To access some of the videos you may be asked for a password, which is RNVRYachtClub
To access the complete archive in one place, please use this page which will be updated regularly as new videos are produced. Each of the links below will enable you to view the relevant video.
Please contact David Monks david.c.monks@gmail.com if you need help.
2025/2026 Season
"Take the boat off before climbing aboard your shoes: a Yacht Delivery story" - Talk given by Club member, Geoff Smith about the highlights (and lowlights!) of a yacht delivery run from Missalonghi to Cyprus via the Corinth Canal
"The St.Nazaire Raid 1942" - Talk given by guest speaker, Nick Beattie, President of the St. Nazaire Society
"RNVRYC Ionian Sea Charter Rally 2026" - Talk given by guest speaker, Tom Fletcher, of Sail Ionian
"Coastal Forces Heritage Trust" - Talk given by guest speaker, Commodore Richard Farrington CBE
"The Gilkicker Fort" - Talk delivered by guest speaker, Lewis Sharp, of Palmerston Forts Society
"The Relief of Ladysmith" - Talk delivered by guest speaker Alison Telfer
2024/2025 Season
"Hostilities Only" - Guest speaker, David Boler, gave a very interesting talk about his father's wartime exploits as an RNVR officer.
"The CRAB" - Hugh Stewart (with Wendy) presenting a very interesting talk about the CRAB/Classic Channel Regatta
"Icelandic Cod Wars 1952 - 1976" - Talk delivered by Dr Peter Brinsden
"The Royal Naval Association & RNVRYC" - Talk delivered by Bill Oliphant, CEO/General Secretary of the RNA on its' history, structure and the association with the RNVRYC around the RNA Yachting Sports and Comradeship Group
"John Yule - Nelson's Lieutenant" - Talk delivered by guest speaker, Peter Yule Booth, a descendant of John Yule
2023/2024 Season
"Trinity House - an overview" - Talk delivered by guest speaker, Cdr Nigel Hare RN, Director of Navigation and an Elder Brother
"Operation Urgent Fury - the US invasion of Grenada" - Talk delivered by eye-witness Mike Morgan aboard HMS Antrim
"Napoleon and HMS Bellepheron" - Talk delivered by guest speaker, Clive Charlton
"Duelling in the Royal Navy" - Talk delivered by guest speaker, Cdr "Dicky" Barton RN
"D-Day Landings and the role of Southwick House" - Talk delivered by Mike Critchley
2022/2023 Season
"Life as an RNR Dentist/Doctor in N. Ireland during the troubles" - A talk by Peter Adamson on his experiences good and bad whilst in the RNR in N.Ireland
"Delivering HMSTY Adventure to the Russian Navy" - Talk given by Ray Kay describing his experiences in acting as Skipper on HMSTY Adventure on a delivery trip to St Petersburg to hand her over to the Russian Navy.
Talk on the RNVRYC Ionian Charter Rally. Given by guest speaker Tom Fletcher of Sail Ionian
Peter Brinsden on "Nelson & Malta"
Hugh Stewart on "Inventions to Float your Boat"
Resumption of the vTot and Occasional Talks series with Peter Costalas delivering a talk on "The Classic Channel Regatta" for which he is one of the organisers. This regatta started in 2005 and is run biennially. It regular attracts a fleet of some 80 yachts ranging from one off’s built in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s to more modern classics from the early 1970’s. It is run over an 8 day period from Dartmouth to Paimpol in Brittany with a stopover in the Channel Islands. It comprises a mix of racing from “Round the Cans” to a Cross Channel night passage. It attracts participants from both the UK and France and is unlike any other Classic Regatta in its mix of social and racing events.
2021/2022 Season
Club member, Hugh Stewart, gave a very amusing talk on Saturday 12 March, entitled "Cocktails and Kicktails" - you'll need to get Hugh to explain that title! It is also the title of a book he has recently published about cocktails which intriguingly is accompanied by an app detailing 400 such drinks! A fun evening for those who managed to drag themselves away from the rugby!
https://vimeo.com/687627295
4 March saw our guest Captain Chris O' Flaherty, RN deliver a very compelling talk on the topic of his recently published biography of Commander Derek "Jake" Wright DSC**, RNVR who was one of only 44 officers throughout the entire Royal Navy in WWII to earn a 2nd bar to his Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery during his service with Coastal Forces.
https://vimeo.com/684836473
The Commodore, Tim Clark, delivered a very interesting talk on 1 February entitled "The Third Battle of the Atlantic" drawing upon his service in the Royal Navy in anti-submarine operations to explain how NATO successfully overcame the Soviet threat before their eventual collapse.
