Anyone travelling in the North Sea and Baltic Sea harbours during the season will meet a lot of guests from all over Europe at the jetties. You can tell where they come from by looking at the stern: because what is blowing there reveals their origin at first glance. At second glance, however, it is often noticeable that - unlike on German sports boats - it is not always the "national" flag as we know it from land, but a special yacht flag.
Additional colours, different shapes and a symbol or emblem added here or there sometimes make for an astonishing variety of our neighbours' flags. However, the design and use of these variants is regulated differently depending on the country. Equal rights for all do not apply everywhere. Sometimes all skippers can rejoice, sometimes only a few are among the chosen few. It should come as no surprise that tradition often plays a major role. Here we present the yacht flags of all those European countries, from the Baltic to the Mediterranean. You can find examples in the picture gallery above.
Yacht flags from all over Europe
Denmark's general yacht flag is also a familiar sight here in summer. Hardly any skipper in our northern neighbouring country forgoes the right to fly the Dannebrog's double stander at the stern, the so-called splittflag. It is actually reserved for state authorities and naval forces. The yacht design is therefore supplemented by the letters "Y.F." in yellow or gold in the upper corner. Originally, the abbreviation stood for the Danish Yachtskipper Association (yachtskipper forening). However, some associations are also authorised to use other individual symbols, such as the three stars of the Royal Danish Yacht Club.
There is no general yacht flag in Norway. However, there is an exception for the Royal Norwegian Yacht Club: its members are authorised to fly the official flag. A white field with the royal crown and the monogram of the respective monarch (since 1991 this has been Harald V) ensures that the flag is clearly recognisable. The situation is similar in the Netherlands: There, however, there are several associations that have been granted the right to their own flag by the royal family. In these cases, an emblem or a miniaturised image of the national's rank is added to the national flag. Our picture gallery shows the Royal Dutch Motorboat Club as an example.
Crown ensures flag diversity in Great Britain
Nowhere else, however, do crowned heads make more use of their privilege than in Great Britain: British yachts from the UK normally fly the red merchant flag with the small Union Jack at the stern - the so-called Red Ensign. With the permission of the Crown (and the Admiralty), around a dozen clubs have their own version with the corresponding insignia (in the gallery the Red Ensign with the badge of the Royal Dart Yacht Club).
The blue version of the national flag, the Blue Ensign, was previously used by the authorities, territories and colonies as the basis for their own flags. However, it is now also used by yacht clubs, subject to royal approval. There are currently around thirty, including the Royal Motor Yacht Club (example in the gallery). A further fifty or so clubs are allowed to present themselves with an added emblem, making this version the most common. The example shown belongs to the Little Ship Club in London.
There is even an exception for the Royal Navy's regular flag, the White Ensign: it applies to members of the time-honoured Royal Yacht Squadron, based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Even the air forces have their special right: their service flag used on land in a lighter shade of blue can also be seen on the water on boats of the RAF Sailing Association in a modified version - with an eagle, crown and Royal Air Force emblem. Both flags can be seen in the picture gallery.
No special yacht flags in Belgium and Spain
Two other monarchies, on the other hand, waive privileges for selected clubs: Belgium, for example, has a general pleasure craft flag for domestic waters. This is the merchant flag with the royal crown in the upper left-hand corner. According to the regulations, this should be plain yellow, but many manufacturers also offer multi-coloured versions. The regulations in Spain are very similar: Here, the yacht flag is characterised by a blue crown in the centre, which is sometimes larger, sometimes smaller. The shade of blue can also vary.
Following independence from Great Britain, many clubs in the Republic of Ireland have their own ensigns and merely replaced the Union Jack in the upper corner with the new national colours of green, white and orange. This also includes the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire near Dublin. However, the usual base colour is blue, as in the case of the Howth Yacht Club. The colour can be lighter or darker. As in other countries, Irish yacht flags are only intended for use in their own waters.
In Finland, on the other hand, a fine white cross distinguishes the yacht flag from the national flag, which only shows the blue Scandinavian cross on a white background. It is used exclusively by clubs, which then also display their individual emblem in the upper corner. An example can be seen on the left: the Nyländska Yacht Club from Helsinki. Åland also uses this method: Although the archipelago, where Swedish is spoken, is part of Finland, it has extensive autonomy and its own national flag. Clubs can use a double-stander version, also with an inserted emblem. Here it is the Åland Sailing Society from Mariehamn (ÅSS).
Naval flags can also be seen on the stern of some yachts
There are also special yacht flags in Poland, but they are less widespread than in Scandinavia. One of these exceptions is the Polish Yacht Club, which, as in Denmark, combines the double standards of the naval war flag with the red St Andrew's cross of the club stander. Italy does not have its own yacht flag, but here too the naval battle flag is used in one case, as in the case of the Royal Yacht Squadron in Great Britain. The Yacht Club Italiano, based in Genoa, is the only club authorised to fly the Bandiera Navale Militare. However, this only differs from the merchant flag in the details - for example, the ship's crown above the national coat of arms.
Equality is one of France's national principles, and privileges hardly fit into the picture. The tricolour (with stripes of different widths at sea) therefore flies at the stern of all watercraft, from aircraft carriers to day cruisers. But even in this country there is a single, historic exception: the Yacht Club de France is not only the most famous in the country - it is also the most important. It is therefore the only water sports organisation allowed to use a special variant with two additional stars: They represent the two clubs that merged to form the YCF in 1902.
Last but not least: Switzerland. Perhaps unsurprisingly, no other landlocked country has agreed to design a special yacht flag. However, the Cruising Club of Switzerland, which is also responsible for the country's deep-sea water sports training, was allowed to add its club initials and a so-called unclear anchor entwined with a line to the national flag with the white cross (see image in the gallery).
