A yacht club is a boat club specifically related to yachting .
57-535: Greenwich Yacht Club is a sailing club based in Greenwich , London . It was founded in 1908, and caters for cruiser sailors, dinghy sailors, motor-boaters and rowers. Its officers include a commodore , vice-commodore , rear-commodore , secretary and treasurer . The club is affiliated to the Royal Yachting Association . The current clubhouse complex was designed by Fankl and Luty and
114-739: A large yacht as one that is 24 metres (79 ft) or more at the waterline and is in commercial use for sport or pleasure, while not carrying cargo or more than 12 passengers and carrying a professional crew. The code regulates the equipping of such vessels, both at sea and in port—including such matters as crew duty times and the presence of a helicopter on board. The code has different levels of standard for vessels above and below 500 gross tons . Such yachts may be considered superyachts and are more commonly at 40 metres (130 ft) or more in length. Other countries have standards similar to LY2. Whereas commercial large yachts may carry no more than 12 passengers, private yachts are solely for
171-612: A dolphin in the tidal Thames reached by a bridge from landside. The complex is disabled access friendly. Thames watermen and river workers founded Greenwich Yacht Club in Yacht Tavern in Greenwich on 10 March 1908. For many years the club met at the tavern. Later the Clubhouse was situated for many years on the beach adjacent to the current clubhouse. Originally, it was a beached Thames Sailing Barge "Iverna", then later
228-483: A steam auxiliary engine . Early examples, driven with paddle wheels, had a railed platform from which the person conning the vessel could walk across the vessel above the main deck, the origin of the bridge . In the late 18th century, steam engines became more efficient, spars were removed and screw propellers became standard. Steam yachts evolved with the development of the steam engine . Ultimately, engines employed pistons driven by steam within cylinders, connected to
285-431: A 600-foot (180 m) yacht, REV Ocean , was under construction, which when launched would replace the 590-foot (180 m) Azzam as the longest superyacht. As superyachts have grown size, the distinction between a yacht and a ship (perhaps converted for personal use) has become unclear. A proposed definition for calling a vessel a yacht rather than a ship would if it was constructed solely for personal use and has
342-767: A business for profit. As of 2020, there were more than 15,000 yachts of sufficient size to require a professional crew. The term, yacht , originates from the Dutch word jacht (pl. jachten ), which means "hunt", and originally referred to light, fast sailing vessels that the Dutch Republic navy used to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries . The history of pleasure boats begins with rowed craft in Pharaonic Egyptian times, and other vessels in
399-665: A category, apart. Design considerations for a cruising yacht include seaworthiness, performance, sea kindliness, and cost of construction, as follows: Multihulls offer tradeoffs as cruising sailboats, compared with monohulls . They may be catamarans or trimarans. They rely on form stability—having separate hulls far apart—for their resistance to capsize. Their advantages include greater: stability, speed, (for catamarans) living space, and shallower draft. Their drawbacks include: greater expenses, greater windage , more difficult tacking under sail, less load capacity, and more maneuvering room required because of their broad beam. They come with
456-632: A combined occupancy of less than 100, including crew. The United States Coast Guard classifies motorboats—any vessel less than 65 feet (20 m), propelled by machinery—in four classes by length: A motor yacht's style can both be functional and evoke an aesthetic—trending towards the modern or the traditional. Among the styles, mentioned in the literature, are: There are three basic types of motor yacht hull: full-displacement , semi-displacement , and planing , which have progressively higher cruise speeds and hourly fuel consumption with increased engine power: A typical semi-displacement yacht has
513-541: A commercial basis. They may be owned by individuals or a company to provide a service and generate a profit. Often they are associated with a particular marina or port . Objectives are usually broadly similar to members clubs, but the social side may be more dominant. There is a long historical tradition behind yacht clubs. According to the date of establishment, the Neva Yacht Club , founded in 1718 in Russia ,
570-530: A contest between the yacht, America , and its English competitors. Both countries had rules by which to rate yachts, the English by tonnage and the American by length. In the late 19th century, yacht owners would base their choice of vessel upon preferred lifestyle and budget, which would determine the size and type of vessel, which would most likely be a fore-and aft, two-masted sailing vessel. A treatise on
627-407: A crank shaft, which drove a propeller. Near the end of the 19th century, compound engines came into widespread use. Compound engines exhausted steam into successively larger cylinders to accommodate the higher volumes at reduced pressures, giving improved efficiency. These stages were called expansions, with double- and triple-expansion engines being common, especially in shipping where efficiency
