Yacht club

Yacht or sailing clubs have either a marina or a delimited section of the beach or shoreline with buoys marking the areas off-limits for swimmers as well as safe offshore anchorages.

This type of club often was extremely exclusive, attracting the aristocracy or the high class and leaving small boat owners out of the circle.

On the other hand, a Sailing Club tended to focus on a membership composed exclusively of owners of sailboats, including smaller boats such as dinghies.

These became very popular towards the end of the 19th century when small boats began to be produced on an industrial scale.

The membership is a mixture of people with specific recreational affinities, and the members often include those who sail as crew for cruising or racing, as well as boat owners.

Also it is up to the members decide on the objectives of the club to satisfy the membership and to attract other like-minded individuals.

The Kieler Yacht-Club in Northern Germany organizes the yearly Kiel Week, the second-biggest sailing event in the world, that is celebrated since 1882.

Clubs may host regattas ranging from informal local events to national championships.

These junior sailing programs often also teach children rowing, kayaking, general seamanship and navigation.

Children are also taught how to race competitively from an early age and most clubs host junior sailing regattas each season.

At traditional clubs the burgee and the ensign is hoisted at 08:00 each morning and lowered each evening at sunset.

Members of yacht clubs typically gather at a clubhouse or shore station which may also have docks.

Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club was the unofficial name for the United States Seventh Fleet during the Vietnam War.