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The Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club, formerly the Gibraltar Yacht Club, was established by officers of the Royal Navy in 1829. It was one of the first yacht clubs founded outside of Britain. British monarchs and Gibraltarian governors have been patrons of the club; the first visit by a reigning monarch was in 1954. During the latter twentieth century, the naval presence waned and the membership of locals dominated. The club's sailing school was established in 2001, accredited as a teaching facility in 2004, and became a testing centre in 2010. The reclamation projects in the middle section of Gibraltar Harbour necessitated the club's move from 26 Queensway to temporary premises. A new facility is under construction. ==History== The Gibraltar Yacht Club was established in 1829 in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar by officers of the Royal Navy stationed at the garrison.〔 It was one of the first yacht clubs to be founded outside of Britain; the Singapore Yacht Club was established three years earlier.〔〔 The first mention of a meeting of the club appeared in the ''Gibraltar Chronicle'' on 15 July 1829: "''The members of the Gibraltar Yacht Club will hold a meeting at Griffiths Hotel on Friday 17th instant at 1 o’ clock p. m. when any officers of the Garrison wishing to join the Club are requested to attend.''" The first meeting of the yacht club took place at the Griffiths Hotel in Commercial Square, now referred to as John Mackintosh Square and, colloquially, as the Piazza. Later, gatherings of the membership were at the Garrison Library. At the end of the nineteenth century, the club relocated to Gibraltar Harbour, near King's Bastion. During the late nineteenth century, those who wanted to register their yachts with the Gibraltar Yacht Club required approval of the Governor of Gibraltar. While the earliest records of the yacht club have been lost, the club does have in its custody a notice of 27 October 1837 from the Admiralty to the Governor. In it, a warrant grants the members of the club permission to fly a "St. George’s or White Ensign and a cornet or burgee." A letter of 22 July 1842 then revokes that permission and instead authorizes wearing of the Blue Ensign.〔 The first regatta for which records exist is that of 22 July 1893. In addition to sailing, the schedule for that day featured swimming, water polo, rowing, and the greasy pole. In 1910, King George V, then the Prince of Wales, gave to the club a cup, now referred to as the King's Cup, for an annual sailing competition. The next year, the prince became the club's patron. More than two decades later, on 13 October 1933, the king bestowed the title "Royal" upon the Gibraltar Yacht Club. The first visit by a reigning monarch was in May 1954, as the then patron Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh visited the club after arriving in Gibraltar on the royal yacht HMY ''Britannia''.〔 Prince Philip continues to be a member of the club. Membership in the club during its early years was limited to officers of the Royal Navy, and the Governor of Gibraltar was consistently one of its patrons. Other amusements afforded to the officers included the Royal Calpe Hunt and the Garrison Library.〔 Over the course of the nineteenth century, there was a marked increase in the number of yacht clubs in the British Empire. While it was due in part to an increase in wealth of the middle class, the social prestige associated with sailing was a factor, particularly given the association with royalty, and its promotion by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The percentage of Gibraltarians in the yacht club increased slowly during the nineteenth century. However, during the latter part of the twentieth century, as the presence of the Royal Navy waned, the membership of locals increased more substantially. January 1991 marked the start of Europa 92, billed as the world's first "around the world rally," the first race of small yachts around the world. During the week prior to the start of the race, the Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club gave all the participants temporary membership privileges and served as the hosting club. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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