SUMMER 2014
Dear Member,
I am surprised how fast time has passed and this will be my final Newsletter to members before I step down at the end of October.
When I took on the role we were just beginning to emerge from the very deep world economic recession and I believed one of our
roles managing the Club was to get the members to restart using our super facilities. Hopefully by being involved in events and
thus generating an enthusiastic atmosphere it would in turn breed a wish to be involved and meet up with others with like interests.
I would like to think, from the numbers of members coming to use the Clubhouse and take part in social and sailing events, that we
have made progress in this respect.
Another sell out Fitting Out Dinner with both our Commodore attending and the First Sea Lord as guest of honour launched the
new season. Since then we have organised a very well run Cumberland Cup, with clubs participating from around the globe; the
Spring Excuse, and the Cumberland Regatta, where, with a number of the stalwarts being away in the Med it was good to see new
faces taking part. Our racers, showing enormous patience due to the light breeze, excelled in the Round the Island race and our
newly renovated Masters team did well in a new team racing Regatta organised by Costa Smeralda YC based in Porto Cervo. By
coincidence this racing coincided with a stop over point on the RTYC Med Cruise going from Palma to Turkey and thus a number
of us were able to cheer our team on, sadly not loud enough to get us into first place.
The Med Rally is a good example of what the Club can offer; boats being sailed over the summer across the Med by a variety of
different crews, thus ensuring a large number of members are involved. I have just returned from a very enjoyable sail down the
east coast of Sardinia with Peter and Midge Bainbridge in the boat owned by Peter Innes-Ker. Not only did we enjoy the time in
Porto Cervo but met up in different ports with Tony Hanna, John McMonigall and Paul Kerr. Peter Innes-Ker has now taken over
his boat with another crew and is on his way to Malta where a week’s entertainment is planned and further crew changes will take
place.
The next big event in the Solent is the Etchells Invitational Cup starting in about 10 days time and then on into Cowes Week where
although not heading the triumvirate this year we will, as always, be playing a large part in the Race Officers’ team. In October our
young sailors will be doing battle for the oldest team racing trophy, the BA Cup; so lots happening on the water.
Back at base, at last, the Britannia Bar can be viewed in its full splendour with the hanging of the new and lovely picture of King
George V’s racing yacht BRITANNIA as it was in its heyday. If you are in London in August do note that the Club is opening the
Britannia Bar after Cowes Week so on a nice evening do come and relax on the deck.
Thus from both this and the other Flag Officer’s reports I hope you appreciate there is a lot happening and I trust you all get a
chance to enjoy the wonderful facilities we have and are able, also, to enjoy the company of other members; which surely is what
being a member of a club is all about. I wish you safe sailing over the summer and look forward to seeing you, if not before, at the
Laying up Dinner.
Michael Gardner
Vice Commodore
AT A GLANCE!
Thursday 17th July
Younger Members’ Drinks
Time: 6.30pm
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Sunday 3rd August
Cowes Week Cocktail Party
Time: 6.30pm
Tickets: £40
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Monday 4th August
Cowes Week Ladies’ Lunch
Time: 12.30 for 1pm
Tickets: £45
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Wednesday 6th August
Younger Members’ Cowes
Week Drinks Party
Time: TBC
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Thursday 7th August
Royal Thames Dinner at the
Royal London
Time: 7pm
Tickets: £24.50
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Friday 29th August
Tour of the RNLI Headquarters,
Poole
Time: 11am
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Thursday 25th September
Younger Members’ Drinks
Time: 6:30pm
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Wednesday 24th September
Cruising Talk & Buffet Supper
Time & Tickets: TBC
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Tuesday 7th October
Night at the Races
Time: 7pm for 7:30pm
Tickets: £45
£35 Younger Members
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Tuesday 14th October
Bridge Evening
Time: 7pm
Tickets: £22
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Tuesday 28th October
Laying Up Dinner
Time: 7:30pm for 8pm
Tickets: £65
—————————————
Wednesday 29th October
AGM
Time: 6.15pm
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COWES COCKTAIL PARTY— Sunday 3rd August, 6:30 - 8.00pm
Summer is nearly here and Cowes Week is quickly approaching. This year’s Cowes Cocktail
Party will again be held at Commodore's House, by kind permission of John & Jane
Terry. Our Cowes cocktail Party is always oversubscribed so please book your tickets now
to avoid disappointment.
Date: Sunday 3rd August 2014
Time: 6.30pm – 8.00pm
Tickets: £40
Dress: Reefers/Lounge Suits
Location: Commodore’s House, High Street,
Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7AJ
For more information or to book please contact Lucia in the Secretariat on 020 7201 6267 or
at [email protected].
COWES LADIES’ LUNCH – Monday 4th August 12:30pm for 11pm
Last year’s venue, the Sir Max Aitken Museum (The Prospect), was a huge success and we
have arranged to hold our Cowes Week Ladies’ Lunch at this exciting venue again this
year. Enjoy a glass of bubbly on arrival and a three course lunch, including the ever-popular
Isle of Wight Lobster, accompanied by some great Club wines. The lunch will be open to
your guests as well.
Date: Monday 4th August 2014
Time: 12.30pm for 1pm
Tickets: £45
Dress: Smart
Location: Sir Max Aitken Museum, The Prospect,
83 High Street, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7AJ
For more information or to book please contact Lucia in the Secretariat on 020 7201 6267 or
at [email protected].
ROYAL THAMES AT THE ROYAL LONDON—Thursday 7th August, 7pm
Join us for a relaxed dinner at the Royal London Yacht Club on Thursday 7 th August at 7pm.
Bring your family, crew and friends for a dinner in the private downstairs dining room overlooking the Solent and Parade. Two course set menu to include coffee.
Date: Thursday 7th August 2014
Time: 7pm
Tickets: £24.50
Dress: Smart
Location: Royal London Yacht Club, The Parade,
Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7QS
To book contact Lucia at [email protected] or on 020 7201 6267.
AT A GLANCE!
Thursday 30th October
Talk at 60 Knightsbridge:
‘Liberade’ by Mike Austin
Time: 6:45pm
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Monday 3rd November
Wine Tasting
Time: 6:45pm
Tickets: TBC
—————————————
Wednesday 5th November
Rio Olympic Benefit Dinner
Time & Tickets: TBC
—————————————
Tuesday 11th November
Prize Winners’ Dinner
Time & Tickets: TBC
—————————————
Thursday 13th November
Younger Members’ Drinks
Time: 6:30pm
—————————————
Tuesday 18th November
Bridge Evening
Time: 7pm
Tickets: £22
—————————————
Thursday 20th November
RTYC/RIN Joint Talk: ‘The
North West Passage in a Small
GRP Boat’ by Bob Shepton
Time: 6:45pm
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Tuesday 25th November
Cruising Dinner
Time & Tickets: TBC
—————————————
Wednesday 10th December
Ladies’ Christmas Lunch
Time: 12.30 for 1pm
Tickets: TBC
—————————————
Saturday 13th December
Families’ Christmas Party
Time: 3pm-5.30pm
Tickets: TBC
—————————————
Tuesday 16th December
Members’ Christmas Lunch
Time: TBC
—————————————
Thursday 18th December
Members’ Christmas Drinks
Time: 6.30pm
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TOUR OF THE RNLI HEADQUARTERS, POOLE – Friday 29th August 2014 ,
11am – 3.30pm
RTYC members have been given the opportunity to
receive a tour of the RNLI Headquarters on Friday 29th
August. This will include: a tour of the RNLI College and
the All Weather Lifeboat Construction site, Lifeboat
Simulator/Crew training and lunch at the RNLI Riggers
Restaurant. The tour will begin at 11am and is expected
to last 4 ½ hours (including lunch)
Although there is no charge to attend the tour, other
than the cost of travel and lunch, a minimum donation to the RNLI of £25 per person is
suggested. There are a limited number of spaces available for what should be a very
interesting day out. To register your interest in attending, please contact Lucia on 020 7201
6267 or at [email protected].