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#1732775406706684-789: A few clubs in the United Kingdom the Admiral , which is one rank above the Commodore, is the senior officer. Each of these ranks has specific responsibilities to ensure the smooth sailing of the club. Members of yacht clubs typically gather at a clubhouse or shore station which may also have docks. The oldest yacht club in the world without a clubhouse is Sheldrake Yacht Club (Mamaroneck, New York) . The traditions and prestige normally associated with yacht clubs have to some extent been subverted or appropriated unofficially by groups and businesses calling themselves "yacht clubs". For example,
741-518: A higher-aspect ratio fin keel with hydrodynamically efficient bulbs for ballast. On some racing yachts, a canting keel shifts angle from side to side to promote sailing with less heeling angle (sideway tilt), while other underwater foils take care of leeway (sideways motion). Motor yachts range in length from 33–130 feet (10–40 m) before they are considered super-yachts or mega-yachts , which are 130 feet (40 m) and longer. They also vary by use, by style, and by hull type. As of April 2020
798-491: A hired crew and have higher construction standards. Further classifications for large yachts are commercial : carrying no more than 12 passengers; private : solely for the pleasure of the owner and guests, or by flag , the country under which it is registered. A superyacht (sometimes megayacht ) generally refers to any yacht (sail or power) longer than 131 ft (40 m). Racing yachts are designed to emphasize performance over comfort. Charter yachts are run as
855-534: A hut on the Mudlarks beach. In more recent times the club was based in what is known as the "old clubhouse" at the end of Riverway. That site was required by English Partnerships , as part of the preparation for construction of the Millennium Dome , and in exchange English Partnerships provided the club with new facilities on the previously redundant Peartree Wharf. Greenwich Yacht Club took occupation of
912-400: A membership composed of yacht owners, including motorboats . This type of club often was extremely exclusive, attracting the aristocracy or the high class and leaving small boat owners out of the circle. On the other hand, a Sailing Club tended to focus on a membership composed exclusively of owners of sailboats , including smaller boats such as dinghies . These became very popular towards
969-486: A more prevalent type of power plant in the 20th century thanks to their low cost of operation and reliability. The Recreational Craft Directive requires that all vessels sold in the European Union and United Kingdom satisfy one of four design categories, based on the wind force and seas that they are designed to encounter: The Large Commercial Yacht Code (LY2) of Great Britain and its dominions defines
1026-623: A nautical or water-oriented theme. Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club was the unofficial name for the United States Seventh Fleet during the Vietnam War . In this case the term "yacht club" was appropriated with humorous intentions . The Seventh Fleet's nickname became very popular among its members at the time. The oldest yacht clubs are: The oldest yacht clubs are: Yacht A yacht ( / j ɒ t / )
1083-610: A navigation station that allows planning the route. Onboard systems include: Modern yachts employ a suite of electronics for communication, measurement of surroundings, and navigation. Sailing yachts for cruising versus racing embody different tradeoffs between comfort and performance. Cruising yachts emphasize comfort over performance. Racing yachts are designed to compete against others in their class, while providing adequate comfort to their crews. Cruising yachts may be designed for near-shore use or for passage-making. They may also be raced, but they are designed and built with
1140-407: A new category of pleasure craft. The power plants started with the steam engine and transitioned to the internal combustion engine. Whereas sailing yachts continued to be steered from the after portion of the vessel, power yachts adopted the bridge in a forward cabin structure that afforded better forward and sideways visibility. The history of steam yachts starts with large sailing yachts with
1197-744: A number of yacht clubs enter into agreements with schools to provide dock space and practice facilities for the school teams year-round. Clubs with active adult sailing programs most often feature junior sailing programs as well. Most often these programs enroll children from ages 8 to 16. Children most often learn to sail in the optimist (dinghy) and then progress to a larger single handed dinghy such as starling or laser dinghy or two handed such as 420 (dinghy) . These junior sailing programs often also teach children rowing , kayaking , general seamanship and navigation . Children are also taught how to race competitively from an early age and most clubs host junior sailing regattas each season. Members belonging to
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#17327754067061254-409: A perimeter reserved for the exclusive use of the members of the club as well as a clubhouse with attached bar , café or restaurant where members socialize in a pleasant and informal setting. Although the terms Yacht Club and Sailing Club tend to be synonymous, some general differences regarding the recreational use of boats can be broadly outlined. Historically a Yacht Club tended to focus on
