Saturday Mornings: 200 Years at Sea: The Stories Behind Singapore’s Oldest Yacht Club

On MoneyFM 89.3’s Singapore Home Brew, Saturday Mornings Show  host Glenn van Zutphen and co-host Neil Humphreys dive into two centuries of maritime history with Mr Balakrishnan B, Commodore of the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club (RSYC)—Singapore’s oldest recreational club and one of Asia’s most storied yacht clubs. Celebrating its 200‑year milestone, RSYC’s history reads like a sweeping Singapore epic: royal visits from British monarchs, daring WWII escape voyages, long‑lost trophies rescued from wartime chaos, and the club’s remarkable post‑war revival. Commodore Balakrishnan shares how RSYC not only survived the Japanese Occupation but went on to shape sailing as a national sport—producing Olympic sailors, founding key sporting bodies, and hosting Singapore’s longest‑running regatta. We explore the club’s evolution from colonial-era prestige to a modern, inclusive maritime community. From its architectural heritage and multicultural leadership to its role in nation‑building—marked by President Yusof Ishak becoming its first Singaporean Patron in 1967—RSYC mirrors Singapore’s own transformation. Commodore Balakrishnan also offers a look at RSYC today: its marina, hotel, sailing programmes, community initiatives, and the vision behind its #RSYC200 Bicentennial celebrations, including the Charity Gala attended by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.