ClubCoastalKnightsbridge, Greater London and ThamesSolent, Thames and international yacht-racing venues
Royal Thames Yacht Club
Beginner
Start
Can a beginner start here?
Yacht racing, Cruising, Keelboat sailing, Team racing, Match racing, Social sailing
Beginner
RTYC is not presented as a learn-to-sail centre for complete beginners, but current official pages show some entry-level racing pathways for members: a 2026 Introduction to Sonars event, a 2026 Team Race Training event, and club statements that training days introduce members to team racing. Suitability appears strongest for members who want racing/team-racing progression rather than first-time dinghy tuition.
Training
The official calendar has a Training & Courses category and lists 2026 training-related activity including Introduction to Sonars and Team Race Training. RTYC also says training days are arranged to introduce members to team racing. Current public pages did not show a standard RYA beginner course offer.
Royal Thames Yacht Club is a Knightsbridge yacht club with racing, cruising, cadet activity, social events and national/international sailing programmes.
No current official public page clearly advertises beginner taster sessions, open days, or try-sailing sessions. The Academy page mentions open events for younger members and potential new members to showcase skills, but that is selection/racing-focused rather than a beginner taster offer.
RTYC has younger-member activity through the Academy, which is open to members aged 26 or under and provides competitive racing opportunities. Member benefits also state the Sonar fleet at Queen Mary Reservoir is suitable for family sailing. No dedicated junior learn-to-sail programme was found on current public pages.
Access· Unclear
Current official public pages reviewed did not provide clear accessibility or access-needs information for sailing participation or the clubhouse. The accommodation page notes some cabins are lift-accessed and West Wing cabins can only be accessed by stairs, but this is not a full accessibility statement.
Costs
Costs, membership, and boats
Prices
The public membership page links to current fee documents, including Schedule of Entrance & Subscription Fees and Membership Brochure 2026, but those files resolve to a login page when accessed publicly. Accommodation cabin rates are published, but exact current membership, course, taster, or boat-use prices were not found on public official pages.
Membership
Official site describes yacht-club membership, racing, cruising, events and cadet/junior pathways from its Knightsbridge clubhouse.
RTYC states a fleet of 12 Sonars at Queen Mary Reservoir is available for member use for team and fleet racing, training, and family sailing. It also states six J/70s at Shepards Wharf, Cowes are available for members to charter for RTYC and J/70 Solent events, with 2026 racing page links to J/70 and Sonar charter-package prices.
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