1311-524: A regular weekday evening racing schedule or a weekend racing schedule organized by the membership. Many yacht clubs field teams to compete against other clubs in team racing . There are also some specific boat models and lengths which have their own club. These boat ownership clubs often hold single design races for their members. With the growth of sailing at secondary schools and universities many yacht clubs host Interscholastic Sailing Association or Intercollegiate Sailing Association regattas. Additionally,
1368-630: A strong contingent of active cruising yachts and motorboats , and organises an annual cruise to the East Coast of England . Throughout the year the club organises and competes in a number of different races on the Thames for both dinghy and yachts . As part of its centenary celebrations in 2008 an Extreme 40 Catamaran raced between the O2 and the club; competitors included Dame Ellen MacArthur and Olympian Matthew Pinsent . The club abides by
1425-492: A variety of sleeping accommodations and (for catamarans) bridge-deck configurations. Gaff rigs have been uncommon in the construction of cruising boats, since the mid 20th century. More common rigs are Bermuda , fractional , cutter , and ketch . Occasionally employed rigs since then have been the yawl , schooner, wishbone , catboat . Sailboats employ standing rigging to support the rig, running rigging to raise and adjust sails, cleats to secure lines, winches to work
1482-548: A wedge-shaped bow, which promotes penetrating waves, that transitions to flatter, wider surfaces aft, which promotes lifting the vessel out of the water—the "deep vee" hull, designed by Ray Hunt, found in approximately 75% of modern power boats. Cruising motor yachts are available in a range of styles as two-engine catamarans , ranging in length from 40–150 feet (12–46 m) with top speeds ranging from 20–60 knots (37–111 km/h). Motor yachts typically have one or more diesel engines . Gasoline-powered motors and engines are
1539-434: A yacht club or sailing organization may fly their club's unique flag (usually triangular), called a burgee , both while under way and at anchor (however, not while racing). Traditionally, the burgee was flown from the main masthead; however, it may also be flown from a small pole on the bow pulpit, or on the starboard rigging beneath the lowest starboard spreader on a flag halyard. Some traditional clubs have also been granted
1596-521: Is a sail - or motor -propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a yacht , as opposed to a boat , such a pleasure vessel is likely to be at least 33 feet (10 m) in length and may have been judged to have good aesthetic qualities. The Commercial Yacht Code classifies yachts 79 ft (24 m) and over as large . Such yachts typically require
1653-685: Is the oldest yacht club. However, since this Russian Yacht Club was established by a decree of Tsar Peter the Great , it does not fully qualify as a proper club in the modern sense, understood as a voluntary association of members who organize and run the club. Therefore, the Royal Cork Yacht Club founded in Ireland in 1720 is also widely acknowledged as the oldest yacht club in the world, despite having gone through periods of dormancy and undergone name changes in its long history, much in
1710-516: Is up to the members decide on the objectives of the club to satisfy the membership and to attract other like-minded individuals. For example, some clubs include owners of powerboats , while others specifically exclude them. In order to overcome difficulties concerning the affinities of their members one particular club may have two sections, a sailing section and a powerboat section. Members Clubs often have paid staff for catering, bar duty, boat yard duty, accounts, office etc. Control and organization of
1767-753: The "Gowanus Yacht Club" is a beer garden restaurant in Brooklyn , NY, the Van Buren Yacht Club is a bar and hotel in Maine, the "Crystal Bay Yacht Club" is a beach resort in Ko Samui , Thailand and "The Eagle Rock Yacht Club" is a non-profit dodgeball league in Glassell Park, Los Angeles . These so-called "yacht clubs" don't necessarily involve sailing on private yachts of members as their main purpose or activity, but often outwardly maintain
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1824-427: The 1960s fiberglass became a prevalent material. These materials and others continue in use. Whereas yachts of 79 feet (24 m) and below may be constructed of fiberglass , larger yachts are more likely to be constructed of steel, aluminum or composite fiber-reinforced plastic . Depending on size, a cruising yacht is likely to have at least two cabins , a main salon and a forward stateroom . In smaller yachts,
1881-424: The English crown, Charles was presented with a yacht and later commissioned a series of royal yachts, which included at least one experimental catamaran . The first recorded yacht race between two vessels occurred in 1661, followed by the first open sailing competition in 1663 in English waters. Starting in 1739, England found itself in a series of wars—a period that saw a decline in yachting. In Ireland, however,
1938-962: The United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Canada, and the United States. The first yacht club in North America was the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron , located on the Northwest Arm in Halifax, Nova Scotia , Canada established in July 1837. Some yacht clubs are affiliated with an international body, the International Council of Yacht Clubs , which exists to improve the quality of the services yacht clubs provide to their members as well as to promote environmental awareness and responsibility towards