LAYING UP DINNER – Tuesday 28th October 2014, 7.30pm for 8pm
Join us for the ever popular Laying Up Dinner. Celebrate the end of summer sailing season
with delicious food and great company.
Our Guest of Honour will be Paul Heiney, a well known writer and broadcaster in the UK for
over 30 years who has appeared on all Britain's major radio and television networks.
Currently you will see him weekly on ITV1's Countrywise, travelling to all parts of rural
Britain to meet the people and hear their tales.
Date: Tuesday 28th October 2014
Time: 7.30pm for 8pm
Tickets: £65 (to include glass of Champagne on arrival)
Dress: Mess Kit/Black Tie
The Laying Up Dinner has been a sell-out for the last few years,
so book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. For more
information or to book please contact Lucia at
[email protected] or on 0207 201 6267.
TALK AT 60 KNIGHTSBRIDGE – ‘The Voyages of the “Liberdade” – 1888 and
2000’ by Mike Austin - Thursday 30th October 2014 at 6.45pm
An illustrated presentation by Mike Austin of the story of Joshua Slocum who built the
“Liberdade” when he was shipwrecked in southern Brazil and later became the first man to
circumnavigate the world alone in the “Spray”.
Then Mike tells the story of David Sinnett-Jones who
circumnavigated the world in a copy of Joshua's “Spray”, and
later built the “Liberdade”. Finally, he relates how David and Mike
re-enacted the voyage of the “Liberdade” from Paranaguá, Brazil
to New York.
Date: Thursday 30th October 2014
Time: 6.45pm
For more information or to book please contact Lucia on 020 7201 6267 or at
[email protected]. The Coffee Room will be open for dinner afterwards, to
book your table please contact Reservations on 0207 235 2121 or at
[email protected].
As this is the last Newsletter, before my Term finishes at the end of October, as not only Rear
Commodore Membership, but, by coincidence, also as Chairman of the Wine and Cigar
Committee (whilst the terms of Rear Commodores are generally two years, the Wine and Cigar
Committee Chairmanship lasts a rather dangerous five), please forgive me if I first take this
opportunity to thank all of those with whom I’ve had the pleasure to serve, be it on the General
Committee (5 years), Social Committee (2), Wine Committee (8), and of course the
Membership Committee (5) and Flag (2). The greatest pleasure of being on these various
Committees over the last few years has been the company of those fellow members who have
been kind enough to give up their time, so productively, to help guide the Club forward. The
greatest asset The Royal Thames has is its members, and in serving on Committee I have had
the good fortune to get to know just a small percentage that much better, which has been my
privilege. Thank you so much to all of those members who have helped so much over the
years, both from the general membership, on Committee, as well as the Secretary and Lucia,
who so patiently distribute Agendas, take the Minutes through all of those meetings, which
subsequently need to be compiled and distributed. Thank you all.
It is in reflecting how much I have gained through getting to know individual members that much better, that I would urge those who
currently adopt a fairly passive role within the Club, to become more involved if the opportunity allows, either by perhaps joining a
Committee, or simply attending any of the numerous talks, regattas, tastings and dinners available. Never before have there been
so many events and opportunities available within the Thames. Under the outstanding Chairmanship of William Jackson, the
Young Members (the term Young is comparative, as it includes all those up to the age of 37, so don’t be put off if, in your mid 30s,
after a few children and a tough day in the office, you feel anything but young. There is a bastion of youth, even for you, within the
Club!) are holding numerous Social evenings, sailing events etc., as well as the legendary Ball, all of which are extremely well
attended, with numbers growing fast.
The Club is involved in more racing than ever before, with the Clubs’ fleet of J/80s available to all members, making winter sailing
(at Queen Mary) unbelievably easy and cost efficient. Having participated in a number of events, all brilliantly organised, I can only
recommend them most highly. These weekends could not be more different to those Winter and Spring Series days of a 5am start
to get to the Hamble, to set up the boat, sail (if there was any wind), fix the boat (always) and return home to London in the evening
after a torturous journey. The cruising programme is outstanding, catering for those based here and in the Mediterranean. Who
would not want to be on the current Med Cruise if they possibly could? Within the Clubhouse the programme is the busiest it has
ever been. As I write, this Monday we were privileged to have a wine tasting under the guidance of Stephen Spurrier. Again, a full
house with a long waiting list. Only yesterday, I am delighted to report, Stephen agreed to return annually. We are indeed
fortunate.
This summer many of you will be attending the annual Cowes Cocktail Party, the Young Members Cowes Party, and perhaps, a
new event, the Thursday Night Crew Dinner, again in Cowes. In the autumn we look forward to a great evening of ‘Horse Racing’
benefiting the Club’s Charitable Trust, the Laying Up Dinner (a formal Dinner that I can only recommend, with the Speaker this
year Paul Heiney), a Young Members’ Pub Quiz (by contrast), the annual free (yes free!) Members’ Christmas lunch, and this year
a Members’ Christmas Drinks Party. Looking further forward please do put in your diary the date of the 11th June 2015, when the
Club will be holding the Cumberland Ball at 60 Knightsbridge, the first formal grand Ball the Club has held for some years, open to
all ages, and not to be missed. It will be spectacular. All of these events, and many more, are detailed on the website. Do get
involved in whichever area interests you. You will not regret it.
I am pleased to report that we have 1,717 members as of the 30 th June. This does include our various Honorary Members, the
Royal List, and the UK Olympic sailing squad (who you may recall are all members of the Royal Thames, as reported in the last
Review), so the figure that in Committee we tend to focus on is the number of ‘paying’ members, which currently stands at a very
healthy 1,493. This compares to 1,467 this time last year. As a general trend, the most striking feature of those proposed members
passing through the Membership Committee is the sheer quality of their sailing background, be it through Collegiate Racing, more
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general racing both in the UK or overseas, ownership, administration or cruising. We have maintained the ethos of being a Club
comprising of almost entirely those who love the water, through whichever discipline, without having had to compromise this to
maintain, or indeed increase, membership levels, about which I am personally very pleased. The easy route for a Club such as
ours, with such a fine Clubhouse, overlooking Hyde Park on one side and Knightsbridge the other, would be to open up our
membership further to those who have no sailing background whatsoever, becoming a Club with albeit more members, but then just
another London Club. I am delighted that we have not needed to go down that route. It is one of the many pleasures of the Tha mes
that in talking to any member, within 60 Knightsbridge or outside, there is always the common thread of sailing, even if, on occasion,
somehow one never gets around to the subject.
It has been a great honour representing you, the membership, on the various Committees over the years, and I wish my successors
the very best of luck, in the hope that they enjoy themselves as much as I have.
