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A 'yacht club' is a sports club specifically related to sailing and yachting.
The term Yacht Club and Sailing Club tend to be synonymous. Historically a Yacht Club tended to focus on a membership composed of yacht owners and a Sailing Club tended to focus on a membership composed of owners of smaller boats such as dinghies. Some clubs also include owners of powerboats.

Contents

Members Club

Membership

Racing and Sailing Activities

Traditions

Commercial Club

Organization

Yacht club burgee

References

Members Club

A private club organized and run by the membership to promote the sport of sailboat racing and cruising, as well as provide a meeting place for this social community.

Membership

The membership is a mixture of boat owners and also members who sail as crew, racing or cruising. Some clubs specifically exclude power boats and some do not. The members decide on the objectives of the club to satisfy the membership and to attract other like minded individuals.
Members Clubs often have paid staff for catering, bar duty, boat yard duty, accounts, office etc. Control and organization of the club is done for the membership via members elected by the membership into roles such as Sailing Secretary, Commodore, Cruising Captain, Racing Captain etc. Smaller clubs typically have a condition of membership which requires active participation of the membership in activities such as maintenance of club facilities and equipment.

Racing and Sailing Activities

Most clubs have a well defined racing program. Clubs may host regattas ranging from informal local events to national championships. Often clubs have a regular weekday evening racing schedule or a weekend racing sschedule organized by the membership. Many yacht clubs field teams to compete against other clubs in team racing. With the growth of sailing at secondary schools and universities many yacht clubs host Interscholastic Sailing Association or Intercollegiate Sailing Association regattas. Additionally, some yacht clubs enter into agreements with schools to provide dock space and practice facilities for the school teams year-round.
Clubs with active adult sailing programs most often feature junior sailing programs as well. Most often these programs enroll children from ages 8 to 16. Children most often learn to sail in the optimist (dinghy) and then progress to the laser dinghy or 420 (dinghy). These junior sailing programs often also teach children rowing, kayaking, general seamanship and navigation. Children are also taught how to race competitively from an early age and most clubs host junior sailing regattas each season.

Traditions

There is a long historical tradition behind yacht clubs, sailing originating from being a sport for the wealthy. Most yacht clubs have a distinctive burgee (pennant or flag). At traditional clubs the burgee and national ensign is hoisted at 0800 hours each morning and lowered each evening at sunset. This ceremony is called colours. Names are often abbreviated (eg Royal Yacht Squadron is abbreviated to RYS, New York Yacht Club abbreviated to NYYC etc). Additionally, yacht clubs often have dress codes and many mandate a coat and tie while inside.

Commercial Club

Owned by individuals or a company to provide a service and generate a profit. Often associated with a particular marina or port. Objectives are usually very similar to members clubs but the social side maybe more dominant.

Organization

Yacht clubs are organized like any other club or organisation with committees, chairman, directors etc etc. Due to the connection with the sea and hence the navy, the various posts use naval terminology. For example the chairman/CEO is the ''Commodore''. Usually, under the Commodore there are also the ''Vice Commodore'' and the ''Rear Commodore''. In a few yacht clubs the ''Admiral'', which is one rank ''above'' the Commodore, is the senior officer. Each of these ranks has specific responsibilities to ensure the smooth running of the club.

Yacht club burgee

Main articles: Maritime flag

Members belonging to a yacht club or sailing organization may fly their club's unique triangular ''burgee'' both while underway and at anchor (however, not during a race). Traditionally, the burgee was flown from the main masthead, however it may also be flown from a small pole on the bow pulpit, or even the starboard rigging beneath the lowest starboard spreader on a flag halyard.
Traditionally, the first time a member of one club visits another, there is an exchange of burgees. Exchanged burgees are then often displayed on the premise of each, such as at a club office or bar.

References