Flag Etiquette

The club Burgee should be flown by members. A burgee bearing a single white ball is flown by past flag officers other than past commodores. The commodore's FLAG is a swallowtail pennant and the vice and rear commodores' flags have respectively one and two white balls. The rectangular Club Flag is flown by past commodores and by vessels on club business, including the clubhouse and the race office signals mast.

Members should follow the guidance on flag etiquette in the RYA booklet C4 'Flags and Visual Signals".

Any member is entitled to display the club's name or insignia upon any vessel they own, and to fly the club's burgee while present on any vessel they own or charter.

The club's burgee should be flown with the Red Ensign (or the maritime ensign of the vessel's nationality of ownership if different), when the member is present on board or nearby. Except when racing, the burgee should not be left flying without the ensign.

The burgee should be flown at the principal masthead if practicable, or otherwise at the senior (starboard) signal halyard above all other flags, other than a courtesy ensign when abroad.

Members entitled to use other burgees should while in the club's home waters fly the club's burgee above any other.

Upon notification of the death of a club member, unless requested otherwise the clubhouse will fly the ensign at half mast on the day the news is received, at weekend(s) between then and the funeral, and at the time of the funeral if known. Club members may wish to follow suit within the harbour. Flags should not be flown at half mast while under way.

The practice of saluting (dipping the ensign to) flag officers is not expected and such salutes will not normally be returned.

Last updated 11:31 on 4 October 2022