Barbados Yacht Club

Barbados Yacht Club

Short name	BYC
Founded	26 December 1924
Location	St. Michael, Barbados
Commodore	Peter Thompson [1]
Website	barbadosyachtclub.com

The Barbados Yacht Club was established in 1924 with a primary focus of promoting sailing on the island of Barbados. ^[2] In 1932 it was granted a Royal Warrant by King George V to become the Royal Barbados Yacht Club. ^[3] In 1967 it lost the use of the Royal honorific and reverted to the Barbados Yacht Club shortly after Barbados gained independence from Great Britain in 1966.

Shot Hall

• 
  Barbados Yacht Club entrance.
• 
  Royal Barbados Yacht Club.

Shot Hall

The Club's Clubhouse, originally called Shot Hall, is located on Carlisle Bay. It is a classic Regency period house and was erected in 1810 ^[4] It was originally the private residence of the Officer Commanding the West Indies Company of the Royal Engineers of the British Army. ^[5] The first Commanding Royal Engineer who occupied Shot Hall was Brigadier-General Sir Charles Shipley. ^[6]

The origin of the name Shot Hall is unclear but probably derives from two buildings originally located to the north of the Hall described in an 1832 British garrison plan as "Artillery Stores" i.e. artillery shot was stored on the grounds. After the departure of British Forces from Barbados in 1905-6 the Hall became the residence of Captain W.H.Owen the Marine Superintendent of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company which owned the property. The building was operated as the Royal Hotel - Barbados from 1911-1918 ^[7]

Subsequent occupants of the Hall included C. Ludlow Livingston ^[8] the United States Consul (1918-1920), Colonel Yates a British Union Oil Company Executive (1921-1923) and then by a Barbadian businessman Harold Wright. The Club was in occupation of the Hall in 1926. The Hall underwent extensive structural alteration in or around 1936 with the object of improving the function of the building as a club house. A porte-cochere was built on the east side of the Hall in the early 1950's over the entrance to the clubhouse providing shelter to members arriving by automobile from inclement weather. ^[9]

Club Amenities and Activities

Over the years there have been different sailboat classes raced at the Club including the Star (keelboat), Fireball (dinghy) and J24 Classes ^[10]

The Club has 4 tennis courts, a pickleball court, dining facilities and a beach bar. The beach bar was constructed in 2006. ^[11]

In 2014 a new building was constructed containing new facilities including a gym for members use on the south side of the property next to the beach bar.

Most members boats are stored on land and launched and hauled out on the beach. Some member yachts are on moorings in Carlisle Bay. There are no dockage facilities.

On the grounds of the Club adjacent to the Beach Bar is a mounted British 24-pounder long gun bearing the royal cypher of King George II of Great Britain. The cannon was found during excavations of the Eastern Boat Dock in the Club’s boat yard in 2012. ^[3] The cannon was installed in memory of a club member Major Mike Hartland. ^{[11] [12]}

To the east of the clubhouse in the driveway turning circle are 2 18th-19th century mounted 12 pounder carronade found during demolition and excavation of a Royal Navy building to the northeast of Shot Hall.

• 
  Beach Bar
• 
  King George II 24 pounder long gun
• 
  Carronades in front turning circle

Club Burgee

At the time of the Club's founding in 1924 a burgee was adopted which comprised a 2:3 blue triangle with a yellow hoistward chevron ^[13] In 1932 the Club applied to the British Admiralty for permission for Club members to fly a Blue Ensign defaced with badge of the colony of Barbados. The Admiralty refused the application that same year because of the low tonnage and level of activity of Club yachts. In 1991 the club changed the burgee from that used since 1932 to a new design.

^{[14] [15] [16] [17]}

References

1. "BELLBUOY - FEBRUARY 2024 by thebarbadosyachtclub - Issuu". issuu.com. February 15, 2024.
2. "Barbados Yacht Club - Barbados Pocket Guide". www.barbadospocketguide.com.
3. 100 Years of Sailing the Barbados Yacht Club 2024 p.19
4. 100 Years of Sailing the Barbados Yacht Club 2024 p.18
5. Brown, Steve. "British Artillery Battalions and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815" (PDF). www.napoleon-series.org.
6. 100 Years of Sailing the Barbados Yacht Club 2024 p.16-7
7. 100 Years of Sailing the Barbados Yacht Club 2024 p.16
8. "The Political Graveyard: Barbados". politicalgraveyard.com.
9. "Byc 90yr booklet by Designers Coast Inc - Issuu". issuu.com. April 24, 2015.
10. 100 Years of Sailing the Barbados Yacht Club 2024 p.27, 31 and 38
11. 100 Years of Sailing the Barbados Yacht Club 2024 p.22
12. "Maj John Michael "Major Mike" Hartland ..." www.findagrave.com.
13. "Barbados Yacht Club - Barbados". www.crwflags.com.
14. "Barbados Garrison Historic Area | Barbados.org". barbados.org.
15. Marshall, Peter. "ABOUT US". Barbados Yacht Club. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
16. Raeside, Rob (2021-08-25). "Barbados Yacht Club". FOTW Flags Of The World website. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
17. ""Royal" Barbados Yacht Club and the loss of the "Royal" title". National Archives. The National Archives (United Kingdom). 1967. Retrieved 2021-09-20.