Royal Thames Yacht Club
Yacht club in Knightsbridge, London and Cowes.
- Location
- Knightsbridge, London and Cowes
- Region
- London
- Type
- Yacht club
- Founded
- 1775
- Website
- royalthames.com
- Details checked
- 2026-10-20
About the club
The Royal Thames Yacht Club was founded in 1775 as the Cumberland Fleet. On 6 July 1775 it published its first Notice of Race, for a silver cup given by the Duke of Cumberland, raced from Westminster Bridge to Putney Bridge and back. The club says it is one of the oldest yacht clubs in the world and the oldest royal yacht club. It also credits itself with devising regular, open fleet racing for yachts. In 1870 member James Lloyd Ashbury's schooner Cambria made the first challenge to win the America's Cup back for England.
Clubhouse
The club has been in Knightsbridge since June 1923, when it leased Hyde Park House. Today its clubhouse at 60 Knightsbridge has two bars, reading and meeting rooms, the 'Coffee Room' restaurant, a bistro and cabins to stay in.
Sailing
The club's race team runs more than 80 days of racing a year. Fleet and team racing uses a new fleet of 12 Sonars at Queen Mary Reservoir in autumn and winter, and J/70s in Cowes from April to October. Members also join cruises and rallies around the world.
Moorings
The club owns 116 m of pontoon on the Hamble, leased to members as annual berths. It has no visitor moorings there. In Cowes it has a 45 m pontoon run upstream of the chain ferry.
How to join
Apply with the online form. Your proposer and seconder, plus a supporter if needed, then complete their own forms. The Membership Committee meets monthly. Candidates' names are shown to members for two weeks, and most are elected within one to two months.
Contact
60 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LF. Tel: +44 (0)20 7235 2121.
Sources
- royalthames.com/
- royalthames.com/about-us
- royalthames.com/royal-thames-history
- royalthames.com/moorings
- royalthames.com/how-to-join
Details checked against the club's own website on 20 October 2026. Contact the club to confirm prices, times and visitor arrangements before you go.
Map
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