The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron is a
yacht club
A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to yachting.
Description
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 mari ...
located in
North Sydney,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
in the suburb of
Kirribilli
Kirribilli is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. One of the city's most established and affluent neighbourhoods, it is located three kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area administere ...
. The squadron was founded in 1862. It has occupied its grounds in East Kirribilli, near
Kirribilli House
Kirribilli House is the secondary official residence of the Prime Minister of Australia. Located in the Sydney harbourside suburb of , New South Wales, the house is at the far eastern end of Kirribilli Avenue. It is one of two official Prime M ...
, since 1902.
History
The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron was founded when nineteen yachtsmen met in the office of
William Walker MLC on 8 July 1862, to found a yacht club to be designated 'the Australian Yacht Club'. An application was made for a Royal Warrant and the Patronage of the Prince of Wales. On 27 June 1863 the Commodore, the William Walker MLC, received a letter from the Colonial Secretary's Office notifying him of the Prince of Wales' willingness to become Patron of the 'Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron'. This letter also issued an Admiralty Warrant authorising the use of the Blue Ensign of Her Majesty's Fleet. The present patron is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
It was not until 1902 that the squadron was able to lease a property at Wudyong Point on the eastern side of Kirribilli, with a stone cottage, a landing stage and a slipway. The site was occupied on 24 January 1903. The whale's jawbones, forming an archway over the pathway, had come from a whaling station at Twofold Bay. The flagstaff was salvaged from the collier ''Bellambi'' and presented by F.G.W. Waley Esq.
The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron is one of the main members of the
International Council of Yacht Clubs
The International Council of Yacht Clubs (ICOYC) is an international organization that operates at the level of Commodores of yacht clubs through a Commodores’ Forum.
Its vision is to improve the quality of the services yacht clubs provide to th ...
.
The squadron was patronaged by
Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...
.
International Americas Cup Challenges
1962 RSYS Challenged the New York Yacht Club for the
Americas Cup
The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sailing (sport), sport of sailing. It is the oldest International sport, international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match racing, match ...
. The
Gretel lost 4-1.
1970 RSYS again raced in Newport Rhode Island. The
Gretel II
''Gretel II'' (KA-3) is an International 12-metre class racing yacht built for the America's Cup challenge series in 1970. She was designed by Alan Payne and built by W.H. Barnett for Australian media tycoon Sir Frank Packer.
Packer had fir ...
lost 4-1.
Purpose
The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron is a private member sailing club. The squadron grounds, facilities and services are provided for the enjoyment and utilization of members and invited guests in their company. The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron is not open to the public.
The Squadron's main objective is to promote sailing as a sport.
Youth Sailing
The squadron’s Youth Sailing program commenced in 1960. The aims of the program are, broadly stated, to foster and promote sailing and to provide young men and women with social skills, confidence, values and friends that will place them in goods stead to approach the challenges of life.
The youth program uses 3 Laser Classes,
4.7,
Radial
Radial is a geometric term of location which may refer to:
Mathematics and Direction
* Vector (geometric)
In mathematics, physics, and engineering, a Euclidean vector or simply a vector (sometimes called a geometric vector or spatial vector) ...
and
Standard Standard may refer to:
Symbols
* Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs
* Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification
Norms, conventions or requirements
* Standard (metrology), an object th ...
, and the Optimist Class, as well as
Pacers
and Elliot 7s.
See also
*
International Council of Yacht Clubs
The International Council of Yacht Clubs (ICOYC) is an international organization that operates at the level of Commodores of yacht clubs through a Commodores’ Forum.
Its vision is to improve the quality of the services yacht clubs provide to th ...
*
Harry Andreas
Harry Andreas (born Ehenriech Phillip Andreas; 1879–1955) was an Australian businessman and company director. As a big-game fisherman he pioneered the sport in New Zealand. He was the inventor of the Andreas Fortuna Game Fish Reel and is des ...
– Rear Commodore RSYS
*
Frank Packer
Sir Douglas Frank Hewson Packer (3 December 19061 May 1974), was an Australian media proprietor who controlled Australian Consolidated Press and the Nine Network. He was a patriarch of the Packer family.
Early life
Frank Packer was born in K ...
Vice Commodore RSYS
*
Sydney Flying Squadron
Sydney Flying Squadron Yacht club was founded in 1891 by Mark Foy in the birthplace of the famous Sydney Harbour sailing skiff classes. It was founded to allow people to enjoy skiff sailing regardless of financial background. The Sydney Flyin ...
, neighbouring club
Further reading
* ''Sydney Sails : The Story of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron's First 100 Years (1862-1962)'', compiled for the Squadron's committee by P. R. Stephensen ; with preface by H.R.H. the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Angus and Robertson, 1962
* ''Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron 1862-2000'', written by Jim Murrant for the Squadron's committee, Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, 2000,
References
External links
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
{{Authority control
Yacht clubs in New South Wales
America's Cup yacht clubs
Sport in Sydney
1862 establishments in Australia
Organisations based in Australia with royal patronage
1987 America's Cup
Sports teams in Sydney
Sports clubs established in 1862