The Royal Maas Yacht Club celebrated its 175th anniversary with three remarkable days on and off the water, marking a major milestone for one of Europe’s great yacht clubs. 

 

The Royal Ocean Racing Club was well represented at the celebrations by Commodore Deb Fish and Honorary Secretary Richard Palmer, underlining the close ties between the two clubs and their shared passion for offshore racing.

 

RORC Committee Member and Royal Maas YC Member Lukas Kolff described the celebrations as “amazing”, with one of the highlights being the visit of the club’s patron, Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, the former Queen of the Netherlands. A fleet of around 50 boats took part in a parade, saluting Princess Beatrix in her role as Admiral of the Royal Maas Yacht Club. “The parade was magical,” said Kolff. “Fun on the water!”

 

The celebrations also honoured one of the most famous chapters in Dutch offshore racing history. Former crew members from the legendary Flyer campaigns, including Grant Dalton, became Royal Maas members, while the two Whitbread Round the World Race trophies won by Flyer in 1977 to 1978 and Flyer II in 1981 to 1982 returned to the club. They are now displayed in the upgraded Flyer Room.

 

More than 850 people attended the anniversary event, which was also televised on national TV, giving the celebrations a fitting public profile.

 

The Royal Maas Yacht Club also has a strong modern connection with RORC competition. The club entered a team for the 2025 Admiral’s Cup, the prestigious international team event successfully revived by RORC, and the Royal Ocean Racing Club looks forward to welcoming Royal Maas back for the 25th edition of the Admiral’s Cup in 2027.

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