We are rightly proud of our sailing heritage at Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club, but you do not have to be adept on the water to appreciate what our club has to offer. The club has a rich and varied social calendar and many of our members originally joined because of the warm welcome they received when first entering our premises as guests.
It is easy to have a preconceived notion that a “Royal” yacht club would be full of its own grandeur and self-importance. But that could not be further from the case at Royal Cinque Ports, and we have an excellent reputation throughout the yachting fraternity as being traditional, friendly and above all a nice place to visit. Visitors are invariably impressed with the ambience of their surroundings. There is a full and interesting programme of events stretching from January to December and our social secretary is always extremely aware of the diversity of members and endeavours to include something that appeals to everyone.
We hold traditional festivities to celebrate Christmas and the New Year and host aSt George’sDay dinner in April. There are also the popular sailing-related celebrations that you would expect, such as the Fitting-Out supper in March and the Laying-Up supper in November.
The Trafalgar Day supper held in mid-October is a particular highlight, with the club and dining tables looking resplendent as befits such an important date in naval history. Both the local Royal Naval and Royal Marines Association and the Dover Sea Cadets have become a part of this occasion in recent years, and our President, the Admiral the Lord Boyce, is usually the Guest of Honour. This is our most formal dinner, and the President, Mayors and other local dignitaries are piped aboard in the traditional naval manner.
There are a host of events that have nothing to do with sailing and merely underline what a wide range of interests our membership have with the common thread linking them all together the desire to get together and enjoy the warmth of each other’s company and make use of our splendid seafront facilities.
One example is the very popular poetry nights, which have resulted in an illustrated publication of which the club is justifiably proud. From film nights, which are generally held once a month, to quizzes, where our members get to show what a brainy bunch they are; from Valentine’s suppers to regular Sunday walks, the opportunities are about as endless as there are slots in the calendar. Regular “ethnic” events in our calendar include a traditional Burns’ Supper, a St Patrick’s Ceilidh, and cockney nights: our own club’s Shanty Men have been known to add to the entertainment.
The Halloween Party has become another eagerly anticipated night of the year with live music and dancing, the room suitably decorated and members in appropriately ghoulish garments. The result is a scene not out of place in a Hammer House of Horror movie set and a brilliant time is enjoyed by all.
Always eager to embrace refreshing new ideas, in February we were actively involved in celebrating Chinese New Year in Dover, a very popular event that it is hoped will become a regular part of the town’s calendar. The club’s own beer festival has steadily grown in popularity to such a degree that the two-day event (held in 2012 on 2nd & 3rd March) has now become a part of many a Dovorian’s annual calendar, and is supported by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) nationally.