Originally established as a rowing club, the institution also hosts the practise of basketball, futsal, gymnastics, handball, judo, karate, tennis and olympic weightlifting.

[5] The first boats acquired were second-hand goods and stored at the Barraca Elliott, club's first headquarters opened in 1874.

When the port of Montevideo was built in 1908 the club had to set a new location near that place,[6] where it remained until September 9, 1928, when the institution inaugurated its new headquarters on the Río Branco street with a building designed by Arq.

During the 1930s, a rower from the club, Guillermo Douglas, gained notoriety for being South American champion and winning the Bronze medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics.

Other successful rowers during those time were Paulo Carvalho and Mariano Caulín (runners-up in the 1959 Pan American Games held in Chicago).