At Rye Yacht Club, everyone is welcome. We’re a community built on a shared love of the sea — a place to discover new adventures, make connections, and find your home on the water.

Commodore’s Message

Welcome to all members, guests and visitors to the Rye Yacht Club for season 2025-2026 with organised programs operating from the second weekend of October until the last weekend in April.

The Sailing, Sailing School and Social Committees have worked together to provide a full program of integrated instructional sessions as well as recreational and competition sailing and other water-based activities.  This season we will offer opportunities to grow participation by women in our club as well as supporting our next generation of sailors transitioning from their development squad sailing into competitive sailing.

Throughout the season there will be a range of social events to provide the opportunity for members and guests to mix and enjoy all the benefits of being a part of Rye Yacht Club.

In 2025, the Executive Committee are continuing to plan and implement improvements for the next generation of the club with a number of members volunteering their time to manage and update everything from club administration, 
operations and events.

The club is volunteer based. This season the number of volunteer roles on official sailing events has been reduced to help spread the load from the few to the many.  Please ensure that you complete all allocated duties or swap with sufficient notice. If you are unsure of your duty obligations, please contact any of the committee members who will be more than happy to assist.

The club is here for members, please support and enjoy it and best of luck for the 2025-2026 season.

Neville Taylor
Commodore
2025-2026

Our History

Rye Yacht Club started with a simple idea: a fun New Year’s Day sail in 1970 to shake off the night before.

A group of local families came together for a yacht race off Rye beach. Six boats took to the water in a lively, carnival-like atmosphere. The winner’s “trophy” — a light-hearted creation of empty cans wrapped in foil and decorated with toilet paper bunting — reflected the fun and family spirit of the day.

The success of that first race sparked something bigger. The following year saw even more boats join in, and soon families were gathering every weekend to sail together. By May 1971, around 25 families formally established the Rye Yacht Club, and a year later a constitution was adopted. In October 1972, the club became a member of the Victorian Yachting Council (now Yachting Victoria).

Over the years, the club found its permanent home on the foreshore and, through the efforts and fundraising of members, built the clubhouse that officially opened in 1985. Since then, RYC has continued to grow with new facilities — a canteen, training rooms, a dedicated Sailing School, and expanded grounds — all designed to welcome more people to sailing and strengthen the sense of community.

From those first six boats to today, Rye Yacht Club has always been about more than sailing. It is a place where families and friends come together, where new sailors are encouraged, and where the joy of being on the water is shared across generations.

Sail. Belong.

Create Lasting Memories.