Model Yacht Sailing Association 
150th Birthday Celebration 
The Round PondLondon

Model Yacht Club House 
Saturday 6th June 2026 

 In 1876 the Model Yacht Sailing Association was looking for sailing water. The  Serpentine was drained in 1869 and not refilled until late in 1871, when it  quickly became the home of the new Serpentine Club. Instead, the MYSA  adopted the Round Pond which was cleaner and less used by bathers. 

Set up by the Biddle brothers with others, at first MYSA members lacked a Club  House. Their boats had to be portable - nothing longer than 2’ 9½” inches! 

It was not until 1884, that the rejuvenated London Model Yacht Club joined the MYSA to sail on the Round Pond. The two clubs then shared the LMYC’s  boathouse in the grounds of the Orangery, adjacent to Kensington Palace. Over the years they worked together, members moving from one to the other, both  clubs in the forefront of model yacht design. 

We hope to have some of those historic designs on display and on the water. If  you own an early tonner, a rater or a 12-Metre (or perhaps a rare 18-Footer), do bring it along.  

Free car parking at the present LMYC Clubhouse (just off the Bayswater Road).  Heavier boats (and their skippers) can travel to the Pond on the Club’s buggy. 

The day is to be run in conjunction with the Vintage Model Yacht Group.  We hope to have a good turnout. 

Join us to celebrate “150 years Not Out”  

Everyone Welcome! 

Charles Smith  
LMYC Honorary Archivist

Contact: Charles Clarke LMYC at drcharlesclarke@doctors.org.uk
(0777 5804197) for gate entry details .

We’ll be at the LMYC Clubhouse by 0900hrs on
Saturday 6th June and hope to continue into the afternoon.