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our historyA Brief History of the ClubThe first record of yacht racing in Torbay appearedin the Exeter Flying Post detailing a race to besailed on Monday 11th September 1811.Some years later, on 19th August 1863, a meetingof 23 gentlemen under the chairmanship of SirLaurence Palk resolved to find premises andfounded a club known as “The Torbay and SouthDevon Club Company Limited”. They purchasedpremises on Beacon Terrace, and it is from thisbeginning that the present Royal Torbay Yacht Clubcan trace its origin.In 1875, the Torquay Yacht Club was formed, andthe new Club was granted an Admiralty Warrantto fly the defaced Blue Ensign. Later in the year aRoyal Warrant was granted, with the Club’s namechanging to the Royal Torquay Yacht Club.In 1885 the Royal Torquay Yacht Club merged withthe Torbay and South Devon Club and changed itsname to the Royal Torbay Yacht Club. The Club wasconnected to the telephone exchange and in thefollowing year, the freehold of the land on which theClub premises stood was purchased for £650.In 1886, the Club held its first Regatta where theprize money ranged from £4 to £25 and within twoyears the prize money had increased substantiallyto between £40 and £60. The Club was the recipientof the last ‘Queen’s Cup,’ given by Her late Majesty in1900, which was won at the Club regatta in August1900, by Colonel Bagot’s cutter Creole.A milestone in the Club’s history was reached in1932 when ladies were admitted to conditionalmembership with limited access to certain of theClub rooms.Arrangements were made to hold the America Cuptrials in Tor Bay in 1934 and in 1935, six J class yachtswere racing in Torbay but with the death of HMKing George V in 1936, J class racing came virtuallyto an end.In 1937, an International Coronation Regatta washeld with an entry list of 292 yachts including six 12metres, eight 6 metres and 15 yachts over 75 tons.During the SecondWorld War, the Clubsuffered many difficultiesincluding bombdamage. Urgent repairs had to be carried out in1944 on the billiard room ceiling which had becomedangerous. More seriously, because of the war, in1945 and 1946 whisky was rationed in the Club withmembers being restricted to two single or onedouble per day with no whisky being served onTuesdays or Fridays!!In 1948, the XIV Olympiad Sailing Races wereheld in Torbay, the Club subscribing £256 to theexpense account and also giving a cocktail party forparticipants and Committee.During the 1950s a bar was built (memberspreviously being served by staff in Club rooms),the Festival of Britain Regatta was held, theClub provided a room as an office for the GATTconference and the Duke of Edinburgh Cup raceswere sailed in Torbay.In 1961, the Torquay Corinthian Yacht Club mergedwith the Royal Torbay Yacht Club and the combinedunit continued to operate under the latter name.This brought with it an increased membershipand an additional Flag Officer, a second Rear-Commodore.When the Royal Torbay Yacht Club celebrated itscentenary in 1963, indicator trials were held duringthe regatta, resulting in the selection of club crewMartin Parry, Peter Reade and Colin Harris, whosubsequently finished fourth in the InternationalDragon class at the Tokyo Olympic games in 1964.In 1993, it was agreed that the members ofTorquay Rowing Club who had been neighboursin the harbourside premises, should also becomemembers of the Club.In 2013 the Club was honoured with thepresentation of a Blue Plaque by the Torbay CivicSociety to commemorate the 150th Anniversaryof the Royal Torbay Yacht Club and the 200thAnniversary of the Torbay Royal Regatta.ROYAL TORBAY YACHT CLUB • 01803 292006 • rtyc.org 7