1995-428: The club is done for the membership via members elected by the membership into roles such as Sailing Secretary, Commodore, Cruising Captain, Racing Captain etc. Smaller clubs typically have a condition of membership which requires active participation of the membership in activities such as maintenance of club facilities and equipment. Unlike the classical clubs where the membership is the focus, certain 'clubs' are run on
2052-464: The comfort and amenities necessary for overnight voyages. Qualities considered in cruising yachts include: performance, comfort under way, ease of handling, stability, living comfort, durability, ease of maintenance, affordability of ownership. Cruising sailboats share the common attribute of providing overnight accommodations. They may be classified as small (easy to haul behind a trailer), near-shore and off-shore . Multihull sailing yachts are
2109-733: The connection with the sea and hence the navy, the various posts use naval terminology. For example, the chairman/CEO is the Commodore . Usually, under the Commodore there are also the Vice Commodore (in charge of land-based activities) and the Rear Commodore (in charge of water-based activities); for clubs in the United States they might in turn be assisted by the Port Captain and the Fleet Captain respectively. In
2166-623: The end of the 19th century when small boats began to be produced on an industrial scale. Yacht clubs are often known by their initials (e.g. New York Yacht Club abbreviated as NYYC and Kingston Yacht Club abbreviated as KYC). Many well known yacht clubs, including the Yacht Club de France , the Yacht Club Italiano and the Royal Yacht Squadron , have been established under royal patronage or have been granted
2223-547: The environment. The Kieler Yacht-Club in Northern Germany organizes the yearly Kiel Week , the second-biggest sailing event in the world, that is celebrated since 1882. Kiel Week was an attempt to imitate the much older and larger Cowes Week , long-admired by Wilhelm II . Most clubs, regardless of the size of their craft, have a well defined racing program. Clubs may host regattas ranging from informal local events to national championships. Often clubs have
2280-528: The gentry enjoyed yachting and founded the first yacht club in Cork as the Cork Harbour Water Club in 1720. English yacht racing continued among the English gentry who founded England's oldest yacht club in 1775 to support a fleet at Cumberland . With maritime peace, starting in 1815, came a resurgence of interest in yachting. Boatbuilders, who had been making fast vessels both for smugglers and
2337-406: The government revenue cutters , turned their skills again to yachts. The fast yachts of the early 19th century were fore-and-aft luggers , schooners , and sloops . By the 1850s, yachts featured large sail areas, a narrow beam, and a deeper draft than was customary until then. Racing between yachts owned by wealthy patrons was common, with large wagers at stake. The America's Cup arose out of
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2394-454: The pleasure of the owner and guests do not carry the passenger restriction. Yachts may be identified by flag—the country under which a yacht is registered. An industry publication categorizes superyachts by size, by speed, as "explorer" yachts, as sailing yachts, and classic yachts. Originally, all yachts were made of wood, using a wooden keel and ribs, clad with planks. These materials were supplanted with iron or steel in steam yachts. In
2451-416: The provenance of outboard motors and racing boats , due to their power-to-weight ratios . Two engines add expense, but provide reliability and maneuverability over a single engine. Motor yachts in the 42-foot (13 m) range might have the following hull, horsepower, cruise speed, and hourly fuel consumption characteristics: Superyachts may employ multiple 9,000-horsepower (6,700 kW) diesels or
2508-414: The racing rules as set out by World Sailing . Yacht club Yacht clubs are mostly located by the sea , although there some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations. Yacht or sailing clubs have either a marina or a delimited section of the beach or shoreline with buoys marking the areas off-limits for swimmers as well as safe offshore anchorages. On shore they also include
2565-520: The right to fly a special yacht ensign at the stern. At traditional clubs the burgee and the ensign is hoisted at 08:00 each morning and lowered each evening at sunset. This ceremony is called colors . Traditionally, the first time a member of one club visits another, there is an exchange of burgees. Exchanged burgees are often displayed on the premises of clubs, such as at their clubhouse or bar. Yacht clubs are organized like any other club or organisation with committees, chairman, directors, etc. Due to
2622-407: The salon is likely to have convertible berths for its crew or passengers. Typically the salon includes a dining area, which may have a folding, built-in table. The salon is typically contiguous to the galley . A cruising yacht is likely to have a head (bathroom) with a marine toilet that discharges waste into a holding tank. Larger yachts may have additional staterooms and heads. There is typically