https://vimeo.com/672516402
Captain John Rodgaard, USN (Retd), a noted naval historian and author as well as being the current Chairman of The 1805 Club, got this season off to a great start on 11 November with a talk about the subject of his latest book - "HMS Venomous - a hard-fought ship" covering the exploits of HMS Venomous and her crew during WWII
https://vimeo.com/645290428
2020/2021 Season
On 6 May, our guest speaker, Diggory Rose, Director of the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust. Maritime Operations delivered a highly interesting talk about the work of the trust in conserving and restoring the small naval craft now owned by the Trust.
https://vimeo.com/546391365/fa35aeaabe
Alastair Grant gave us a glimpse into conditions in the Russian Revolution in 1919 when his maternal grandfather led a party of Royal Marines and RN seaman on a dramatic 10,000 mile journey to assist the White Russian forces in manning gunboats on the Kama River. Talk delivered on 16 April
https://vimeo.com/538756271/82ce6dba5d
Richard Olsen gave a fascinating talk on 31 March about the Battle of the Atlantic and how Britain very nearly lost the Battle in 1942/3. Sir Dudley Pound, the 1st Sea Lord, was on record as stating "If we lose the war at sea then we'll lose the war."
https://vimeo.com/531474168/f18d4ce925
Charles Dace gave us a look into the "Upstairs Downstairs" life at Wrotham Park, home of the Byng family of Admiral Byng fame. Talk delivered on 23 March.
https://vimeo.com/528057984/be0b69b747
Cedric Loughran gave a very interesting talk (audio only - no recording at his request) on Operation Telic on 15 March.
https://vimeo.com/531474168/f18d4ce925
Wearing another of his "hats" - this time as a Community Safety Officer for the RNLI, David Monks delivered a talk on 6 March about some of the significant Gold Medal rescues over the history of the RNLI and the impacts of some of these on safety and society.
https://vimeo.com/520680883/2ade776d80
Club Member, Catherine Fearon, who has recently returned from a 7 month deployment to lead a small team of RNR personnel at UKMCC Bahrain gave a very interesting talk about the multinational operations based in Bahrain to try to protect merchant shipping in the Gulf region. Talk delivered on 26 February
https://vimeo.com/517567288/685ad2cdf8
A highly informative talk and demonstration of sailing safety equipment given on 18 February by our guest speaker, Alistair Hackett, the Managing Director of Ocean Safety Limited to an audience of over 40 Club members.
https://vimeo.com/514270196/a487cd7e30
vTot and Talk featuring our guest speaker, Finlay Raffle, talking about HMS Unicorn "the oldest original ship in the world" and its role with the RNVR. Delivered on 10 February
https://vimeo.com/512199385/dd5ebc917e
Ray and Suzanne Kay deliver an insight into the cruising grounds around Split, the scene of our planned RNVRYC Charter Rally to Croatia in late September. Given on 2 February.
https://vimeo.com/509461242/840d7e2d3e
Hugh & Wendy Stewart deliver a dram or two of the best malt during this celebration of Burns Night on 25 January.
https://vimeo.com/507688233/4914e6f803
Lorraine Ure spoke about the Naval Hospital in Port Mahon and its restoration in her talk on 17 December
https://vimeo.com/492438760/28f10652da
Richard Olsen delivered a talk about "1914 The RNVD goes to war" delivered on 1 December
https://vimeo.com/486175757/cda4771981
Alon Palmer spoke on his delivery trip of MS Galicia given on 16 November.
https://vimeo.com/483207413/b21a295acd
HMS Pickle and the Trafalgar Way given by our guest speaker, Kathy Brown, Director of the Trafalgar Way Project on 6 November.
https://vimeo.com/476625330/b6d37b4f28
Battle of Trafalgar by Peter Brinsden again on 21 October.
https://vimeo.com/471062084/9814783e4c
Battles of the Nile and Copenhagen delivered by Peter Brinsden on 8 October.
https://vimeo.com/466567210/721d214244
Other videos
Tom Cunningham in conjunction with both the Liverpool Nautical Research Society and Maritime History North, recently recorded a talk on the Zeebrugge Raid which took place on St. George's Day 1918, at the Athenaeum Club Liverpool.
https://vimeo.com/540779642/5f24270b99
This is a recording of the talk given on Sunday 10th January 2021 by Gurthy Pretty of HMS Pysche, the Canadian Maritime Heritage Society, entitled "The Forgotten Squadron - The Royal Navy on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812-1814". Unfortunately, not recorded from the very beginning but not a significant portion missed! The video runs to just under an hour.
https://vimeo.com/499261536/d3988e7ea4Here is a talk given by Nigel Lang to Royal Lymington members on his experience of participating in the 1976 Observer Singlehanded Transatlantic Race.
https://vimeo.com/487614331/f3dade02ec
Library - Video Archive