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Yacht Club Burgees and Flags (Spain)

See also:

Yachts Ensign
Maritime Provinces (registration ensigns)
Spain

Introduction

I believe there is one (or more) [R]CN (they are not always "Real" ie. Royal) in each seaside province.

Santiago Dotor, 16 July 1999

In many burgees there is the Spanish royal crown. Only clubs which are given the title of Royal (Real in Spanish) can use it on their coat-of-arms, and some of them also use it on their flag.

José Carlos Alegría, 17 August 1999

António Martins wrote, "Do you mean this triangle shaped yacht club pennants are always (or typically) in 3:5 ratio?". Actually, in naval flags, shapes are very important, because still in our days, flags are used constantly in boats. Therefore, when we see a recreational boat, specially sailboats, with several flags in different parts of the boat, it is very handy to notice the shapes, as this helps a lot. In the case of the owner's club flag, it is usually triangular or swallow-tailed to distinguish it from others (national ensigns, courtesy ensigns and signal flags ). They used to fly on top of the tallest mast of the sailboats and at the bow mast of motorboats. In our days, as the top of the mast is used for electronic gear in sailboats, the owner's club's flag flies on a lanyard under the starboard spreader on the mast. Being the spreaders of the mast where courtesy flags and some signal flags also fly, it helps if the Club's flag is a triangular burgee.

For example, you sail into Cyprus with your British sailboat. At the first port you arrive, you have to fly the courtesy flag (Cyprus national flag), the signal flag for being the first harbour of that country you touch (letter "Q", a yellow squared flag), and your club's burgee. As most sailors just have one or two lanyards to the spreader, all these flags are just about all together. If your club's burgee has a lot of yellow on it (Rutland Sailing Club, U.K.)... But then, the courtesy flag will be rectangular, the signal flag squared, and the owner's club triangular.

As for proportions, unfortunately, not so much importance is given, but 3:5 is the most used, followed by 1:2, but it is extremely difficult to say which club uses what, as the same club sometimes flies different proportions at their own clubhouse! Sometimes the flagmaker takes that decision alone. This is something I like to define with club officials when I can, but most of them do not know and/or do not care. In some other clubs, where proportions are well defined (Costa Smeralda, Italy, or Monte Real, Spain), they use 3:5.

José Carlos Alegría, 23 August 1999

There are almost no books about yacht burgees, except for the Lloyd's Register of Ships and very few others.

José Carlos Alegría, 15 November 1999