It was bestowed Royal Patronage by Emperor Napoleon III, and its first president was Admiral Charles Rigault de Genouilly.

In 1891, a new club was founded, the Union des Yachts Français, Société d'Encouragement pour la Navigation de Plaisance.

In 1993, as part of the Club's 125th celebrations, Maïté Etchechoury wrote Yacht-club de France : sous-série GG7 : répertoire numérique détaillé.

[1] On September 30, 2022 the Union Nationale pour la Course au Large (UNCL) yacht club was merged into the Yacht Club de France.

[2] Among other competitions, the Yacht Club de France, together with the Yacht Club Italiano, runs the Giraglia Rolex Cup regatta from Saint Tropez, past Giraglia (the northernmost point of Corsica), to Genoa, Italy.