2679-702: The same manner as the Neva Yacht Club. It was only in 1846 that the first yacht club in Russia to adopt British-style Members Club regulations was established. Using this Western understanding of what a club or society is, the Royal Swedish Yacht Club , KSSS, founded 1830, becomes the oldest European yacht club outside the British Isles , and the fifth oldest in the world. A number of the world's most renowned Yacht Clubs are located in
2736-445: The sheets, and more than one anchor to secure the boat in harbor. A cruising yacht's deck usually has safety line to protect the crew from falling overboard and a bow pulpit to facilitate handling the jib and the anchor. In temperate climates, the cockpit may have a canvas windshield with see-through panels, called a "dodger". Steering may be either by tiller or wheel. Cruising yachts have an auxiliary propulsion power unit to supplement
2793-683: The site early in November 1999 with a temporary clubroom in what is now the Wedding Venue. The new clubhouse was opened in June 2000. The residential building directly behind the club has been named Iverna Quay, as a reference to the beached Thames sailing barge "Iverna". The club has more than 400 members. The club is an official Royal Yachting Association training centre, and offers both shorebased and practical RYA courses including Day Skipper Theory and Yachtmaster Theory. The club has
2850-433: The subject, A Manual of Yacht and Boat Sailing , provided detailed information on selecting, equipping, sailing, seamanship, management of the paid crew, and racing such vessels. It included a brief section on steam yachts, the recirculating coil steam engine just having made such yachts efficient enough for leisure travel on the water. While sailing yachts continued to exist, the development of reliable power plants created
2907-421: The title at some point in their history. Organized and run by the membership, Yacht Clubs became a place to promote the sport of sailboat racing and cruising , as well as provide a meeting place for the particular social community. The membership is a mixture of people with specific recreational affinities, and the members often include those who sail as crew for cruising or racing, as well as boat owners. Also it
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#17327754067062964-552: The use of sails. Such power is inboard on the vessel and diesel, except for the smallest cruising boats, which may have an outboard gasoline motor . A 31-foot (9.4 m) sailboat might have a 13-horsepower (9.7 kW) engine, whereas a 55-foot (17 m) sailboat might have a 110-horsepower (82 kW) engine. Racing yachts emphasize performance over comfort. World Sailing recognizes eleven classes of racing yacht. High-performance rigs provide aerodynamic efficiency and hydrodynamically efficient hulls minimize drag through
3021-470: The water and sideways motion. Racing yachts have a wide selection of weights and shapes of sail to accommodate different wind strengths and points of sail. A suite of sails on a racing yachts would include several weights of jib and spinnaker, plus a specialized storm jib and trysail (in place of the mainsail ). Performance yachts are likely to have full-battened kevlar or carbon-fiber mainsails. Underwater foils can become more specialized, starting with
3078-485: The waters of Burma, India, Mindanao and Japan. Anglo-Saxon royal pleg-scips (play ships) of the 8th-century featured ornamented bows and sterns and had the capability of cooking on board. The history of sailing yachts begins in Europe in the beginning of the 1600s with the building of a pleasure vessel for the son of King James I of England . While other monarchs used naval ships for transportation and conquest, James I
3135-493: Was completed in 1999.The clubhouse is the only building built in the Thames itself being raised upon stilts above the waters below, and is open to the public each year as part of the London Open House . The complex includes an engineering/machining facility, sailoft, woodworking facility, an indoor work area with a capacity for two or more boats, a wedding and conference venue, plus a three-storey clubhouse situated on
3192-817: Was important to reduce the weight of coal carried. Steam engines remained the dominant source of power until the early 20th century, when advances in the design of the steam turbine , electric motors and internal combustion engines gradually resulted in the replacement of reciprocating (piston) steam engines. Large steam yachts were luxurious; their staff included a captain , engineer , and stewards, as well as deck hands. Nicolaus Otto and Gottlieb Daimler developed practical four-stroke gasoline engines, starting in 1876. Beginning in 1898 engines increased in horsepower from 25 horsepower (19 kW) to 500 brake horsepower (370 kW) by 1906. Some were destined for speedboats , other for motor yachts. Diesel power plants for boats were demonstrated in 1903. Diesels became
3249-488: Was the first English monarch to commission the construction of a yacht—for his son Henry, Prince of Wales in the early 1600s. Pleasure vessels acquired the name yacht after the time of Charles II , who spent time exiled in Europe and visited the Netherlands, where a variety of jachten were already well developed as pleasure boats for the elite classes since the beginning of the 17th century. Upon his restoration to
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