Royal Motor Yacht Club (United Kingdom)

Last modified: 2014-07-16 by rob raeside
Keywords: royal motor yacht club |
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• Flag of the club
• Royal Motor Yacht Club burgee
• Former burgee
• British Motor Boat Club

See also:

• United Kingdom

Other sites:

• Royal Motor Yacht Club website

Flag of the Club

The Royal Motor Yacht Club uses a plain blue ensign, undefaced. Blue ensign granted 10 January 1906.
David Prothero, 7 June 2014

Royal Motor Yacht Club burgee

image by Clay Moss, 10 June 2007

The Royal Motor Yacht Club adopted its present burgee (a crown in the centre of a red saltire edged in white on blue) when it took over the British Motor Boat Club in 1933.
David Prothero, 23 October 2006

The image above is as posted on the Royal Motor Yacht Club website.
Clay Moss, 10 June 2007

Variant design

image by Clay Moss, 31 August 2007

The saltire's fly end only extends to a point roughly in the middle of the burgee on the club's burgees advertised for sale.
Clay Moss, 10 June 2007

Former burgee

image provided by Nina Swift, 23 October 2006

The item in the picture is an old Doulton Match Striker with a silver rim and on it has been put an enamel on silver flag, as shown. It dates from 1903.
Nina Swift, 23 October 2006

This was the burgee of the Motor Yacht Club. The club was founded by the Royal Automobile Club in May 1905 as a separate body to carry on the work of its Marine Motor Committee. A crown was added to the upper hoist when the club was granted the title "Royal" in September 1910.
David Prothero, 23 October 2006

The Dumpy Book of Ships and the Sea (1957) shows the burgee as similar to, but not the same as, that above; vertically divided blue-white-blue with a three-finned propeller in the centre and a crown at the honour point.
James Dignan, 12 February 2008

British Motor Boat Club

The British Motor Boat Club was formed in 1904, and affiliated with the Royal Motor Yacht Club in 1929. In 1933 the Royal Motor Yacht Club wrote to the Home Office, "British Motor Boat Club will cease to exist and trade trophies will be abandoned. Request permission to change Royal Motor Yacht Club burgee to that of British Motor Boat Club with added crown, if this would not cause any difficulty."

The Home Office replied "No objection to continued use of royal title and accordingly a crown may be displayed on the burgee."

The burgee of the Motor Yacht Club in 1906 was blue/white /blue with a red propeller on the white. In 1910 it became Royal Motor Yacht Club and a crown was added in the upper hoist. The burgee of the British Motor Boat Club was blue with a white edged red saltire. A crown was added on the centre of the saltire in 1933.
David Prothero, 15 November 2013

 From National Archives Home Office document HO 144/10105, ‘Royal Yacht Clubs’.
In the section, ‘List of Clubs which have applied without success for the title Royal.’
British Motor Boat Club.
It says founded 1904, but perhaps that was when it was first proposed, with formal inauguration in 1905. With regard to the unsuccessful applications for the title Royal.
“1905. 125 members. Declined.
“1906. No change. Declined.
“1910. 190 boats, 1167 members. The fact that the Royal Motor Yacht Club had the title has strong ground for not giving it to this club. Declined.
“1912. No separate finances. Absorbed in the Motor Club since 1907. Declined.
“1920. Claim on ground of war service. 165 members. Title not to be recommended unless standing of this type of club is absolutely unexceptionable and unless the club is of some distinction. Declined.
“1923. 79 boats, 208 members. Admiralty were favourable. Declined.
“1926. 260 members. Lieutenant-Commander Lord Louis Mountbatten, Commodore. One ground of claim was service during the General Strike. Declined.”

The merger between the Royal Motor Yacht Club and the British Motor Boat Club was not straight forward.

1929.
6 May. Royal Motor Yacht Club wrote to Home Office that it was to affiliate with the British Motor Boat Club.
“Royal Motor Yacht Club. Hythe Pier. Commodore, Duke of York, Rear-Commodore Sir Henry Seagrave, 466 members.
British Motor Boat Club. Whitehall Court, London S.W. Commodore Lt. Cdr. Lord L. Mountbatten, 405 members plus 132 affiliated members who were not in the motor trade. If royal title could be retained the club would be called the Royal British Motor Yacht Club.”

24 June. Admiralty to Home Office. “No observation on royal title. Would not withdraw Admiralty Warrant from combined club.” Home Office noted that, “trade connections of British Motor Boat Club had been severed in 1914, but that in 1926 there were trade interests on the committee. British Motor Boat Club appeared to be swallowing Royal Motor Yacht Club.”

30 July. Home Office wrote to Admiralty that if the clubs combined the royal title would be withdrawn.

A 1929 application for the title Royal came from the *British Motor Yacht Club*.
“Amalgamation of Royal Motor Yacht Club (granted title in 1910) and British Motor Boat Club (refused 7 times). 891 members plus 132 affiliated members. It would appear that the raison d’etre of these clubs is primarily the promotion of racing contests with the inevitable trade interests, and that the identity of the Royal Motor Yacht Club is swallowed up in the amalgamation. Admiralty would make no observations. Declined.”

It seems that the two clubs merged as the British Motor Yacht Club and then applied for the title Royal, but quickly separated back into the original clubs when the title Royal was not forthcoming. The British Motor Boat Club then closed down four years later.

1933.
30 March. Royal Motor Yacht Club to Home Office. "British Motor Boat Club will cease to exist and trade trophies will be abandoned. Request permission to change Royal Motor Yacht Club burgee to that of British Motor Boat Club with added crown, if this would not cause any difficulty."

7 April. Home Office to Royal Motor Yacht Club. "No objection to continued use of royal title and accordingly a crown may be displayed on the burgee.”

British Motor Boat Club dissolved with most members joining the Royal Motor Yacht Club.
David Prothero, 20 November 2013

Burgee of the Motor Yacht Club

Burgee of the Royal Motor Yacht Club

Burgee of the British Motor Boat Club