Many Club Members own or part-own yachts and motor yachts and are active racing or cruising sailors. Sailing matters are controlled by a Sailing Committee whose members include ISAF International and RYA National race officers and judges.

A team of experienced and enthusiastic race officials organise and control racing fixtures at weekends during the season. The Club hosts many regattas for different classes and events large and small. Many Members race in the dayboat SCRA series, whilst the cruising members can take part in Club rallies run throughout the season.

The major event that the club runs is the Metre and Classic keelboat 4 day regatta held each year two weeks before Cowes Week. Up to 100 entries are achieved involving the Metre classes and Solent keelboats of a classical nature. Two or three committee boats course areas are assigned and a variety of racing is offered from ‘Derby’ type windward-leeward courses to ‘Grand National’ Solent round-the-cans courses where tidal factors become more important. The committee boat starts and the variety of racing offered together with an attractive social programme is the reason this regatta is popular with dayboat sailors. We are working with other clubs towards and achieving in the coming years a Cowes Classics Week that embraces classic yachts of all types to form a spectacular backdrop to historic Cowes.

Together with the Royal Southampton and Royal Thames, the Club provides the race officers for the first three days of Cowes Week. The Club has its own launch and pontoon. One event enjoyed equally by racing, cruising, the motor yacht section and the social members is the Cowes-Deauville Race which has been held each year in late May since 1962. The Race now includes pure sail under the auspices of JOG and white sail/sail and power classes in association with the Royal Southern Yacht Club. The fleets congregate in Deauville, where once all have safely arrived, its delights are enjoyed. Those remaining in Cowes celebrate the consequent peace with the ‘TGTG’ (Thank Goodness They’ve Gone) Dinner!