Royal Malta Yacht Club

The Royal Malta Yacht Club is the island's yacht club, with roots that may reach back as far as 1835. From a waterfront clubhouse in Ta' Xbiex it runs a full calendar of racing and social events, a summer marina for visiting boats, a restaurant open to members and guests, and a dinghy sailing school for all ages. Its best known event is the Rolex Middle Sea Race, an offshore classic that starts from Grand Harbour every October.

For a UK visitor or someone settling in Malta, the club is the obvious first stop for sailing of almost any kind: crewing in a race, learning to sail, berthing a cruising yacht for a few nights or simply joining a friendly waterfront club. You do not need to own a boat to become a member, and the club's long links with British sailing, from its Blue Ensign to its reciprocal agreements with clubs across the UK, mean many visitors from home feel at ease here straight away.

A history that runs alongside Malta's

Records of a yacht club in Malta are patchy before 1873, when the Admiralty issued a warrant allowing the club to fly the Blue Ensign. After a quiet spell in the late nineteenth century, a syndicate owning a 30 ton cutter named Rhoda revived organised sailing in about 1896, the Mediterranean Skiff Club followed in 1905, and the Malta Yacht Club was reconstituted in 1921. In 1930 it merged with the new Malta Motor Boat Club, with the stated aim of giving Maltese and British residents a shared meeting place.

The Second World War hit hard. Racing stopped in 1940, and on 18 July 1942 a bomb destroyed the clubhouse and many boats. Members regrouped in 1944, using the St Rocco Baths as a temporary base, and the clubhouse at Hay Wharf in Floriana was rebuilt by late 1949. In 1970 the club moved to Fort Manoel on Manoel Island, an eighteenth century fortress with fine views of Valletta, and readers curious about that era can explore our guide to the Knights of Malta.

The name changed to the Valletta Yacht Club in 1978 and returned to the Royal Malta Yacht Club on 13 November 1990. In 1975 the club also led the creation of the Malta Yachting Federation, the body that took over national responsibility for the sport.

The Rolex Middle Sea Race and the racing calendar

The Middle Sea Race grew out of a friendly rivalry in 1968 between two British yachtsmen living in Malta, Alan Green and Jimmy White, and two Maltese members, Paul and John Ripard. The course loops around Sicily, taking in Lampedusa, Pantelleria and the Egadi and Aeolian islands, and the very first edition was won by the smallest boat, Josian, skippered by John Ripard. Today the race covers 606 nautical miles and is spoken of alongside the Fastnet and the Sydney Hobart as one of the great offshore races. The 47th edition started on Saturday 17 October 2026 with 107 yachts, and the bronze trophy was designed by the Maltese artist Emvin Cremona.

Racing carries on through the rest of the year. The 2026 programme includes the Ramla Bay Keelboat Races, the Yachting Malta Race Week dinghy championships, the Cannes to Malta Race, the Yachting Malta Coastal Race, the BOV Gozo Regatta, the Zhik Double Handed Figure of 8 and the Medcomms Round Malta Race, which closes the season in December. A Crew Match service helps owners find crew and sailors find boats, which is a useful way in for a visiting sailor who would like to race but has no boat of their own. Each October the club also shows its own fleet of member yachts entered in the Middle Sea Race, from Farr 30s to a Grand Soleil 46.

Race starts in Grand Harbour draw crowds to the bastions of the capital. Our Valletta guide and our page on the Upper Barrakka Gardens will help you find a good spot, and if a Gozo regatta tempts you across the channel, our Gozo guide covers the sister island.

The clubhouse, Port 21 and the marina

In 2008 the club and the Government of Malta agreed a new home: the former Yachting Centre at Ta' Xbiex, previously used by the Malta Maritime Authority. Conversion work ran from April to October 2009. The building sits right on the water and offers a lounge bar and dining room with outdoor terraces, a roof terrace, conference rooms, a gym with changing rooms, waterfront space for small boats and a seasonal marina for larger ones.

Port 21, the club restaurant, opened to members and their guests on 10 May 2021. Mornings begin with a Bakers' Corner of toasts, ftiras, baguettes and croissants, with an English breakfast and wraps served from 1000. Lunch brings salads, pasta and main courses with vegetarian choices, and dinner is served in the evenings, with extra specials at weekends.

The marina takes up to 65 boats of up to 14 metres on two floating pontoons, with water and electricity on a prepaid system. It is open to all visiting yachts, and guests can use the showers, changing rooms, gym, bar and dining room. In 2026 the pontoons operate from 1 June to 30 September, with visitor rates from €1.65 per metre per day. Other berthing options appear in our directory of marina services in Malta.

Learning to sail at the RMYC Sailing School

The club opened its sailing school in 2014 together with SailCoach, an Olympic training organisation endorsed by World Sailing. Lessons are taught in three hour blocks rather than week long courses, so pupils can learn at their own pace and fit sailing around school or work. The school has also hosted Olympic level sailors who come to Malta to train.

Children usually start at Level 1 on the RS Quest, a stable family dinghy, from the age of six, then move on to the Bug, the RS Feva or the Optimist and eventually the ILCA, the boat formerly known as the Laser. Racing teams for Optimist and ILCA sailors train weekly and compete in local and international regattas. Adults and families learn on Saturday mornings with an instructor on board, and private lessons and team building regattas for groups can be arranged.

Lessons are booked online up to 36 hours ahead, life jackets are supplied, and full and family members of the club receive a discount. As a SportMalta registered entity, the school also lets parents claim a government tax rebate on their children's lessons. Malta's long sailing season is covered in our Malta weather guide.

Membership and reciprocal clubs

Members range widely in age and profession, united by a love of the sea and the social life around the club. Boat ownership is not required. A members' discount scheme offers savings with businesses that support the club, and reciprocal agreements with yacht clubs around the world, including many in the United Kingdom, let members enjoy privileges abroad and bring visiting sailors to Ta' Xbiex.

The club is run by a committee of nine, elected by full members at the annual general meeting. Mark Napier is Commodore, David Cremona Vice Commodore, Amata Camilleri Honorary Secretary and Mark Vella Honorary Treasurer, with Godwin Zammit as Honorary President. Volunteers are central to every event, from weekend club races to the start of the Middle Sea Race, and newcomers do not need to be active sailors to help. If you are settling here, our guide to relocating to Malta covers the practical side of the move.

Sustainability and getting in touch

A Sustainability Compass sets out the club's aims: a sustainability policy and action plan, more efficient running of the club, school and events, wider member involvement and partnerships with sponsors who share the same goals. Its values are respect, camaraderie, inclusivity and legacy, with a strong emphasis on caring for the sea.

The clubhouse is on Ta' Xbiex Seafront, a short drive or ferry and walk from Valletta and close to the waterfronts of Gżira and Sliema, where you will find plenty of hotels in Sliema and Gżira. For more ideas on the water and ashore, see our list of things to do in Malta. To ask about membership, a summer berth, sailing lessons, volunteering or an event, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the Royal Malta Yacht Club, who will reply to you directly.