The club's patron is HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, an accomplished WW2 naval officer, and keen yachtsman.
He owned the 12 metre yawl BLOODHOUND, which he raced in the RORC Channel races, the Flying Fifteen COWESLIP, crewed by its designer Uffa Fox, and the Dragon BLUEBOTTLE (K192), crewed by Graham Mann, a partner in stockbrokers Grieveson Grant, who won bronze in her at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Prince Philip raced BLUEBOTTLE in Burnham Week in the 1950s. The mast was struck by lightning on its mooring during Burnham week 1956.
He attended the Club's centenary celebrations in 1996, lunching the Commodore, Flag officers and Past Commodores, one of whom had crewed for him on BLOODHOUND in the 1960s.