Royal Thames Yacht Club 250th Anniversary Thames Pageant
by Claire Frew 27 Jun 2025 10:32 UTC
28 June 2025
The 1896-built Cariad will be part of the Royal Thames Yacht Club 250th Anniversary Thames Pageant © RTYC
London's Royal Thames Yacht Club will mark a very special anniversary at St Katharine Docks this month. Celebrating its 250th anniversary, 24 RTYC member vessels are set to converge on the tidal Thames and form a flotilla through London, concluding and assembling at St Katharine Docks this weekend.
The Royal Thames Yacht Club 'Thames Pageant' will see a variety of member vessels meet at London's West India Dock, and on 28th June, the flotilla will proceed upstream, towards Tower Bridge where they will take a salute off the Royal Navy's HMS President. The highlight of the pageant will see 6 vessels transit the open spans of Tower Bridge, parading through the Upper Pool to London Bridge before rejoining the other vessels entering St Katharine Docks.
Set to be a spectacle, all except one of the pageant flotilla will transit the lock on free flow, which will be a rare and historic moment for the 200-year-old St Katharine Docks. The fleet arrival will conclude with the pageant's flagship, 129-year-old, 36-metre gaff ketch sailing yacht 'Cariad' locking in. The fleet will be arriving between 3-5pm on 28th.
Power and sail, the pageant will showcase an array of vessels, including several large modern sail racing yachts, and vintage motor vessels, including two war hero Dunkirk Little Ships, Naiad Errant and Tahilla. Cutting edge black-hulled TP52 racing yacht 'Gladiator' will be amongt the fleet, as will be Sir Francis Chichester's solo record breaking 53ft ketch, Gipsy Moth IV.
The fleet will be assembling in the St Katharine Docks prized centre basin where it will overnight and depart in the proceeding days.