Richard Powell
Rear Commodore Membership
RTYC SPRING AND SUMMER IN PICTURES
Cumberland Cup
Cumberland Cup
Cumberland Cup
Ladies’ Lunch
Ladies’ Lunch
Ladies’ Lunch
Cigar Dinner
Cigar Dinner
Cigar Dinner
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Since the last newsletter, we have come to the end of the Club's financial year. Although the
audited accounts have not yet been published, I can report that we have made an operating
surplus of around £55,000. This has been achieved through careful management of costs and
importantly a greater use of the Clubhouse and facilities. In particular the new caterers have
brought cost savings to their purchasing which has allowed greater flexibility for the chef to
innovate on the menu whilst maintaining the price. The result of this has been excellent quality
of food leading to a greater use of the Coffee Room which in turn has spread the fixed costs
over a greater volume of business. For those who use the Coffee Room frequently, they have
found that it provides extremely good value and with a varied menu. For those who are not so
frequent users, I encourage you to do so as it really is the best value in Knightsbridge!
Refurbishment continues in the Britannia Bar. On entering the room one can be in no doubt
about the basis for the name when seeing the new painting of the racing yacht BRITANNIA
commissioned from the Club's artist Martyn Mackrill. The much needed new carpet for all the
ground floor rooms went down at the end of May, a new banquette seating arrangement has
been installed at the 'TV' end of the room, and furniture on the upper level has been reupholstered. The next consideration will be the armchairs and settees. This will then be a most
splendid room for entertaining of all sorts.
We have wonderful facilities at the Clubhouse in Knightsbridge and we encourage all members to make greater use of them. There
is always a welcome in the Coffee Room from Tomasz, Mariyana and the waiting staff whilst Romano will be pleased to greet you
in the Cumberland Bar. The Britannia Bar and deck provide a most convivial environment to meet and also for functions. George
would like to see even more of you there more frequently! To make this excellent facility more available to members, we opened
the Britannia Bar for bar service and food on Friday evenings and Saturday during the winter. This was unfortunately not widely
used, but with summer here, we are keeping the Britannia Bar open for the rest of August after Cowes week thus reducing the time
when the Club is closed for members to call in for a drink and something to eat.
As with other London Clubs, and tracking the economic climate, we have seen a decline in the numbers of functions being held
and reduced expenditure at events. We now have a new Functions Coordinator and with her help we hope to increase the use of
the Clubhouse for functions and thus boost our income. Members get much reduced rates for rooms for functions in the Club and
we hope you will take advantage of that and also alert non members to the fact that they too can hold a function in the prestigious
surroundings of the RTYC.
Cabins are an important asset of the Clubhouse, but occupancy could be higher. We are offering reduced rates for August to
reflect any inconvenience caused by the general refurbishment going on in the Club, but wider use would provide better econom ic
use of the fixed asset. In this respect, our reciprocal clubs are taking the opportunity to avail themselves of the benefit of staying in
the Club and we are giving encouragement for an even greater uptake from them.
Thank you for your support of the Club and all its facilities. We continue to try to keep them relevant to the membership, and would
be pleased to receive any comments for further improvement.
Anthony Hanna
Rear Commodore House & Finance
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The Club’s Racing Section, led by its Captain, Richard Hill, opened the year with the Carmela
Cup organised by Thomas Brennan and held at Queen Mary Sailing Club (QMSC) on our
J/80s. In two days of glorious January sunshine and a 10 knot breeze the Royal Thames team
led by Andy Cornah beat Itchenor Sailing Club in the finals.
Club Racing on the J/80s at QMSC, which is organised by Angus Prentice, continued through
February.
In March, RTYC competed against 25 leading yacht clubs at the Gstaad Yacht Club’s Ski
Yachting Competition. In the Giant Slalom, RTYC new member Michela Auert won the
individual prize overall (a cow bell!) with an extraordinary time difference of just 0.06 seconds
between her two runs (which were also very fast). Overall, the RTYC team were 4 th in the GS.
In the match racing on the Gstaad Swimming Pool, RTYC crew of Bernard Kinchin and
Jeremy Hinton were beaten in the semis by Royal Yacht Squadron B who went on to overall
victory, defeating Bayerischer YC in the final. RTYC finished joint runner-up – an excellent
result from our skiers and match-racers.
At the South Coast Masters Team Racing Regatta at QMSC, organised by William Edwards, the RTYC team led by Richard Hill
beat a strong Royal Southern YC team in 2 boat team racing.
After two earlier heats, the final of the Mum’s Bucket, a 2 boat team racing members’ event, was extremely competitive. A Younger
Members team, helmed by Olly Dix, emerged victorious after 18 races. This event always proves popular because it mixes age
groups and levels of experience.
The first Sigada Cup, kindly donated by Keith Gwynne-Jones for a members only fleet racing event, was won by William Edward’s
team.
In May the Club hosted the Cumberland Cup, organised by Bernard Kinchin, a 2 boat team racing event held at QMSC. New York,
Costa Smeralda, Yale Corinthian, Eastern (Marblehead), Southern (New Orleans) – all from USA, competed against Royal Perth,
RTYC and Cumberland (RTYC Academy). Light airs delayed racing but PRO Gill Smith managed to complete just enough races to
give a result: 1st NYYC, 2nd YCCS, 3rd RTYC. The full social programme included a very popular visit to the Houses of Parliament.
RTYC teams entered a number of overseas events such as the Bermuda International Invitational Regatta for the IOD class in
which the RTYC team came second. Our Gold sailors competed against 11 US teams at the Baldwin Cup organised by Newport
YC, California.
The Masters Programme organised by Nigel Baker is now active with a team having taken part in a Squadron organised Masters
team race against Santander in Cowes. A Masters team also competed in the inaugural YC Costa Smeralda Invitational Team
Racing Challenge coming 4th against 7 top teams.
The Race Officials, led by Jenny Woods, have provided race management and teams of umpires (led by Chief Umpire David Lees)
for RTYC events at Queen Mary Reservoir and at Cowes. The Cowes programme included a very successful Etchells event in May
when 12 Etchells competed for RTYC’s cup newly donated Saida Cup. RTYC will again be playing a key role in the triumvirate
running racing over the first three days of Cowes Week.
A very welcome development is the racing events organised by our fast growing Younger Members Section led by Chairman Will
Jackson, including a very successful Inter-club Younger Members Regatta.
The Club is very grateful to Lord Laidlaw for enabling selected Younger Members to crew on his maxi racing yacht. Following t he
success of this programme, the YMs are creating a YM Crew Register listing vetted young members available to crew on Club
members’ racing yachts.
The Academy is our elite team racing youth group. Under the new leadership of Honor Fell, it continues to attract high quality new
members and to do well in inter-club Firefly team racing events. The Academy Red team won the under 21 competition at the
prestigious Wilson Trophy.
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The Cruising Section under the leadership of its Captain, Nick Atkinson, started the season with the Spring Excuse, organised by
Robyn Wolseley and David Hiscock. Eleven members’ yachts turned out for a lively regatta in the Solent. In a closely fought
battle, new member John Westlake won the Festival of Britain Cup. Sixty six members enjoyed a celebratory dinner at the Royal
Lymington YC after the racing.
