight Sailing Club in 1946, and then the granting of the ‘Royal’ prefix by George VI in 1947 to become the Royal Solent Yacht Club. The very next year the club created its X One-Design Division.

A photograph in the new bar 1966.

During the 1950s, 60s and early 70s the RSYC went from strength to strength. Its sailing and social agendas increased (helped by the adoption of the popular Enterprises, Dragons and Folkboats with their festival weeks), the enlargement of the Clubhouse and extension of reciprocal agreements with other clubs. With this came a doubling of the membership to over 1,000, along with the election of the first and only lady Commodore in 1974, just four years before its centenary celebrations (attended by Lord Louis Mountbatten). The story since has been more of the same, with ever-improving facilities for members and visitors matched by ever more diverse activity both ashore and afloat, as with the re-establishment of the YOD Class in 1995.

No club stands still and in 2011 a major refurbishment was undertaken and completed the following year. The Club is now in the enviable position of possessing not only the best location and views in the Western Solent, but also the finest facilities, which enable us to provide for members, visiting sailors and motor-boaters alike, in addition to hosting major events such as the Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta, which now attracts upwards of 170 entries per annum.

Now over 130 years old and with a growing membership, there is every reason for the Royal Solent to look forward with justifiable optimism and confidence to the next 130 years.

 

Summary of Key Dates

1878 The Solent Yacht Club (SYC) was formed at a meeting in the George Hotel, which was to be its headquarters until 1898.
1880 First regatta held.
1894 H.R.H Prince Henry of Battenburg, son-in-law to Queen Victoria and Governor of the Isle of Wight, elected a Member.
1898 The SYC moved into the present Clubhouse.
1900 Adoption of the ‘Solent Seabird’ as the first Club one-design racing class.
1902 Grant of undefaced Blue Ensign by the Admiralty
1911 The first Yarmouth One-Design (YOD) built
1912 First lady elected to membership of the SYC.
1913 Racing programme extended to include YOD and Cruiser handicap yachts of over 20 tons.
1914 - 1918 Regatta and all sailing activity ceased during WW1, although 1918 social events continued.
1927 The ‘West Wight Sailing Club’ (WWSC) formed, with its Clubhouse at Longs Wharf, to support Scow and other classes.
1931 Membership reached 150 in number.
1938 WWSC vacated Longs Wharf. Summer use of lawn and ground-floor facilities extended to its members by the SYC.
1939 Sailing suspended for the duration of WW2.
1942 - 1944 Clubhouse requisitioned by Air Raid Precautions. The Club 1944 ceased to operate until the end of the war.
1946 The final General Committee meeting of the WWSC held at the Savoy Hotel in London. The SYC merged with the WWSC to form a combined Club with 341 Members, but kept the name ‘Solent Yacht Club‘.
1947 ‘Royal’ prefix granted by H.R.H George VI, thus the SYC became the ‘Royal Solent Yacht Club’ (RSYC).
1948 Yarmouth Division of the ‘X One-Design’ (XOD) formed.
1950 Membership reached 500.
1962 Eric and Susan Hiscock completed their 2nd circumnavigation of the world under the Club Burgee.
1968 Membership reached 1000 for the first time.
1969 Around 130 Club members resigned in protest at expensive Clubhouse extension and consequent subscription increase. A number of them subsequently formed the Yarmouth Sailing Club (YSC).
1970 YOD Class disbanded and the boats sold/transferred away from Yarmouth. West Wight Scow Class relocated to the River Yar and the YSC.
1975 First Lady Commodore elected.
1978 100th Anniversary Celebrations included a visit to the Centenary Ball by the Club’s Patron, Lord Louis Mountbatten.
1995 YOD Class re-established at the Club.
2003 The Club celebrated its 125th Anniversary.
2011 Extensive renovations to, and extension of, the Clubhouse.
2012 Clubhouse temporarily relocated to the George Hotel (January 2012 - June 2012).
2012 Newly extended Clubhouse in full operation from mid June 2012.
2019 Rebuild of front section of the first floor bar. The old frontage was replaced with double glazed wall units and a new curved roof.

 

This site uses cookies to store information on your computer. Some of these cookies are essential to make this site work and others help us to gain insight into how it is being used.
More
These cookies are set when you submit a form, login or interact with the site by doing something that goes beyond clicking some simple links. We also use some non-essential cookies to anonymously track visitors or enhance your experience of this site. If you're not happy with this, we won't set these cookies but some nice features on the site may be unavailable. To control third party cookies, you can also adjust your browser settings. If you wish to view any policies or terms of usage that you cannot find on this website, please contact us. You can change your mind and opt-out at any time by clicking the ✻ icon above.
I consent to cookies
I don't consent to cookies