Royal Tay Yacht Club

Jim Saltonstall sings the praises of this club overlooking the Tay estuary on the east coast of Scotland

As one of the premier clubs on the east coast of Scotland, the Royal Tay must be on your list of clubs in Scotland for hosting any major event.

Many class associations choose to have their national championships in Scotland, so that the members get to see a variety of venues around Britain, as well as turning it into a family holiday. The club itself is situated just to the eastern edge of the city of Dundee operating out of Broughty Ferry, and has an excellent track record for hosting many national and other important yachting events.

Hospitality at the club is really good in a very cosy, Scottish atmosphere, and offers challenging sailing in tidal waters, along with excellent self-contained facilities, both on and off the water, experienced and well-qualified race management team, and not forgetting their strong reputation for apres-sailing activity.

The club has around 400 members, along with a strong youth section sailing both dinghy and small keelboat classes. The clubhouse offers excellent facilities with views over the river and the racing area. It has two bars, great catering facilities, and meeting rooms. There is also a beach clubhouse, offering daytime catering which goes down very well with all the competitors, both prior to and after the day's racing.

On site there is a good car/ boat parking area with plenty of space for all. For the keelboats there are good mooring facilities for all provided by the club, with a good ferry service also available. Accommodation in the area is plentiful, whether you require hotels or B&B, there is also good student accommodation available within walking distance of the club. Tents may be pitched on the club's premises which is very handy, and there are plenty of shops, pubs and restaurants all within staggering distance.

On the social side of operations, the club is famous for providing a great social programme for all the family, so no problems there - you will have a fabulous social event for sure. Travelwise, the city is well served by good motorway connections as well as intercity train service, plus an airport, so there is not a problem actually getting to Dundee. For those members of the family not actually racing, there are plenty of other activities in and around the city, as well as other famous cities well within striking distance should they fancy a day trip.

Race Area
Lies off the north shore of the Tay estuary, and is approximately 1.5 miles wide. The majority of the race area is within view of the club, extending from the Tay road bridge, to the west, and progressing well down river to the east, an excellent patch of racing water. As with any river estuary, running out to the open sea, there is plenty of tide to consider in your race strategy plans, racing is scheduled to take place when the tide is flooding as it is not as strong as the ebb.

Tide
The tide is relatively easy to predict, running at its strongest in the middle of the estuary, weaker on the edges, knowledge of where the deeper/shallower waters are is obviously of great importance, so do not employ a tactician who has not studied the chart or has not spoken to the local fishermen. As the tide turns, the flood tide starts approximately 30 minutes earlier on the south shore, and the ebb tide runs away first on the north shore - keep an eye on moored boats for an indication of tidal direction. The flood tide can reach up to two knots, with the ebb even stronger, so lay lines/start lines are going to be critical.