Twelve yachts competed for the three cups at the Cumberland Regatta organised by Adrian Walsh and Chris Shearn. Owain
Franks’ J/109 Jynnan Tonnyx won the first race and Nick Atkinson’s First 49 Firefly won the second cup. After an excellent dinner
at The Castle, a pursuit race was run on Sunday which was narrowly won by new member Geoffrey Taunton Collins’ Spirit of Esk.
Seven members’ boats have entered the Med Cruise organised by Tony Hanna and Peter Innes-Ker. Starting from Palma
Majorca, the yachts are sailing across the Mediterranean to Turkey via Sardinia and a week’s rally in Malta supported by local
yacht clubs en route.
Finally a word of thanks to the team in the Sailing Office:
Richard Ambler
Chief Sailing Officer
Sarah Hornby
Assistant Sailing Officer
Gill Corby
Office Administrator
They have worked hard, on and off the water, to deliver all the sailing and social events planned and organised by our members
in our busy sailing programmes.
As can be seen from the above the Club is successfully running all aspects of a full racing and cruising programme for all ages
and abilities of members.
Chris Griffiths
Rear Commodore Sailing
BART’S BASH —The Biggest Sailing Race in the World – Sunday 21st September 2014
We would like to draw your attention to a very special event which is happening on 21st September, in memory of Andrew
“Bart” Simpson, who tragically lost his life last year whilst training for the America’s Cup in San Francisco.
The Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation Charity is proud to welcome you to this unique
sailing race and fund raising event at your local sailing club. Bart’s Bash will be joining
together thousands of worldwide sailors in a race to set a new Guinness World Record,
raise money for charity, inspire the next generation and remember Andrew “Bart”
Simpson, Gold & Silver Olympic medallist and America’s Cup sailor.
“Bart’s Bash” is set to be the biggest race in the world and the Royal Thames Yacht
Club will be involved and running its race at QMSC in the Club J/80s. QMSC is set to be
the epicentre of the race having been devised there, and will even have Sir Ben Ainslie
racing his Finn there on the day! To see more details of the race, please visit their
website: www.bartsbash.co.uk
This will be a fleet race for RTYC members of all ages and ability. The principal aims are to mix up the age groups and abilities
and to have a really fun day on the water, whilst supporting a very worthwhile cause. Brief details are below:
Date: Sunday 21st September 2014
Venue: QMSC
Event: Bart’s Bash
Format: One-day competition, Fleet racing, White sails plus spinnaker
Four RTYC members per boat, the aim will be to mix up members as much as possible so we may be reduced to pulling names
out of a hat! All eight J/80s will be on the water, there is no charge for the use of the boats, however a donation to charity is
expected and can be made through your RTYC member account. So if you are a helm member or a crew member, please
contact Sarah Hornby in the Sailing Office on [email protected]
8
On Saturday 29th March the RTYC hosted the first ever Younger Members Interclub Regatta.
A day's J/80 fleet racing consisted of 8 short races and was attended by teams from the RTYC,
the Royal Yacht Squadron, the Oxford & Cambridge Sailing Society, Exeter University Boat
Club, the Household Division Yacht Club and Sea View Yacht Club. The conditions - a sunny
19 degrees and a moderate breeze - made for a marvellous spring event. Overall the event
was a tremendous success both on and off the water and we hope to continue the tradition of
interclub younger members' events in 2015.
On 6th April the RTYC held the inaugural Sigada Cup, very kindly donated by Keith Gwynne
Jones, on a blustery and overcast day with wind force 3-4 and occasional gusts of 5. This
prompted the race committee to call for reefs and no spinnakers from the outset. That decision
was welcomed by most but did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the 20 RTYC members
and four guests that took to the water. The basic premise for this event was to 'mix up the
crews', aiming for each team to comprise one aged 50 years or older, one aged 31-49 years,
one aged 30 years or younger, one of any age, with at least one female crew and all RTYC
members. This proved to be an exacting eligibility requirement but, with a bit of juggling, we got
pretty close. In the end, eight races were completed and William Edwards and his crew of Philip Nicholson, Edie Meyer and
Sylvia O'Keeffe won the day, with helms Charlie Esse and Peter Diamond securing second and third place.
We held our biennial Cumberland Cup in early May for one of the oldest trophies in the RTYC collection. The four days of racing
proved testing for the eight international teams, with either lack of wind or social schedules creating many challenges for the Race
Officials as well. On the final day, the schedule showed that 12 races needed to be completed in order for a fair result to b e
established, the pressure was on. When races did get underway, competitors’ power of concentration was tested to the limit with
the breeze barely strong enough to fill a spinnaker. However, PRO Gill Smith was determined to ensure that a fair result was
achieved and that teams were given as much racing as possible. With no room for error at the top, the leading few teams
demonstrated a consistently high standard of team racing. In Race 29 RTYC lost to YCCS, which proved to be a fatal error, and
offered fresh hope to NYYC, who then went on to beat RTYC in Race 31. Race 37 saw NYYC and YCCS go head to head, and
whilst the Italians had beaten the Americans in Race 13 it was the Americans who proved to be the stronger team: in their final
battle, New York were able to use the fickle breeze to their advantage and seized Race 37. This meant that New York and Costa
Smeralda were tied on points. With RTYC just 2 race wins behind both these teams, the top 3 teams were all very close and all
would have been very worthy winners. However, it was New York Yacht Club who won on points and came away worthy winners.
Also in May a Club team represented by Henry Arnold, Olly Dix, William Edwards, Danielle Higgins and James Kitt was one of 13
teams invited to sail in the IOD class at the Bermuda International Invitational Regatta week. The team competed against regular
IOD sailors from Norway, Sweden, Canada, USA and Bermuda plus a team from the Cowes Daring fleet. On the final day five
teams were fighting for second place, including 82 year old Jan Petter Roed from Norway. RTYC started perfectly, Henry Arnold
was aggressive on the line and once again Olly navigated the upwind leg well. The team finished second, half a boat length
behind first place Chester Yacht Club, who by this stage had walked away with the Vrengen Gold Cup. Crucially the closest team
in the running for second was back in sixth, we had a three point lead which was enough for them to hold second place. After the
final race the team returned to the scenic Royal Bermuda Bar where event sponsors Bacardi helped the team celebrate a
fantastic performance.
The RTYC also made the trip east for the annual Aspirin trophy against the Royal Burnham YC and the sun shone down on
Burnham-on-Crouch in all its glory. Having suffered numerous defeats over the years the RTYC members and RBOD fleet
assembled on the terrace on Saturday evening with an obvious thirst before settling down for dinner, speeches, jokes and the
usual frivolity that comes with this, the 22nd Aspirin Trophy. Although not on the water, the competition had already started, and
the RTYC team had to be diligent, whilst the RBOD freely handed out their dangerous Max’s Specials. Next day the racing was
run with a simple windward/leeward across the river, just down from RBYC club house. Sadly the locals had the boat speed and
the advantage, winning the first match and eventually the day. After a fantastic day on the water, the RBYC put on a superb buffet
lunch, and as ever more jokes and banter ensued as RTYC Captain, Tom Montgomery presented the ‘Aspirin Trophy’ to David
Smith of the RBYC.
