Nowadays anyone can become a yachtsman.....

[Poignard]

Years ago, snobbish members of the Royal Yacht Squadron blackballed Sir Thomas Lipton's application to become a member. He was not short of wonga, in fact he was loaded, but he was "in trade" (a grocer) and therefore socially beyond the pale. Yachting was not for the likes of people like him!

How things have changed, and for the better in my view. My neighbour here in Vannes marina this weekend earns his living as a busker and lives on his small boat with the obligatory busker's dog. He is a very pleasant chap who speaks perfect English. He is fitting out his little yacht for a voyage to Ireland and Scotland next year.

Good luck to him.

 

[Charlie Boy]

I don’t know enough about the RYS really, but all the anecdotes I hear point to it being extremely snobbish. We like to think that we now have a far more egalitarian society, but as my Dad once said; “You try to marry Princess Anne and see how far you get”.

 

[sailorman]

I though "One" had to be invited, not apply

 

[Stemar]

I rather think I'd be blackballed by the RYS now. There's a world of difference between the owners of big HRs and Fairline Squadrons and sailors of Snapdragons, though I rather think the Snapdragons may well have more fun. I doubt being in trade would be an issue, though, inheritance tax has done away with most of the old money; these days, the rich are "in trade" or, more acurately, have people "in trade" for them

 

[RichardS]

I wouldn't want to join a club that ..... (you all know the rest)

Richard

 

[Wansworth]

Years ago, snobbish members of the Royal Yacht Squadron blackballed Sir Thomas Lipton's application to become a member. He was not short of wonga, in fact he was loaded, but he was "in trade" (a grocer) and therefore socially beyond the pale. Yachting was not for the likes of people like him!

How things have changed, and for the better in my view. My neighbour here in Vannes marina this weekend earns his living as a busker and lives on his small boat with the obligatory busker's dog. He is a very pleasant chap who speaks perfect English. He is fitting out his little yacht for a voyage to Ireland and Scotland next year.

Good luck to him.

What a nice story and way of life,sailing to different countries and busking?

 

[Wansworth]

Whilst working on a dirty British coaster a mini super yacht tied up along side,only place in Cowes at the time anyway the owner was much more sociable than his crew

 

[[178529]]

Just looked at the RYS introductory video on the website. I imagine it has a diverse membership representing all aspects of modern society.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I was skippering a yacht for a family, the boat having been chartered from a Clyde charter company, lovely family, hints that they were very well to do. We tied up in Crinan Sea Lock and another boat came alongside. The boat was crewed by a more working class crew. I can't remember how we got onto the subject of training but they were totally anti RYA which soon transpired to be anti club too. I am not sure what triggered the down turn in the conversation but clearly they had a chip on their shoulder. It's not the first time I have come across such attitudes. Personally I think it was a class thing triggered by my clients accents, but that's a guess. These sort of things are not just limited to upper class snobbery. This was back in the late 80's.

 

[johnalison]

Exclusiveness is not confined to the upper classes by any means. I only know one or two RYS members personally, though they were members through their RN officership. I understand that such members are not regarded as 'real' members by the old guard. However, it is a private club and entitled to do whatever it likes in the way of maintaining standards and keeping you and me out, though I have always found RYS members that I have met on the pontoon perfectly approachable and easy to deal with. I suspect that you will find other sailing groups such as the classic and traditional boat clubs equally hard to penetrate without the requisite qualifications.

 

[Quandary]

Few years back we were in Loch Aline at the same time as the RYS round Britain cruise, In the evening they had a reception up in the big house, kilts or trews complete with skean dhu etc. the certainly came properly prepared for any social occasion, I was impressed that they had gone to lengths to avoid taking over the pontoons completely. On the morning they were to leave it was howling from the south and the organization and boat handling they displayed (including herself in the big Rustler) in warping big boats out of the at the time, very tight wee inner basin really impressed me, almost changed my prejudice agains the arse of crockery.

 

[Wansworth]

You don’t make cock ups off the club house of the RYS,never live it down in the bar,although you can always blame the paid hands?

 

[Laysula]

Even if I did manage to become a member, I'm sure it wouldn't be long before they chucked me out.

 

[Poignard]

I console myself with the Grouch Marx maxim:

"Any club that would accept me as a member wouldn't be worth joining."

 

[Wansworth]

I console myself with the Grouch Marx maxim:

"Any club that would accept me as a member wouldn't be worth joining."

I thought Lipton had said that.?

 

[Poignard]

I thought Lipton had said that.

Surely he would have said:

"Any club that wouldn't accept me as a member wouldn't be worth joining." ?

 

[BobnLesley]

I don’t know enough about the RYS really, but all the anecdotes I hear point to it being extremely snobbish...

These things are all relative. Whilst sailing in the land of freedom, opportunity and equality, we got rousted by the harbour police for doing no more than sailing too close to the NYYC in Newport Rhode island; they did accept that it wasn't a crime, but apparently the club 'don't like it'.

 

[Quiddle]

I doubt being in trade would be an issue, though, inheritance tax has done away with most of the old money;

You think? IT didn't seem to make much of a dent in the Duchy of Westminster's piggy bank.
Inheritance tax: why the new Duke of Westminster will not pay billions

To be honest snobbery exists in all walks of life. My two local rugby clubs are like chalk and cheese: Ham butties in jeans Vs hotpot suppers in blazers.

 

[davidej]

Years ago, snobbish members of the Royal Yacht Squadron blackballed Sir Thomas Lipton's application to become a member. He was not short of wonga, in fact he was loaded, but he was "in trade" (a grocer) and therefore socially beyond the pale. Yachting was not for the likes of people like him!

How things have changed, and for the better in my view. My neighbour here in Vannes marina this weekend earns his living as a busker and lives on his small boat with the obligatory busker's dog. He is a very pleasant chap who speaks perfect English. He is fitting out his little yacht for a voyage to Ireland and Scotland next year.

Good luck to him.

We called in at a club in the West Country that we were told had been started by Sir Thomas Lipton to challenge for the America Cup.

He used to refer to it as MYOBYC - my own bloody yacht club

 

[penberth3]

I thought Lipton had said that.

No, it was RichardS in Post #5