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Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland

Last modified: 2022-09-10 by rob raeside
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[Western Yacht Club ensign] image located by Valentin Poposki, 3 September 2006

See also:


Western Yacht Club ensign

The Western Yacht Club is based at Kilrush Marina in Kilrush, Co. Clare on the Shannon Estuary. The ensign is located at http://www.westernyachtclub.com/ensign.jpg, the burgee at http://www.westernyachtclub.com/burgee.jpg.
Valentin Poposki, 3 September 2006

The Western Yacht Club at its AGM in Nov. 2007 voted to re-adopt its original name of the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland which was founded in Kilrush in 1827 and received its Royal Warrant in 1832. Members in the 1830s were all allocated distinguishing flags if they owned boats. If a member had 2 boats he was allocated 2 flags, if there were shared owners of one boat then each owner was allocated his own flag. Distinguishing flags permitted ease of recognition at sea. The club had its own Flag Signals Book and we have an original copy in our possession.
Please see the website (http://www.westernyachtclub.com) for current flags. I have attached a spreadsheet of original members which specifies their distinguishing flags for your info.
Randal B. Counihan, 19 January 2008
Rear Commodore RWYCI

Royal Western blue ensign

In bygone days (before Irish independence, that is) the Royal Western Yacht Club of Galway flew a Blue Ensign and a blue burgee, both bearing the crown and garland still in use. This scan shows both of them as published on plate LIII of the 1889 French Album which is FOTW bibl. ref. [f9r89] or ‘Album des pavillons nationaux et des marques distinctives des marines de guerre et de commerce’.
Jan Mertens, 7 July 2011

The warrant for the Blue Ensign of the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland was issued 26 June 1858. The history of the revived club says that in 1858 the club was moribund. The whole point of the club was to have a White Ensign, and once that was withdrawn there was no interest in having a Blue Ensign. Although there was a club warrant it is unlikely that any yacht warrants were issued. It was a theoretical flag which was probably never manufactured.
David Prothero, 9 June 2011

Did the Royal Western of Ireland Yacht Club dissolve, either because their members didn't want to change the club's ensign, or because their only reason for being members was being allowed to use a white ensign?
Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 13 January 2008

The name has just been (re-)adopted by the Western YC whose history says that the RWIYC ceased to exist in the early 1860s. (http://www.westernyachtclub.com/cms/index.php?page=club-history) Separately I found that in 1884 the club's premises were sold in connection with a civil action at law. The original club's signal flags can be seen at http://www.westernyachtclub.com/cms/index.php?page=club-archive-2.
David Prothero, 13 January 2008

According to the Commodore and direct descendant of founding member of Royal Western Yacht Club (O'Connell), the club was never wound up but was held in trust by the knight of Glin, his family and another and now has been re-established. Between him and the other two families they retain all papers, correspondence, minutes, flag books and warrants in an unbroken line and as you mention even in the late 19thC the club was still liquidating property.
Carl Convery, 24 October 2011


Burgee

[Western Yacht Club burgee] image located by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

The current burgee and the original burgee were both red cross on white burgee.
David Prothero, 20 January 2008


Historical flags - Admiralty warrant 1832

Flags used in 1832 are displayed in the Admiralty Warrant on the club's website at http://www.westernyachtclub.com/cms/index.php?page=club-archive-2.
Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

Ensign

[Western Yacht Club burgee] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

Prominent on the sheet is the ensign, shown as a 2:3 white ensign with a wide red cross of St. George, and in the canton something I've assumed was supposed to be a Union Jack. The ensign bears at the heart of the cross a crown with garland.
Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

Burgee

[Western Yacht Club burgee] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

The burgee is shown. It's quite long; I've taken 3:7, is basically the same composition as the ensign, but as burgees go it's triangular and the hoist beam of the cross is closer to the hoist, only half the height of the hoist away from it, and there's no UJ or look-alike in the canton.
Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

Commodore

[Western Yacht Club commodore] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

The commodore's flag is a broad pennant, with the emblem over over an anchor which I think is fouled. I did these charges in black and grey, and in black, but looking at it again, that may just be that the original has too much holding line in the charges, with actually colours green and gold, and blue for the anchors. The commodore's flag has a red border.
Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

Vice-Commodore

[Western Yacht Club vice commodore] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

The vice-commodore's flag is a broad pennants, with the emblem over over an anchor which I think is fouled. I did these charges in black and grey, and in black, but looking at it again, that may just be that the original has to much holding line in the charges, with actually colours green and gold, and blue for the anchors. The vice-commodore's has no border. It would seem to have a bigger garland, though, perhaps just drawn that way as the lack of a border provided extra drawing space.
Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011


1832 Signal Flags

"The original club's signal flags can be seen at http://www.westernyachtclub.com/cms/index.php?page=club-archive-2. Unfortunately, nothing is said about the signaling system. However, the set of flags is as follows (6:7 seemed to be a fair match for the drawings):

A section of "numeral flags" - a set of ten number flags:

Number flag 1

[Western Yacht Club  number flag] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

1: Quartered blue and red

Number flag 2

[Western Yacht Club  number flag] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

2: Rising diagonal red over white

Number flag 3

[Western Yacht Club number flag] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

3: Bi-colour, blue over yellow

Number flag 4

[Western Yacht Club number flag] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

4: Tri-band, yellow over red

Number flag 5

[Western Yacht Club number flag] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

5: Bi-colour, red before white

Number flag 6

[Western Yacht Club number flag] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

6: Tricolour, blue over white over red

Number flag 7

[Western Yacht Club number flag] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

7: Blue bordered yellow

Number flag 8

[Western Yacht Club number flag] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

8: Tribar, yellow before blue

Number flag 9

[Western Yacht Club number flag] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

9: Saint Michael

Number flag 0

[Western Yacht Club number flag] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

0: Red
Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011


1832 Pennants

Pennants used in 1832 can be seen at http://www.westernyachtclub.com/cms/index.php?page=club-archive-2:

 Substitute

[Western Yacht Club pennant] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

Tricolour, blue before white before red. With only one substitute, it can't have numbers that the same digit appears in more than twice.

 Answering & Affirmative

[Western Yacht Club pennant] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

 Red.

 Negative

[Western Yacht Club pennant] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

Bi-colour, blue before yellow.

 Numeral

[Western Yacht Club pennant] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

Blue.

General flags

Jack

[Western Yacht Club Jack] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

The club jack again has the same design as the ensign, but almost square. The jack doesn't have the UJ in the canton either.
Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

Compass

[Western Yacht Club compass flag] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

Four stripes, blue over white

Rendezvous

[Western Yacht Club Rendezvous flag] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

Chequered of 9, yellow and blue 

Preparative

[Western Yacht Club Preparative flag] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

Red pierced yellow.

Pilot

[Western Yacht Club pilot flag] image by Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg, 3 October 2011

Red octocross fringed white on blue. I have little doubt that pilot flag is supposed to be a UJ, but I drew it as in this case the artist didn't give any indication of knowing anything about the flag.
Peter Hans Van den Muijzenberg
, 3 October 2011