On the first weekend in June there were two events held by the RYS with a Flag Officers match against the RTYC on the
Saturday and this was then followed by a three way match between Santander, RTYC and RYS the following week. Both events
were well organised and all teams had great racing and were very well hosted by the RYS.
9
Finally, we sent a team to the inaugural YCCS team racing challenge last weekend. The event was won by Italy’s C.C. Aniene.
The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda team took second place ahead of Team Atalanti/Yacht Club Greece. The RTYC team of Masters
finished in fourth place.
Coming up in the autumn, we have more 2K events with one in Cowes and also one in Istanbul. In addition we have again been
invited to the Lee Trophy, in mid-October and Mike Halstead is pulling a team together for the event.
We will be hosting the BA Cup in mid-October and we will be arranging a number of training weekends in the lead up to the event.
Finally we have our own RTYC 2K event planned for end October and Thomas Brennan is working hard at organising the event.
We have received an invitation to send a team to the NYYC Invitational Regatta in 2015. William Edwards is again managing the
training programme and we hope to strongly contest the event again next year. Also the NoR and entry forms for the RYS
Bicentenary Regatta in 2015 have been published. The RTYC is keen to support this event and we need members to enter the
IRC class events.
Finally, the RTYC launched the 1851 Cup in 2010 during Cowes Week when Team Origin raced against BMW Oracle. It was a
spectacular and very successful event with 3 days of match racing and a round-the-island race. A Working Group is currently
formed and is planning to run the event again in 2015.
Richard Hill
Captain of Racing
RTYC/RIN JOINT TALK - 'The North West Passage in a Small GRP Boat' by Bob Shepton –
Thursday 20th November 2014 at 6.45pm
Bob Shepton’s talk will cover his adventures traversing the North West Passage in his own yacht, the Westerly 33 ft sloop
'Dodo's Delight' which was built in 1980. The current yacht is the second 'Dodo's Delight' and is
an almost exact replica of the first, which was destroyed by fire while wintering in the ice in
Greenland in 2005. Bob first traversed the Passage from east to
west in 2012, and subsequently west to east in 2013.
After the talk, signed copies of Bob’s new book "Addicted to
Adventure, Between Rocks and Cold Places", will be available for
attendees to purchase. The book takes the reader back to Bob’s
childhood growing up on the rubber plantation managed by his
father in Malaysia, moving back to England after his father was
shot by the Japanese during the war, boarding school, the Royal
Marines, and the church. The book also covers Bob's numerous
sailing and mountaineering adventures and experiences over the
intervening years
About the speaker: Winner of the YJA Apollo Yachtsman of the Year 2013, Bob
Shepton is an ordained minister in the Church of England. Now retired, he spends
most of his time sailing into the Arctic and mountaineering. Over the years Bob has
received the Blue Water Medal, the Tilman Medal (twice) the Goldsmith Medal for
Exploration, the Barton Cup and many other awards. As a result of his North West
Passage voyages he is now experienced and qualified to act as Ice Pilot and Adviser
for this Passage, and the Arctic generally.
Date: Thursday 20th November 2014
Time: 6:45pm
For more information or to book please contact Lucia in the Secretariat at [email protected] or on 020 7201
6267. The Coffee Room will be open for dinner afterwards, to book your table please contact Reservations at
[email protected] or on 020 7235 2121.
10
The cruising committee have been working very hard to put together a great
programme for 2014 and beyond. My wife and I also enjoyed the birth of our first
child, Sienna, who was born on 23 rd April 2014 and coincided nicely with the start
of the sailing season – perfect timing!
As this article goes to press a new concept being launched for the RTYC cruising
section of longer rallies will be in full swing. The Med Rally sees approximately 8
yachts sailing from Palma in Mallorca to Turkey over a 4-month period taking in
many of the Meds best sights. This also involves a week of cruising on the
beautiful island of Malta. This format has also allowed the RTYC again to
strengthen the relationships that it has with all the reciprocal clubs by way of
stopping and enjoying their lovely facilities.
The season kicked off with an excellent Spring Excuse, which ran from Cowes on
Friday evening and ending up at Lymington for Saturday. The weather that kicked
up its usual seasonal conditions saw big breeze and sea conditions with some boats reporting 35 knots of wind.
Richard Ambler ran the racing on Saturday beautifully and many thanks go out to his team for all their hard work in
coordinating. It was lovely to see some new members and notably Edward Westlake on Polar Bear who took line
honours. The event managers were David Hiscock and Robyn Wolsely who created a superb event, which got us off
to a great start. Some of you may also have completed the quiz, which David wrote for Saturday evening fun through
dinner, which, I believe, was well received and offered some interesting answers.
By the time many of you are reading this we would also have held the Cumberland Regatta, which takes place in
Cowes and is a weekend of socialising and sailing. Taking in the beautiful sights of the Royal Yacht Squadron and
mooring in the basin is something quite special. Over 12 yachts entered this year which was slightly down on last
year but we have some yachts missing due to sailing in the Med and the appeal of the sun has been too strong for
many.
One event that will be new to this years calendar will be the introduction of the Cumberland Cruise, which is aimed at
picking up at the end of the regatta and sailing in company for a few days. We felt that many yacht owners in the UK
would like to sail more in company so this offers them the chance. We are aiming ambitiously to return the
Cumberland Fleet to London next year and have a dinner at the Club which would be lots of fun and which we feel
should be done given we are a London based YC.
The plans for next year are taking shape and we should be getting ideas and events on to the website very soon. We
are obviously running the standard events, which will take place on the Solent but some of the events we think will
go ahead will be a 2 week cruise in the Eastern Med, a 1 week river cruise in France and an ambitious 2 weeks in
Brazil between World Cup year and Olympic year.
Overall the committee are keen to promote events that are very diverse and interesting to our members. Please feel
free to let me or one of the committee members know of any ideas for events and of course if anyone would like to
organise something then please shout!
Enjoy the rest of the summer and keep reading the newsletter and website for our calendar of events.
Happy Sailing,
Nick Atkinson
Captain of Cruising
11
The Younger Members have had a busy and exciting 2014 with action both on and off the water.
On the water there was sailing at Queen Mary Reservoir in the J/80s on the 1st of February. Although the weather was rather
chilly there was some extremely competitive and feisty sailing on the water. The lead changing many times throughout the days
racing, the event was finally won by Emily Parker. In March the Younger Members held the inaugural Inter Club Regatta at
Queen Mary’s. The event was designed to bring Younger Members of various clubs together to compete in the J/80s and to
form closer connections between the sailors and their respective clubs.
After some competitive racing all round the event was finally won by Greg Hall representing Cambridge University Alumni, with
Tom Clementi and Charles Sheldon of the RYS in second and William Jackson of Seaview in third.
The event was followed by a informal dinner and after the success of this year we look forward to hosting the event again next
year.
At the beginning of April the Club hosted the YMs and their guests for the annual Younger Members Ball. This year it was a
masquerade ball and in aid of the RNLI. The Club hosted 165 YM and their guests who dined and then danced the night away
to the music of the Zoots. The event was a great success and kindly supported by Alnwick Rum and Revolution wines.
The weekend of the 5th and 6th of July saw the YMs head down to Cowes for their solent weekend. The YMs enjoyed 2 days of
competitive fleet racing in Osborne bay. On Saturday, entertainment was provided in the form of a group curry followed by
dancing to live music in one of Cowes’ finest establishments.
