What is the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron?

The Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron (RMYS) is one of Victoria's leading and most historic yacht clubs, based at St Kilda on the shores of Port Phillip in Melbourne. Founded in 1876, it runs keelboat, one-design and off-the-beach racing, a strong youth program and a full calendar, and it hosts the Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta. Its position close to central Melbourne on Port Phillip makes it an accessible and active hub of city sailing.

What is the Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta?

The Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta is a keelboat regatta for all-female crews, hosted by the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron on Port Phillip, usually over a weekend. It is one of the country's premier women's sailing events, bringing together female crews to race keelboats, and it reflects the club's role in promoting women's participation in the sport. It is held on the accessible waters of Port Phillip off St Kilda.

Where is the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron?

The club is at St Kilda Beach, in the bayside suburb of St Kilda close to central Melbourne, on Port Phillip. Port Phillip is a large, enclosed bay that offers reliable, accessible sailing near the city, and St Kilda's position makes the club one of the most central and active on the bay, historically one of the strongest on Port Phillip by membership.

Victoria

Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron

The Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron (RMYS) is one of Victoria's leading clubs, founded in 1876 at St Kilda on Port Phillip. It runs keelboat, one-design and off-the-beach racing and hosts the Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta.

Photo: -wuppertaler, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

2 min read

The Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron (RMYS) is one of Victoria's leading and most historic clubs — founded in 1876 at St Kilda on Port Phillip. It runs keelboat, one-design and off-the-beach racing close to central Melbourne, and hosts the Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta.

The club

RMYS sits on St Kilda Beach, in the bayside suburb of St Kilda close to the city — one of the most central and active clubs on Port Phillip, and historically one of the strongest by membership. It runs a broad program across keelboats, one-design classes and off-the-beach dinghies, with a strong youth pathway and a full social side.

Boats moored at the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron marina, viewed from St Kilda Pier — St Kilda, Port Phillip — Photo: -wuppertaler, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

History

The club traces its origins to 1876, when the St Kilda Sailing Club was formed by a small group of yachtsmen at St Kilda beach. It became the St Kilda Yacht Club in 1884, gained a royal warrant in 1924 as the Royal St Kilda Yacht Club, and adopted its current name — the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron — in 1961, after amalgamating with the St Kilda 14-Foot Sailing Club.

The Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta

The club hosts the Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta — one of the country's premier events for all-female crews, bringing them together to race keelboats on Port Phillip. It reflects the club's role in promoting women's participation in the sport.

Where it sails

Port Phillip is a large, enclosed bay offering reliable, accessible sailing near Melbourne, big enough for championship courses and sheltered enough for all levels. RMYS shares these waters with the other leading bay clubs, Sandringham and, at the western end, Royal Geelong.

Following the club

RMYS publishes its racing calendar, regatta details and results through its official website. For the setting, see sailing in Melbourne and Port Phillip, and the sailing terms glossary for the vocabulary.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron?: The Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron (RMYS) is one of Victoria's leading and most historic yacht clubs, based at St Kilda on the shores of Port Phillip in Melbourne. Founded in 1876, it runs keelboat, one-design and off-the-beach racing, a strong youth program and a full calendar, and it hosts the Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta. Its position close to central Melbourne on Port Phillip makes it an accessible and active hub of city sailing.
When was the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron founded?: It traces its origins to 1876, when the St Kilda Sailing Club was formed by a small group of yachtsmen at St Kilda beach. The club became the St Kilda Yacht Club in 1884, gained a royal warrant in 1924 as the Royal St Kilda Yacht Club, and adopted its current name, the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, in 1961 after amalgamating with the St Kilda 14-Foot Sailing Club. It is one of the older clubs on Port Phillip.
What is the Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta?: The Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta is a keelboat regatta for all-female crews, hosted by the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron on Port Phillip, usually over a weekend. It is one of the country's premier women's sailing events, bringing together female crews to race keelboats, and it reflects the club's role in promoting women's participation in the sport. It is held on the accessible waters of Port Phillip off St Kilda.
Where is the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron?: The club is at St Kilda Beach, in the bayside suburb of St Kilda close to central Melbourne, on Port Phillip. Port Phillip is a large, enclosed bay that offers reliable, accessible sailing near the city, and St Kilda's position makes the club one of the most central and active on the bay, historically one of the strongest on Port Phillip by membership.

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