Tel: 01590 672677
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New members are always welcome

Join Royal Lymington Yacht Club!

The home of yachting, dinghy sailing and motor boating


Situated in a stunning riverside location with easy access to the Solent, a warm welcome awaits you at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club. Whether your passion is powerboats, motor cruisers, yachts, dinghies or paddleboards you'll find excellent facilities, first class training, expert waterside services and a thriving social programme for all ages on and off the water.

Becoming a member of Royal Lymington Yacht Club gives you access to our excellent facilities both on and off the water. Our exceptional restaurant and popular bar with sun terrace provide arguably the most picturesque views in Lymington and is managed by the world-renowned Mosimann’s dining club. 

The club holds an enviable record of success on the water, counting many national, international and Olympic champions amongst its members. We organise regular dinghy and keelboat racing throughout the season, as well as sailing and motorboat cruises, rallies and meets. Our thriving junior and youth section welcomes members to join regular year-round adventures, coaching and racing, inspiring a life-long passion for sailing. 

A prominent RYA training centre, we provide regular training courses and host many regattas, championships and events. Our rooms are available for private hire for meetings, conferences, celebrations and other events.

We bring together like-minded people with a love of the sea. Membership doesn’t end in Lymington; you’ll find friends flying the Club burgee in far flung places as we reciprocate with clubs across the UK and around the world.
 

There are so many benefits of being a member of RLymYC!


As a member, you’ll be a part of one of the most active yacht clubs on the Solent, a warm and welcoming home of yachting, dinghy sailing and motorboating. Our club is multi-generational and some of our older members can be seen racing against or cruising with their own children and grandchildren. For those who don't yet know anyone in the club, our Member Buddys will help you meet those with similar interests and ensure you are able to get involved in club life as much as you choose.

Many of our members play a major role in helping run events and other activities. The club is managed day-to-day by a friendly team of staff, yet it is our members that truly make the club such a special and vibrant place.

The Royal Lymington Yacht Club offers a breadth of benefits to its valued membership, including:

Excellent Waterfront Facilities

  • Moor overnight on our private pontoon with electricity and water(subject to availability)
  • Lift your boat at a discounted rate
  • Use our launch service to access your river mooring or borrow a tender
  • Store your dinghy in one of our two dinghy parks (subject to availability)
  • Our expert boatmen are always on hand to help

Exhilarating Racing

  • Keelboat and dinghy racing from March to November
  • Organised racing for J/80s, XODs, Cruiser Racers, Nordic Folkboats, Scows and dinghies
  • Team racing for all abilities
  • Crewing opportunities for beginners and experienced sailors
  • Weekly junior racing and annual Junior and Youth Regatta Week

Enjoy our Fabulous Mosimann's Restaurant

  • Affordable and family-friendly with discounts for members
  • ​Experience first class cuisine in our restaurant and enjoy our all-day menu in our bar or on our sun terrace, with stunning riverside and Solent views

Exciting Adventures

  • Shipmates' adventures for under 8s and their families
  • Mariners' adventures for competent young sailors
  • Club dinghies and paddleboards for members to hire
  • Regular yacht and motor cruises in the Solent and beyond
  • Comprehensive chart room for members to use
 

Exceptional Training and Coaching

  • A respected RYA Training Centre for power and sail, children and adults, including beginners courses and women-only courses
  • Outstanding coaching for junior and youth sailors in Optimist, RS Tera, RS Aero, Laser, RS Feva, 29er and 420, led by a dedicated Head Coach
  • Discounted rates for members
 

Enticing Social Programme

  • Social events and activities for all ages throughout the year
  • Choose from cycling, rowing, walks, book club, art, photography, yoga, pilates, dance, language classes, cookery lessons, wine tasting, winter talks, suppers, quizzes, kids movie nights and more!

 

How to join Royal Lymington Yacht Club


Visiting the clubhouse for an introductory tour is the best way to start your application process. Please contact Maria, our Membership Secretary on 01590 672677 to arrange a suitable date to visit and for a chat including any questions you may have about joining the club.

Our application progress has the following easy steps:
  1. Decide on the type of membership which bests suits you 
  2. Complete and return the application form
  3. Your name(s) will appear on our membership noticeboard for 28 days
  4. Depending on membership type you may be asked to attend an informal membership meeting or be allocated a Member Buddy (this will be carried out on Zoom if government restrictions do not permit a physical meeting). This is a good opportunity to ask any questions you might have. 
For Full or Family Membership, you will require two existing members of at least two years standing to propose and second you. Both the proposer and seconder must have been personally acquainted with you for at least six months, and both will be required to provide letters supporting your application. If you do not know two club members, we can offer a period of Provisional Membership to enable you time to meet other members who will support your Full Membership application.

