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Royal Yacht Squadron

Company Profile

1815 – 1825 The Yacht Club, as the Squadron was first known, was founded in the Thatched House Tavern in St James’s, on the 1st of June 1815. 1919 – 1948 After the war, the ladies arrived. They had been entertained before in the “Deer Park”, as the lawn was named in their honour, but it was not until the Squadron secured the ballroom below Castle Rock (now the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club) from Rosa Lewis of Cavendish Hotel fame, that they had a roof of their own. The six metres became popular after the First War, encouraged by the British American Cup. The popularity of the smaller racing boat owes much to two members, Sir Ralph Gore and Sir Kenneth Preston. However, the focus was still on the big class and the public flocked to Cowes to see the J’s – Britannia (shown above), Shamrock V and later Endeavour I, thunder past the Green. Tom Sopwich, with the first of his Endeavours, came as near as the Squadron has ever done so far in winning the “Auld Mug”. Sir Philip Hunloke was the first President of the newly formed Ocean Racing Club and, with Sir Ralph Gore, encouraged the Fastnet Race, first won by Jolie Brise in 1925. The Second World War saw the Castle as part of HMS Vectis and later head-quarters of ‘J’ Force. After the War, at the suggestion of Peter Scott, King George V presented the Britannia Cup (shown right), one of the most celebrated races of Cowes Week. 1948 – 1995 The decade following the end of the War was called the “age of austerity and reverse sheer”. Neither were good looking. In 1966/67 Sir Francis Chichester sailed on his own round the world, which led to the Chichester Trophy (shown bottom right), presented by The Duke of Westminster, and the Whitbread Round the World Race. The Castle was further fit for ladies. The brass hot water cans disappeared in favour of the bedroom basin and the radiator made its appearance. Sir Owen Aisher produced Yeoman after Yeoman and Ted Heath won the Sydney – Hobart with Morning Cloud (shown left) in 1969. The Admiral’s Cup enlivened racing at Cowes. The first Chairman of the Cowes Combined Clubs in 1964 was Lord Runciman. Cowes was changing. Two Commodores, Sir John Nicholson and John Roome, consolidated the Squadron’s position and Sir Maurice Laing gave Cowes the chance, through a Trust, to take over the marina. The Pavilion designed by Sir Thomas Croft, was opened in 2000. This elegant creation provides on shore facilities for yachtsmen and their families while allowing the Castle to retain its ‘Country house’ ambiance. The Pavilion also enabled the Squadron to cross burgees with the New York Yacht Club in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Schooner America’s famous victory of 1851.