The Royal Victoria Yacht Club (RVYC) celebrated its 180th anniversary at its Fishbourne clubhouse, over the weekend of 28th and 29th June.
Established on 24th May 1845 (Queen Victoria’s birthday), RVYC has had 2 distinct eras: From 1845 to 1965, it was a prestigious yacht club with splendid premises (the former Prince Consort building on Ryde sea front), and membership of the great and good.
As such a prestigious club, it is not surprising that it was chosen by the International Olympic Committee to host the Olympic yacht races of 1908 for Eight Metre, Seven Metre and Six Metre yachts, with the start and finish on the Club line from Ryde Pier.
Post-war social changes led to hard times for the club and it was in danger of folding completely. But in 1961, a merger with Fishbourne Sailing Club and Wootton Creek Sailing Club brought an enormous turn-round with a revitalized and younger membership and the club left Ryde for its current site in Fishbourne, where a new clubhouse was built and formally opened in 1962 by the late Prince Philip.
Although unrecognizable from its Victorian and Edwardian heyday, reminders of its history can be seen in artefacts on show in the clubhouse.
The club has continued to grow and thrive, having survived COVID-19 lockdowns, it hosted HRH The Princess Royal’s visit in 2021 to celebrate its 175th anniversary. With its thriving cadet section and ever-growing fleet of MOCRA multi-hulls and Scows, the club has an enviable position at the mouth of Wootton Creek, with stunning Solent views. Membership is growing and the club has become a popular venue for hosting open events and rallies.
On Saturday 28th June, the club held a special regatta, sponsored by Mermaid Gin, with races for all craft, from MOCRA multi-hulls to Scows and Optimists. This was followed by a BBQ and live music from long-standing RVYC favourites, The Accelerators.
On Sunday, Commodore Helen Vrba welcomed visiting commodores from Brading Haven YC, Sea View YC and East Cowes Sailing Club, plus some of RVYC’s longest serving members – Bill Cooper, Mike Thomas, John Cleaver and Bob Cheek. The celebration sail past of members’ boats was a spectacular sight with many dressed overall, who made their way from the top of the creek to sweep past the pontoon, where the salute was taken by RVYC Commodore and previous RVYC and guest commodores, before heading out to sea.
