Republic of Singapore Yacht Club

200-years of history unveiled by the President of Singapore

A landmark bicentennial programme for Asia's oldest yacht club

At a glance

200 years of history
9 month project timeline
2 exhibitions + selfie wall
1 permanent heritage gallery
1 short film
1 oral history programme
1 archives project

Singapore

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Singapore 〰️

Asia's oldest yacht club — and Singapore's oldest social club

The Republic of Singapore Yacht Club was founded in 1826 by British merchants keen to chart and sail the waters around Singapore. Established just seven years after Sir Stamford Raffles' arrival, the Club is not only Asia's oldest yacht club but Singapore's oldest social club - a 200-year institution woven into the very fabric of the nation's history. In February 2026, the Club marked its bicentennial anniversary with a series of major heritage events, opened by the President of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

History Ink was appointed by the RSYC to design and deliver an ambitious, multi-strand heritage programme across a nine-month timeline. The programme encompassed two exhibitions plus selfie wall, a permanent Heritage Gallery, an oral history project, a heritage film and an archives initiative.

Two centuries of Singapore's seafaring story

A pivotal figure in the early history of the RSYC is William Read - a merchant who also co-founded the Singapore Turf Club, another institution History Ink has had the pleasure of working with. In the 1800s Read helped organise regattas for Sir Henry Keppel (later Admiral of the Fleet) and visiting royals. In 1922, the Club obtained royal patronage when the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, became its first Royal Patron. A new clubhouse opened on Trafalgar Street in 1920, designed by Swan & Maclaren - the preeminent architectural firm behind Raffles Hotel.

Singapore's independence in 1965 brought a new chapter: the Club was renamed the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club, and the following year Yusof bin Ishak - Singapore's first President - visited the new clubhouse at Sungei Pandan and became the Club's first Singaporean Patron. Today, the RSYC serves both its members and the wider community through charity regattas, sailing programmes, and a commitment to marine research and environmental sustainability.

Unveiled by the President of Singapore

The centrepiece of the bicentennial was a set of two exhibitions and a Heritage Gallery, unveiled by Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at a special anniversary gala dinner on 7 February 2026. Also present at the opening were the Minister for Education, Desmond Lee, RSYC Commodore Balakrishnan B., and the Club's Heritage Working Committee, and other VIP guests.

The Gala Dinner was also a remarkable occasion for community giving: it raised more than S$326,000 for charity, a testament to the Club's enduring commitment to Singapore's wider society alongside its sporting and social heritage.

Capturing voices before they are lost

Alongside the physical exhibitions, History Ink delivered a dedicated oral history programme - recording the memories and stories of long-standing members and former Commodores whose personal recollections stretch back across decades of the Club's history. These recorded voices form a living archive that will preserve the Club's human story.

History Ink also produced a heritage film drawing on the archival research, oral histories and visual materials gathered throughout the project. Complementing this, the archives project worked to organise and partially digitize the Club's historical collection - ensuring that the materials which informed the bicentennial programme are properly preserved and catalogued for future generations.

Throughout the programme, History Ink worked in close collaboration with the RSYC's Marketing and Events Department, the Heritage Working Committee, and design partners Oxygen Design Studio - a model of integrated partnership working that allowed the full breadth of the bicentennial to be delivered within its ambitious timeline.