Founded in 1775, the Royal Thames Yacht Club is the oldest continuously operating yacht club in the world as well as being the oldest royal yacht club. Our members participate in a wide range of racing and cruising events in home waters and worldwide.
The Knightsbridge Clubhouse is a haven for those who want a relaxing and exclusive land base in London. There are two bars, reading and meeting rooms, an excellent restaurant - still called the 'Coffee Room' - and cabins for those staying in the centre of the city, some with the rural aspect of Hyde Park. There are also excellent shops nearby, such as Harrods and Harvey Nichols.
A friendly welcome, fine food and comfortable accommodation are guaranteed. The Club has a distinguished cellar and a long tradition of serving superb wines at reasonable cost. Social events range from charity balls to dinners with leading speakers.
The Clubhouse is also available for a wide variety of business and social events. These may be on a large scale or small, ranging from private meetings to class association gatherings, from business seminars to family weddings.
The Club has a fleet of J/80 sports boats with a full programme of fleet and team racing at Queen Mary SC and on the Solent. Royal Thames teams compete against UK and international clubs, whilst members also race their larger yachts worldwide.RTYC also owns a fleet of J/70s which are based in Cowes and this fleet is active from April until October. The J/70s are available for charter at any open meeting in the Solent, as well as the Round the Island Race and Cowes Week; interclub events are also sailed in this fleet.
There is a full cruising programme and rallies are organised for members and their guests in selected locations around the world.
There are close ties with a select group of five other outstanding yacht clubs where members of the Royal Thames enjoy full reciprocal rights e.g. the New York Yacht Club and the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.
Royal Thames members enjoy standard reciprocal arrangements with another 55 leading yacht clubs around the world and a further 12 in the UK.
A very active group of Younger Members (aged up to 36) participate in sailing at all ability levels and hold a variety of social events. Keep up to date with their activities via their Facebook page.
Click here for more information on becoming a member of the Royal Thames Yacht Club.