![[Royal Highland Yacht Club ensign]](../images/g/gb~yrhyc.gif)
Last modified: 2014-07-19 by rob raeside
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The Royal Motor Yacht Club uses a plain blue ensign,
undefaced. Blue ensign granted 10 January 1906.
David Prothero, 7
June 2014
![[Burgee of Royal Motor Yacht Club]](../images/g/gb_mycb.gif)
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
![[Burgee of Royal Motor Yacht Club]](../images/g/gb~myb2.gif)
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
![[Flag of Royal Motor Yacht Club]](../images/g/gb_rmyc.jpg)
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
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]](../images/g/gb~@myc.gif)
image by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 15 November 2013
![[Burgee of the Royal Motor Yacht Club]](../images/g/gb~@rmyc.gif)
image by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 15 November 2013
![[Burgee of the British Motor Boat Club]](../images/g/gb~@bmbc.gif)
image by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 15 November 2013