We look forward to seeing as many YMs as possible at our drinks party on the Wednesday night of Cowes.
William Jackson
Chairman of the Younger Members Committee
Younger Members’ 2014
Younger Members’ Ball
YM Cowes Weekend
12
Younger Members’ Ball
YM Cowes Weekend
To all of us sailors, our sport is either, for the racing fraternity, an enjoyable challenge or for the cruisers amongst us, relaxation,
interspersed with the occasional tense moment and the pride of making the landfall. However to disadvantaged young people in
the UK, of which there too many, sailing can also be a therapy leading towards social inclusion. This is the tenet of your charity and
with your support the Trustees will continue to apply your donations in an
effective manner, often changing the direction of the lives of our beneficiaries.
For a young person born and brought up in an environment lacking either in
example or opportunity, the very fact that someone cares enough to give them
the chance of respite from their restrictive backgrounds is strong starting point.
Add to this the fact that what we offer them puts them within the tight community
of a working crew where mutual interdependence and trust is a necessity and it
becomes effective therapy for their disadvantaged circumstances.
Identifying young people in need is naturally a time consuming task. Those most in need would no more dream of a sea passage,
integrating themselves into a small community, than they would dream of flying to the moon. Thus the work of your Trustees is
necessarily proactive in identifying youth organisations and other groups who work with these unfortunate young people, many of
whom are introduced to such groups as a result of the intervention of the police or social services.
Each year more sources are discovered and the number of young people that we are able to send to sea increases. Your Trustees
visit, in person, each new organisation to gain knowledge not only of the work they do but also of the people running it. To
maintain, let alone grow our undertaking, we do need the continuing support of members and the ways in which you can help us
are revealed on our website www.rtyccharity.org. We have a number of generous benefactors to which our thanks are once more
extended.
A happy by-product of your charity is that it raises the profile of our Club in the sailing world. We believe that what we do is unique.
Thanks to the ambassadorship of Tom Brennan, we have been approached by our reciprocal club in RSA, the Royal Natal Yacht
Club, who wish to form a charity modelled on our own – no shame in losing our unique tag!
Last year we funded sea voyages for 61 young people all of whom, as a condition of the grant are required to provide us with a
report or diary of their experiences – heart warming reading in almost every case. An extract of one such report reads:“Without your help I would not have had the opportunity to be subjected to life at sea in such life changing and eye opening
circumstances. Not only did I have great fun but I got the opportunity to learn more about myself. Also, it made me aware of, as
well as building on, what I can achieve, what I am capable of, my abilities to lead, my skills and my social abilities when I put
myself to it. This voyage gave me the first opportunity I have had in my life to be put in to an absolutely foreign environment for a
length of time without knowing anyone around me and it has had a fully positive effect.
Several comments were made as to how I became more sociable as the voyage went on and how it was impressive for someone
of my age to go on a trip like I did on my own. This on its own built my self confidence in the way of being able to make friends with
strangers. I also got the opportunity to conquer my fear of heights. I may not have made it to the top of the mast but the second
platform was a massive achievement in its self for me and it gives me a goal for my next voyage!”
More reports are available on the website but all give the same message encouraging us that our work provides benefit in a
sometimes neglected area. As this article is being written we have received further touching reports covering voyages by memb ers
of the Girvan Youth Trust who sailed to Ireland and back in the depths of winter and by a group of autistic young men whom we
sent to sea with Compass Sailing.
Apart from the hard graft of identifying relevant youth organisations, introducing them to what we offer and reviewing the
consequent applications, we are holding a number of events this year at which members and others can get a flavour of what we
do. These include:-

In April we held a day for our beneficiaries and their carers on the Club’s J/80s at Queen Mary Reservoir attracting teams from
as far afield as Brixham. A morning’s familiarisation with the boats was followed by an afternoon’s racing all of which was a great
success. One young beneficiary was heard to comment “ I didn’t know that you were nasty to each other racing”. Thanks to
George Ehlers for the conception and organisation of this and to all the helpers...
13

A very pleasant evening reception in mid-May on board the Jubilee
Sailing Trust’s SV Tenacious whilst she was berthed in Docklands.
Many thanks to that excellent organisation for providing the facilities.
The benefit of a warm sunny evening made the setting perfect and the
75 people who purchased tickets were offered tours of the ship in
addition to wine and canapés.

On 9th July members and their guests were offered a day aboard the
sea training yachts operated by the Rona sailing project based on the
Hamble. What better way to spend a Wednesday in July? Thanks to
Doug Harckham for setting this up.

On 2nd August and 9th August we have been offered the opportunity for
a limited number of members and beneficiaries to participate in racing
on a Thames Barge from Faversham and Whitstable respectively. This
is an invitation from The Faversham Creek Trust one of whose
apprentices, learning traditional boat building skills, we are sponsoring.

On 7th October there will a “Horse Racing Evening” at the Clubhouse in
aid of the Charity. These are always entertaining and we hope for a sell
-out. Our thanks go to the Social Committee. Tickets will be available
through Lucia as usual.
After the success of the lunch with Sir Michael Parkinson in 2012 we are looking for personalities of similar standing to be a guest
speaker at a future lunch and if any members have connections with an appropriate public figure, we would be delighted to hear
from them.
Whilst our activities go from strength to strength, the greater spread of our work cries out for more financial support and if any
members can find their way to help our work we would be delighted to hear you either directly or through our website.
In conclusion, I would like to thank my co-trustees, Doug Harckham, George Ehlers, Bernard Kinchin and Rufus Gilday, our Hon
Treasurer, Rupert Salmon and our Hon Secretary, Gwynne Lawrence for their hard work and input and also David Freeman for
ever bearing in mind our needs.
Andrew Collins
Chairman
Royal Thames Yacht Club Charitable Trust
NIGHT AT THE RACES—Tuesday 7th October, 7pm for 7:30pm
Following the successes of past Race Nights, this year the Royal Thames is bringing back this exciting and fun-filled evening in support of the Royal Thames Charitable Trust! Whilst enjoying a delicious three course dinner, 7 races will be projected onto
a large screen, and a tote will be set up allowing guests to place their bets with a jockey girl, for a chance to win a cash prize.
You will also have the opportunity to sponsor a race for £100 and sell the 8 horses to fellow members & guests. The owner of
the winning horse of each race will receive a bottle of Montaudon Champagne.
Date: Tuesday 7th October 2014
Time: 7pm for 7.30pm
Dress: A Day at the Races
Tickets: £45
£35 for Younger Members
If you would like to sponsor a race and “own” a horse, contact Lucia in the Secretariat on
020 7201 6267 or at [email protected]. So come and take part in this
thrilling event, while at the same time supporting the Royal Thames Charitable Trust. Guests
are welcome.
14
SUMMER BUFFET IN THE COFFEE ROOM
Our Summer Buffet offering is now available on Tuesday and Thursday lunchtimes in the Coffee Room until the end of July.
Available as a starter and/or main, the buffet is in addition to the normal Club Table d’Hôte menu which continues to attract
positive reviews.
