VO5
Well-Known Member
This thread seems to be flagging a bit. Time to stir the pot by starting a new controversy, I think.
Yes, good idea.
Shall you fire off the first cannonball, or shall I ?
I hate to do this, but blue ensign question
- Thread starter Babylon
- Start date
Yes, good idea.
Shall you fire off the first cannonball, or shall I ?
rivonia
Well-Known Member
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oldgit
Well-Known Member
Here's a list of the "only eligible club"
Royal Albert Yacht Club
Royal Anglesey Yacht Club
Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club
Royal Cruising Yacht Club
Royal Dorset Yacht Club
Royal Engineer Yacht Club
Royal Gourock Yacht Club
Royal Highland Yacht Club
Royal Marines Sailing Club
Royal Motor Yacht Club
Royal Naval Sailing Association
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Yacht Club
Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club
Royal Scottish Motor Yacht Club
Royal Solent Yacht Club
Royal Southern Yacht Club
Sussex Motor Yacht Club
Royal Temple Yacht Club
Royal Thames Yacht Club
Royal Western Yacht Club of England
Royal Western Yacht Club of Scotland
Plus these that wear defaced blues:-
Aldeburgh Yacht Club
Army Sailing Association
Bar Yacht Club
City Livery Yacht Club
Cruising Association
Medway Yacht Club
House of Lords Yacht Club
Royal Air Force
Royal Anglesey Yacht Club
Royal Armoured Corps Yacht Club
Royal Artillery Yacht Club
Royal Burnham Yacht Club
Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club
Conway Club Cruising Association
Royal Corinthian Yacht Club
Royal Cornwall Yacht Club
Royal Dee Yacht Club
Royal Forth Yacht Club
Royal Harwich Yacht Club
Household Division Yacht Club
Royal Irish Yacht Club
Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club
Little Ship Club
Royal London Yacht Club
Medway Cruising Club
Royal Mersey Yacht Club
Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club
Royal Northumberland Yacht Club
Royal Ocean Racing Club
Parkstone Yacht Club
Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club
Poole Yacht Club
Severn Motor Yacht Club
Royal Southampton Yacht Club
Sussex Yacht Club
Poole Harbour Yacht Club
Thames Motor Yacht Club
Royal Torbay Yacht Club
Royal Ulster Yacht Club
Royal Welsh Yacht Club
Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club
Old Worcesters Yacht Club
Ubergeekians crack about motor boats might be explained by the fact that many blue ensign "yacht" clubs are more welcoming of applications from motor boaters than most red ensign "sailing" clubs.
Oi where my club?????
Bosun Higgs
N/A
Who wants equality? Like the officers mess or the management dining room , the only people who want equality are those standing outside who cant get inside.
Grumpybear
Well-Known Member
Who wants equality? Like the officers mess or the management dining room , the only people who want equality are those standing outside who cant get inside.
if politicians are any guide, those who do force their way inside will make sure nobody can follow them.
VO5
Well-Known Member
I cannot think of a sport potentially more equal than yachting except for example mountaineering diving or caving, because the sea...is a great leveller for everyone.
What is unequal is attitude. Particularly those who are slovenly untidy messy lazy and uncaring and keep grubby tatty neglected boats, when there is so much satisfaction to be gained from keeping a smart ship and therefore justifying the glamour and elegance connected in the public eye with yachting, and its now nearly forgotten nomenclature... "the sport of kings".
What is unequal is attitude. Particularly those who are slovenly untidy messy lazy and uncaring and keep grubby tatty neglected boats, when there is so much satisfaction to be gained from keeping a smart ship and therefore justifying the glamour and elegance connected in the public eye with yachting, and its now nearly forgotten nomenclature... "the sport of kings".
mcframe
Well-Known Member
I cannot think of a sport potentially more equal than yachting except for example mountaineering diving or caving, because the sea...is a great leveller for everyone.
What is unequal is attitude. Particularly those who are slovenly untidy messy lazy and uncaring and keep grubby tatty neglected boats, when there is so much satisfaction to be gained from keeping a smart ship and therefore justifying the glamour and elegance connected in the public eye with yachting, and its now nearly forgotten nomenclature... "the sport of kings".
<snigger>
Great post.
We are all (almost*) equal before the might of the sea, but for me, no other "sport" combines so many disciplines:
Trying to understand meteorology.
12V electrics and their immediate effect on your (quality** of) life.
The care and feeding of small engines, both diesel & two-stroke.
Getting wet and enjoying it 'cos the choice is getting wet and not enjoying it
The satisfaction to be gained from painting/varnishing & woodwork
Confidence in your situational awareness through navigation & mental trigonometry.
Safe operation of compressed-gas appliances.
Sewing - hey, that counts as self-reliance ;-)
Always having a Plan B, and C and D, and knowing when to use them.
THe importance of carrying an onion.
The aforementioned etiquette is just the icing on the cake to show we can do all that and *still* maintain standards - I've waded ashore at Seaview in shorts and still made dinner at the Squadron, 45 mins later in blazer & tie ;-)
'course Nelson's ships were apparently "messy" 'cos all that counted for them was maneuverability and rate of fire...
* Notwithstanding displacement & waterline length
** bust fridge=warm beer, but fridge and VHF and starter motor should be wired to the same high standard.
Ubergeekian
Well-Known Member
... yachting, and its now nearly forgotten nomenclature... "the sport of kings".
The sport of kings is (horse) racing.
Babylon
Well-Known Member
Its a kestrel for me!
Ubergeekian
Well-Known Member
Is that more or less expensive than eight Ace for £1.49?
Poignard
Well-Known Member
VO5
Well-Known Member
No it is not. The sport of kings is yachting.
The statement was very much in vogue at the turn of the century.
Czar Nicholas had a yacht. The King of England had a Yacht. The King of Spain had a Yacht. The King of Greece had a yacht. Several other Royals from other nations also had yachts.
In the USA there was heavy tonnage owned too by very wealthy American financiers, Wall Street personalities, and Stock Market Operators.
This period was the high point of elegant exclusive yachting.
When you visit Cowes make a point of looking through photographs taken by Beken.
Schooners, Yawls, Ketches, Steam Yachts, J Class boats...
While you are at it look at the Royal Squadron castle with its imposing parapet and lined with starter guns.
The sport of Kings is Yachting.
What has happened is that the definition has been hijacked in mainstream and transferred to horse racing and polo. In narrow band (which is outside mainstream) exclusivity it remains the Sport of Kings.
There are two main forces that have dimmed this beacon.
The first is the effect of wars and economic declines causing the ability to maintain large sailing tonnage including the hiring of large crews and we are talking of crew sizes exceeding 50 hands..
The second is the effect of boat ownership becoming feasable (affordable) to a large swathe of the population.
These two factors in the main, serve to screen and protect the misconception that Yachting is not The Sport of Kings.
But it is.
All it needs is a bit of polish to bring back the lustre of a great sailing heritage.
In some measure, this is restored to some degree, and mainly by the efforts of Peter de Savary and his Pendennis Shipyard and his enthusiasm for maintaining classic sailing tradition and for his efforts in regatta organisation, the St Barts Bucket Regatts being a notable example.
Therefore all of us should strive continuously to elevate the sport and to devote ourselves to the pursuit of excellence and not the dereliction of mediocrity.
I rest my case.
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