Club History
Jack Voss - central to the early success of the club.... BMYC's First Admiral
In the 1960s proposals were put forward to build a marina and harbour immediately to the east of Black Rock. Construction of the marina commenced in 1971 and it was opened for use in 1978. The marina was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 31 May 1979. Brighton Marina Yacht Club is very much part of Brighton Marina, founded in 1978 when the marina first opened. Since that time BMYC has continued to evolve alongside development of the marina itself.
The first club premises were floating on the MV Medina, which was moored in the marina.
On 3rd March 1977 the Council granted consent on a temporary basis for M.V. Medina to be moored in the locked basin and used as a floating yacht club. Unfortunately, no one seems to have recorded the date M.V. Medina arrived in the marina but it appears to have been in early 1977, before the first boats arriving in August. Racing seems to have started soon thereafter. Early berth holders were given Founder Membership status and a year's free membership to the Brighton Marina Yacht Club, which had been set up aboard the M.V. Medina. When yachts first started racing from the marina they were precluded from joining the RYA as they were not part of a members' club. The only solution was to set up a members' club. In November 1978 the Brighton Marina Yacht Club applied to the RYA for affiliation and became recognised as a yacht club. On 9th October 1979 permission was granted for mooring a vessel measuring 115' by 35' to be used as a club, and a further permission was granted on 20th May 1980.
However, following a decision to remove the Medina from the marina, the Club was forced to find alternative premises and on 15th September 1981 obtained a five-year temporary planning consent to occupy part of the first floor of the former Seajet building as a yacht club.
On the 5th May 1987 another consent was granted for another temporary yacht club, this time on Promontory F at the east end of the marina. The Club obtained permission to enlarge its temporary premises. It was not until 1994 that the yacht club received its first permanent planning permission. On 13th December 1994 consent was granted for the Club to move into the former Barratt Sales House. In March 1995 the Club moved into what it believed would be its permanent home spending some £30,000 in conversion works, this building became known as "Medina House" reviving the name of the original club. Complications with the building made a further move inevitable and the Club began to look at other sites. The top of the multi-storey car park became a consideration. More promising was a very elaborate design for a club house on the West Quay and in September 1997 permission was granted for the building together with a slipway on the spending beach. This did not come to pass and by the summer of 1998 the club had to move again, this time to practically the last undeveloped position in the marina.
The option to build on the harbour wall had been considered for some time. Much time, cost and effort had been expended on it, when suddenly it changed from an option to a necessity. A temporary club house was purchased to stand overlooking the beach. Again many members gave their time and effort to transfer equipment and rebuild the interior, and to remodel the dining room.
In 2015 the club's (hopefully) final move came about: BMYC had to leave its 'temporary' premises as the redevelopment of the marina accelerated. Its new home was the result of collaboration between Brunswick Developments (who funded the construction and provided the building for the yacht club), Intermarine (who engineered and built the new clubhouse and its innovative floating platform) and Premier Marinas (who provided its permanent mooring adjacent the Marina boardwalk). The club was constructed at the Eastern end of the marina.
It was floated into position in July 2015
Our current home for Brighton Marina Yacht Club (BMYC) at 3500 ft, is one of the country's largest floating buildings. It was moved to its permanent moorings at the marina on 30 July 2015 and it was fitted out and open for members and guests in September of that year. We've enjoyed our newest club building ever since, with a redecoration happening during lockdown, and an extension to our deck for racing crews added to the South.