BRITANNIA BAR TO OPEN IN AUGUST
The Clubhouse has traditionally closed in August for the staff’s main leave period and to complete essential maintenance and
refurbishment. This summer, in addition to the Bed & Breakfast service that has always been in place, the Britannia Bar and Deck
will open on weekdays for the two weeks after Cowes Week from 12 noon until 9pm serving drinks and bar snacks. The Britannia
Bar drinks and snack service will be available from Monday 11th - Friday 15th August and Monday 18th – Friday 22nd August.
The Clubhouse will re-open fully after the late August Bank holiday on Tuesday 26th August. Visitors to the Clubhouse should
note that the reception area, main staircase and Quarterdeck are being repainted during August but disruption will be kept to a
minimum.
DISCOUNTED CABIN RATES IN AUGUST
From 1st- 25th August all cabins will be discounted to the normal weekend rates for members. This means a double/twin en-suite
room with continental breakfast will be charged at the flat rate of £100/night, including VAT. These discounted rates reflect the
inconvenience that may be caused by the decorating works going on in reception, on the main staircase and on the Quarterdeck.
BRITANNIA BAR REFURBISHMENT
Members who have visited the Britannia Bar in recent weeks will have noticed a number of changes to the layout and décor.
Phase 2 works completed this year include: a new banquette, stools, coffee tables and new TV fitted; the newly commissioned
painting of the racing yacht BRITANNIA hung and lit; a new display cabinet set into the wall; the chairs on upper levels reupholstered in red & blue and the bar stools re-upholstered in red. A new carpet has also been fitted throughout the ground floor
public rooms. There are a few small items to complete but the major works have been completed and the results are very
pleasing.
PRIVATE FUNCTIONS IN THE EDINBURGH ROOM
There have been increasing requests by members to select food from the Coffee Room Á La Carte menu for service at private
dinners in the Edinburgh Room. Whilst we are happy to provide this facility it is only possible without further food charges if the
Edinburgh Room can be staffed wholly from within the Club’s staff resources. If this is not possible, and agency staff has to be
brought in for non-Club events, 25% will be added to the Coffee Room prices to cover agency staff costs. These charges are
automatically built in to the food charges from the functions or bespoke menus.
CATERING
Thomas Franks has been operating as the Club’s caterer for nearly 12 months. The staff response to the change and the focus
on raising standards has brought a discernable improvement in the presentation and quality of the food offering with diners in the
Coffee Room and visitors to functions commenting very favourably. Bernard Moray is leading the catering team as Food &
Beverage Manager and coping with the current gap in the post of Deputy F&B Manager. Siobhan Ginty has taken over from
Karen Jeffery as the Functions Coordinator. If you haven’t visited the Coffee Room lately do give it a try: the food is of a high
standard and, with the members’ discounts available, represents excellent value.
15
COFFEE ROOM
Restaurant billing procedures.
In order to improve the efficiency of the billing process in the Coffee Room
it would greatly assist the staff if Members dining in groups but who wish
to pay individually would advise the Duty Manager running the service at
the beginning of the meal. This will enable the orders to be input
separately and thus avoid delays at the time of settlement. It would also be
helpful if members wishing to charge their meal(s) to their membership
account would confirm this on arrival and offer their membership card to
open chits in the correct name to ensure the correct discounts are applied
in advance of presenting your bill. Your assistance in this matter would be
much appreciated as we strive to improve your experience in the Coffee
Room.
Members’ Discounts
A significant discount is available to members who charge food and
beverage expenditure to their monthly account, supported by a monthly
Direct Debit. The current discounts, which will run until 31 March next
year, are as follows:
Coffee Room:
20% off 2 course table d’Hôte Lunch or Dinner – cash equivalent off Á La Carte.
20% off wines.
Bars:
20% off all drinks for consumption in the bars or cabins.
Nearly 80% of members now have a monthly Direct Debit set up to enable them to benefit from these discounts. Why not join
them? If you haven’t already set up a Direct Debit this can be easily done by contacting the Finance Assistant, Mousey Brown:
[email protected] or tel: 020 7201 6264. Don’t miss out on some significant savings on your Clubhouse expenditure.
Please note that these discounts are only available for Food & Beverage expenditure in the Coffee Room, bars and with the Night
Porter. NO MEMBERSHIP CARD, NO DISCOUNT. Discounts are not available for functions, and members’ functions charges
may not be put on account unless specifically pre-arranged with the Head of Finance .
Half Board rates
The popular half board rate for residents offers discounted meals in the Coffee Room. Members taking overnight accommodation
can enjoy a two-course table d’Hôte lunch for just £15.50 or dinner for £18.50. Just obtain your coupon from reception to receive
this additional members’ benefit that may not be used with other discounts available, except the 20% discount on Coffee Room
beverages supported by a monthly Direct Debit.
USE OF PUBLIC ROOMS FOR BUSINESS
Members are reminded that the use of public rooms for business purposes/meetings is not permitted and contrary to the House
Bye-Laws. It is evident that some members continue to abuse this Bye-Law and using the public rooms, notably the Britannia Bar,
for what are clearly business meetings. Members are reminded that business papers are not allowed in the public rooms and the
Model Room is the only public room that may be used for small, informal meetings of up to three people. Members wishing to
conduct business meetings in the Clubhouse are to book a private room for such purposes. Please contact the functions
department on 020 7201 6283 or email: [email protected].
WINE SOCIETY
The Club’s ’Wine Society’ offers a range of discounted Club wines, and special offers from time to time, to all members. Updated
Order Forms are available to print off from the website and completed forms should be sent to the Finance Assistant, Mousey
Brown or the Sommeliére, Mariyana Radulova, for processing. Collection of your order from the Clubhouse is preferable as the
cost of administration and delivery reduces the attractiveness of the offers.
CIGARS
Members continue to re-discover the pleasures of a leisurely cigar on the Britannia Deck and the Club holds a range of cigars to
i all tastes and pockets. The humidor is located in the Britannia Bar until about 8.30pm after which it is transferred to the
suit
Cumberland Bar. Both barmen, George in the Britannia Bar and Romano in the Cumberland Bar, have received training on the
types of cigars, how to care for them - and how to light them if you need help!
MEMBERSHIP CARDS
All members are requested to carry their membership cards when visiting the Clubhouse. Not only will this speed up the security
checks that the reception staff are instructed to carry out, it will also enable members of staff to check entitlement or attempts of
16
fraudulent use the Clubhouse and to put food and beverage expenditure on members’ accounts if these have been set up.
ROYAL THAMES MESS KIT
Royal Thames Mess Kit is the preferred dress at formal Clubhouse dinners. Details of tailors who have provided satisfactory made
to measure Mess Kit to members, without any Club endorsement as to quality or finish, are provided on the website. Second hand
items are occasionally made available and these are advertised on the website.
THE BRITANNIA DECK
As you are aware, the Encroachment Licence for the deck is fairly restrictive. The tables on the deck cannot be pre-booked and
the deck may only be used for social purposes: business meetings are not allowed on the deck to ensure a pleasant environment
for social users. Mobile phones should not be used on the deck so as not to spoil the enjoyment of others. You are reminded that
the Model Room may be used for mobile telephone calls. Please observe the rules for use of the deck that form part of the House
Bye-Laws and are reviewed annually by the Knightsbridge Committee. For the avoidance of doubt the policy on such matters is
available on the website and on the Clubhouse notice board.