Whilst your name(s) appear on our membership noticeboard, your application will be considered by the Membership Sub-Committee and then passed to our General Committee to vote. Occasionally we may come back to  you during this time for further information. If no further information is required, at the end of the 28 days, subject to your application being accepted by our General Committee, our Membership Secretary will then make contact to welcome you as a member(s) and advise of the next steps in commencing your membership.

Our Membership Secretary will provide you with full details of our subscription fees, including how Full, Family and Provisional Membership can pay monthly or quarterly if preferred. 

Contact Maria, our Membership Secretary on 01590 672677 or by email [email protected]

Categories of Membership

  • Full members have voting rights at the General Committee and are entitled to all privileges and full use of the club and its facilities
  • We are keen to encourage families to join the club and our family subscription offers free membership to any children under 18 years of age when parents join as a couple
  • To support your application, you must be personally well known by two Full Members, of two years standing, who can support your application and vouch for you "being, or having been, active on the water"
  • Where two appliants wish to have voting rights, they can apply to be Linked Full Members, paying the cost of 2 Full Members minus a discount of 12.5%
  • Available to help those applicants who do not know any club members well enough to act as proposer and seconder
  • Also available to those who do not have any experience on the water but wish to gain it
  • Provisional membership is available for up to one year. We hope that during this period you will get to know other club members who will support your Full Membership application
  • Provisional Members delay paying the joining fee for one year, do not have any voting rights and have the opportunity to become Full Members after one year or cease their membership
  • Provisional Members have full use of the club’s facilities
When considering your application please note that members aged 18 or over may invite a maximum of four guests (which would include non-member spouses/partners and family members) at any one time. The same guest may be invited to the club by any member a maximum of six times in any club calendar year (1st October - 30th September).
We welcome applications for Junior Membership from children between the ages of 8 and 17 years. Junior Membership provides access to discounted coaching in the Junior and Youth Fleets (although not as discounted as Family Members)
 

Frequently asked questions

How do I start the application process?
Decide on which type of membership suits you best and complete the application form. When completing your application form it is important to give as much information as possible concerning your boating experience to date.

The completed application together with the required supporting documents should be returned to the club office marked for the attention of the Membership Secretary. It is useful to include a letter to the Membership Secretary explaining your reasons for wishing to join the club. The letter should include information about your sailing or boating skills and experience and future intentions in the boating context. 

If applying for Provisional Membership without any boating experience, please explain how you would like to get involved and become active on the water.
What about my wife, husband, partner?
We are a family-oriented club, and candidates are encouraged to bring his/her spouse or partner into membership as a Full or Family Member.

Family Members aged 40 years and over pay an entrance fee on election but do not have voting rights. Should your partner/spouse (or either gender) require voting rights, then they need to apply for Full Membership. If this is successful then a 12.5% discount is applied to the cost of 2 x Full Memberships living at the same address.

Candidates should be aware that spouses/partners who do not become Family Members will be deemed guests whose use of the club will be limited to no more than six visits per club calendar year (1st October - 30th September) and also shall be required to sign the Visitors Book.
Do I have to own a boat?
Not at all, if every member was a boat owner, there would be nobody to crew! 
 
Full and Provisional applicants must satisfy the requirements of Article 6 (Election of Members). It is important to show ‘active involvement in sailing’, whether this is in large yachts or small dinghies whether sail or power. Ownership of a boat is not a prerequisite for selection. Sailing organisational skills, instructional ability, race or event management, etc. are all very acceptable.

Provisional Members without boating experience must be able to evidence an active involvement by the end of the first year.
Who may act as proposer or seconder?
Full Members with a minimum of two years standing may act as proposer or seconder in support of membership applications. 
 
Members must not propose or second a candidate for membership if a professional or business relationship exists between you (Article 6.8) nor shall both proposer and seconder have a close family relationship with the candidate. 
 
The proposer/seconder should complete the appropriate form, giving as much detail as possible including all known particulars of the applicant’s yachting/ sailing/ boating experience. It is often useful to include a covering letter to provide further relevant information not covered in the proposer/seconder form. The proposer and seconder sign the proposer/seconder form as a declaration and a recommendation for membership.

If you feel that you do not know the applicant well enough, please ask them to pursue the Provisional Membership route. This gives the applicant an opportunity to experience our club for one year before committing to Full Membership.