HISTORY and Future

A 'Royal' Club with a 'Victorian' heritage, but with a modern outlook of family friendly water sports

"At a meeting of gentlemen, favourable to the formation of a Sailing Club, held in Lamb's Hotel Dundee on Friday 27th March 1885, it was unanimously resolved by those present to form themselves into a Sailing Club to be known as the Tay Corinthian Yacht Club"

Since 1885, a lot of water has ebbed and flowed past the club's base in West Ferry Bay and despite all the challenges faced over the years the club continues to prosper as Tayside's leading water sports club.

For many years, including two world wars, RTYC was based at the 'Beach Clubhouse' on Grassy Beach (a listed property still owned and used by the club to this day). In 1955 the opportunity arose to acquire Fort William House, a much bigger property on the main Dundee road for use as our principal clubhouse. Fort William House served the club well for over 60 years, with its heyday being the good old days of the 1960s, 70s and 80s with club dances, the 'one-armed bandit' and great bar takings before people's social habits and lifestyles changed.

Reluctantly the Board and club members concluded that Fort William House was no longer able to meet the needs of members today and it was sold.

The good news is that we have acquired and modified another, more modern property, in a better location, viz Glenogil House, which we hope will be our clubhouse home for the next 50 years or more.

Diving deeper into the past...

The Beginning

As mentioned, the Yacht Club was established at a meeting of Gentlemen at Lambs Hotel, Reform Street, Dundee on 27th March 1885. The original name of the club was The Tay Corinthian Sailing Club.

Back in 1885 there was no road bridge, 6 years earlier the rail bridge had collapsed and the new Broughty Ferry esplanade had just been completed at a cost of £2,495. The nearby docks in Dundee were teeming with barges and schooners cargoing redwood from Sweden, Birch from Canada, Flax from the Continent and Jute from what is now known as Pakistan. 

In the close-knit community of the fishermens rows of The Ferry the lug-sailed fishing fleet was then 80 strong with the larger vessels roaming the East coast for herring. Alas in a few short years, the herring fleet would boast but one boat and the men would be forced to seek work elsewhere.

The first organized event held by the newly formed club was a cruise down the river on 23rd May, 1885. The first race was held on 20th June, 1885. In October 1887, the Committee proposed that the name be changed to The Tay Corinthian Yacht Club and in December of that year it was decided to rent a small piece of ground on the beach to erect a clubhouse which remains in good use to this day and is known as The Beach Clubhouse.

Royal Tay Yacht Club

In July 1890, a special meeting was called to consider the proposal to apply for a Royal Warrant and to change the name of the club accordingly to Royal Tay Yacht Club (RTYC).

The club continued to operate on a fairly small scale as sailing was considered the sport of the few, since the boats involved were mainly wooden keel boats with cotton sails and these were very expensive items to acquire and maintain. 

The biggest increase in the membership of the club however, came after the Second World War, and was the result of the boom in dinghy sailing and new methods of construction, namely marine plywood and synthetic materials facilitating a low cost introduction into the world of sailing. In 1927 Lady members were permitted and in 1937 Cadet sailing was introduced.

In August 1955, the Victorian house known as Fort William became available and was acquired at a cost of £500. The members converted the house into a club and it was operational by the 1956 season.

Fort William House remained the home of RTYC until 2023 following the acquisition and development of Glenogil House in Ogilvie Road to provide a thoroughly modern clubhouse, next to the water to service the club more appropriately for the future.

Over the years the club has hosted many well-organised events including national sailing championships and has an enviable reputation for good organisation and providing fun and hospitality. Many members have travelled far and wide flying the club burgee often competing very successfully.

Broughty Ferry Boating Club

The club known as Broughty Ferry Boating Club (BFBC) was established with the erection of a Boatshed on Grassy Beach in 1875. The original structure was exactly that a two storey shed for the housing of rowing boats, canoes and rowing skulls. Rowing had become a popular pastime on the River Tay and the organisation was formed to look after members boats and to arrange both social and competitive activities. Rowing Regattas held against opposition from Wormit and Dundee City were a regular occurrence. The boatshed was later extended to incorporate a viewing platform and balcony.

In 1966, RTYC purchased all the land on Grassy Beach that forms the clubs estate and assets that we recognise today. RTYC continued to rent the ground to BFBC. In April 2011 it was agreed that BFBC would join forces with RTYC and the boatshed and all assets were passed over.

July 2014 saw the reconstruction of the new boatshed and the build by committed members of RTYCs first St Ayles Skiff Brochty. This was in recognition of the increasing popularity of coastal rowing across the UK. These developments also allowed the club to bring back the name of Broughty Ferry Boating (BFB) to represent the rowing section of the club.

Broughty Ferry Boating

BFB is a rapidly expanding section of the club and now boasts 3 Skiffs Brochty launched in 2014, Arthur Nicoll launched in 2015 and Fiona Shepherd launched recently in 2024. BFB enjoys a packed calendar of social and active rows with weekly Show & Row sessions. The club also competes at several annual Race Regatta Events held across Scotland.

Every 3 years, The Skiffie World Championships are held and BFB has successfully competed at the last 3 Championships held during 2016 in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland, 2019 in Stranraer, Scotland and in 2022 Kortgene in The Netherlands. Having won a number of medals, including Gold, at all 3 past Championships the pressure is on for this years crews competing in the 2025 Skiffie Worlds returning to Stranraer in July.

Looking towards the future

The Future & The Beach Development

From early beginnings the club has invested in land and facilities, and it is thanks to the foresight of members in the past that we have such fine facilities today. However, RTYC is an organisation that doesnt stand still and adjusts and evolves to take account of changes to ensure that its ongoing future will be as long, as colourful and as successful as the past. 

Accordingly, in this jubilee year the club is proposing to embark on a very significant project to upgrade the beach facilities. This project will meet current and future requirements through the provision of changing, showering, locker accommodation and substantial flexible storage facilities which will support the expansion of the existing sports of sailing and rowing but also introduce and develop complementary water sports. 

The club has to attract new members as well as catering for its existing ones. The new facilities will help to ensure that the club remains a vital asset to the community and one of the leading providers of water sports in the country. 

Most importantly RTYC will remain a great focal point for its members to enjoy recreational and social activities for another 140 years and beyond……after all its the members who are the heart and soul of this great club.

Last updated 13:34 on 8 April 2025