BRITANNIA BAR & DECK DRESS CODE
A ‘smart casual’ dress code is appropriate for the ground floor public spaces, unless a dress code has been promulgated for
specific functions. Smart casual is defined as collared shirt, clean slacks/chinos in good repair and appropriate footwear. For the
avoidance of doubt jeans, T shirts and any trainer style shoe are not allowed and the minimum standard of acceptable dress is
polo shirt, chinos and clean deck shoes in good repair. Ladies are to conform to the spirit of this code. Clean jeans in good repair
(not holed or frayed) may be worn on Fridays after 4pm and on Saturdays and Sundays. Any style of clothing that is likely to cause
offence or not in keeping with the spirit of this ‘smart casual’ dress code is not acceptable and offenders will be asked to change or
leave the premises.
LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION
Members are reminded that a Letter of Introduction is usually required when you are planning to visit one of our reciprocal clubs.
Please ask Lucia to arrange one for you, giving as much notice as possible. We continue to receive urgent requests from
members who have turned up at reciprocal clubs without their membership cards and/or without having requested a Letter of
Introduction. Members may not receive a timely reply to requests, particularly at weekends, so please - think ahead, ask for
Letters of Introduction to cover all eventualities during your travels and carry your membership card at all times. Letters of
Introduction will only be provided to members whose subscriptions and accounts are paid up to date.
ENTRY TO THE CLUBHOUSE/LATE BAR CHARGES
Unless you are resident in one of the bedrooms, the Clubhouse opening hours are 0700 – 0100. Last entry for non-residents is at
0030. There have been incidents of members entering, or attempting to gain entry, outside these hours. The Clubhouse is staffed
with one night porter and he has been instructed to strictly apply the opening hours as promulgated in the House Bye-Laws. The
Night Porter keeps a small stock of drinks for the use of residents only.
The Cumberland and Britannia barmen work contracted hours. If members require the Cumberland Bar to remain open after the
normal closing time of 2300 this may only be allowed if:
a.
The duty barman agrees to extend his shift.
b.
The member requesting the extension to the bar opening times accepts responsibility to cover the overtime and late night
taxi charge at the rate of £50/hour or part thereof.
c.
The bar closes no later 0100, when all non-residents are required to vacate the premises.
CAR PARKING AT 60 KNIGHTSBRIDGE
The tenancy agreements with the Head Lessee and Sixty Knightsbridge Limited provide for the Club to have permanent use of
four car parking spaces in the garage. After 6.30pm until 8.00am members may also avail themselves of any spare spaces in the
garage that are occupied during the day by vehicles belonging to the Embassy of the State of Kuwait. Between 8.00am and
6.30pm the forecourt and ramp spaces may only be used for a maximum of two hours by both RTYC members and the Embassy
staff. Only members who are resident in the Clubhouse or actually present in the Clubhouse on business may leave vehicles
unattended on the premises.
Space on the forecourt is at a premium and parked vehicles can cause difficulties for delivery vehicles and taxis. The rules have
been promulgated previously but some members still choose to ignore them by parking on the ramp and forecourt for longer than
two hours or parking their vehicles and leaving them unattended whilst away from the premises without informing reception. Such
inconsiderate behaviour causes the Club’s staff significant difficulties, particularly when dealing with the Embassy staff that we
also have to encourage to obey the provisions of the leases. Persistent offenders will receive one written warning to adhere to the
parking regulations; a further offence after a written warning will result in parking privileges being withdrawn.
17
WEBSITE
The Club’s website is linked to Jonas, the Club’s Integrated Management System, and includes a number of features including
improved access to members’ information. Members are required to register for the website and then set up their own
usernames and password. Separate instructions have been provided to help you do this and we hope you find the site easy to
use but do ask if you need help. Rosanna, the Assistant Secretary: [email protected] or Lucia, the Membership
Administrator: [email protected] will be pleased to assist you. Once logged in to the members’ area you will
have access to a range of new facilities including the members list, your own personal information and access to your real-time
Club statements. We are working with Jonas on the next stage of development which will be to add links to the events on the
calendar to enable on-line booking for events.
Mobile access to the Website
There is a mobile version of the website available. When you visit
www.royalthames.com on devices such as smart phones and tablets, the page
to the left will appear.
Please enter your username and password to login and gain access to the full
mobile version. If you have not registered for the website please click on ‘Menu’
in the top left hand part of the screen then select ‘Full Site’. This will direct you
to the main website where you will be able to register by selecting ‘Member
Login’ in the top left and following the instructions. If you experience any
problems please contact Rosanna, the Assistant Secretary.
18
Members’ Reports.
The appeal of the website will also be enhanced by reports and news items sent in by event managers and by members who
can help by keeping us informed of your successes and interesting activities. If you are involved in an event or activity that
would be of interest to other members please forward reports and photographs to Rosanna for posting on the website.
AND FINALLY
There is a lot going on in the Clubhouse in coming months. Lookout out for details of these upcoming events in our weekly enewsletters and on the website:
24th September
7th October
14th October
28th October
29th October
30th October
3rd November
5th November
11th November
18th November
20th November
25th November
4th December
12th December
13th December
16th December
- Cruising Talk
- A Night at the Races: Proceeds to the Cub’s Charitable Trust
- Bridge
- Laying Up Dinner (Guest Speaker – Paul Heiney)
- AGM
- Talk: ‘Liberdade’ by Mike Austin
- Wine Tasting: ‘Supermarket Sweep’
- Rio Olympic Benefit Dinner
- Prize Winners Dinner
- Bridge
- RTYC/RIN Joint Talk
- Cruising Dinner
- Ladies Lunch
- Members’ Christmas Drinks Party
- Families Christmas Party
- Members Christmas Lunch
2015
13th January
14th January
20th January
21st January
29th January
- Boat Show Cocktail Party
- Bridge
- Sailing Forum
- Burns Night Supper
- Talk
Captain David Freeman LVO, Royal Navy
Secretary
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RTYC Contact Information
Royal Thames Yacht Club
60 Knightsbridge
London, SW1X 7LF
TEL: 020 7235 2121
FAX: 020 7245 9470
www.royalthames.com
Secretary
Captain David Freeman, L.V.O. RN
020 7201 6261
[email protected]
Assistant Secretary
Rosanna Wilkinson
020 7201 6263
[email protected]
Membership Administrator
Lucia Mihokova
020 7201 6267
[email protected]
Chief Sailing Officer
Richard Ambler
020 7201 6265
[email protected]
Assistant Sailing Officer
Sarah Hornby
020 7201 6262
[email protected]
Sailing Administrator
Gill Corby
020 7201 6266
[email protected]
Head of Finance
Gary Honeyman
020 7201 6269
[email protected]
Finance Assistant
Mousey Brown
020 7201 6264
[email protected]
Functions
Siobhan Ginty
020 7201 6283
[email protected]
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RTYC BRIDGE EVENINGS 2014
Each month we sit down to a simple supper, followed by
extremely social and not very high powered, duplicate
bridge.
The emphasis is on fun - only basic conventions are allowed. It is not scary, just sociable, easy going and a
good way to spend the evening. RTYC Members can
bring a non-member guest to play if they wish.
If you are interested, please contact Barbara Ehlers on
[email protected] and she will keep you
informed. A snip at £22, for a two course supper and an
evening of mellow bridge.
2014 Dates:
Tuesday 14th October
Tuesday 18th November