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Nieuwpoort (Belgium): Yacht clubs

Koninklijke Yachtclub Nieuwpoort (KYCN)
- Burgees of the club members and officials
- H-Cup
Vlaams Vereniging voor Watersport (VVW)
Watersportkring van de Luchtmacht Nieuwpoort (WSKLuM)

See also:

Koninklijke Yachtclub Nieuwpoort

The Koninklijke Yachtclub Nieuwpoort / Club Royal de Yacht de Nieuwpoort (Royal Nieuwpoort Yacht Club, KYCN, website) is situated on the left bank of the River Yser, about to reach the North Sea. Founded in 1932 as a branch of the Royal Yacht Club of Ostende, the club separated in a friendly manner from it in 1937 and was granted the honorific title of "Royal" in 1984.

The burgee of KYCN is yellow with two blue triangles placed near the hoist and a blue royal crown in the yellow field. It is therefore similar to the burgee of other Belgian Royal yacht clubs, in different colours. When still a section of the Ostende club, the burgee had an anchor (black?), instead of the current crown.

Burgees of the club members and officials

There are six more burgees and two swallowtailed flags assigned to members or club officials. The crown is not used here, presumably reserved for the club burgee proper; instead, there is an upright anchor and a system of discs, borders, and/or flag shapes.

Active member's burgee - Image by António Martins, 11 May 2007

The burgee for effectieve leden (active members) uses the KYCN burgee blue-and-yellow pattern with a black fouled anchor placed upright.

Honorary (left) and golden (right) member's burgees - Images by António Martins, 11 May 2007

The burgee awarded to honorary members, including the former Fleet Commanders, is similar to the active member's burgee, but with a thin red border added; the burgee awarded to a golden member, that is, each year, the member who has most distinguished him/herself in competitions, is similar to the active member's burgee, but with a thin gold border added.

Fleet Captain (left) and Commander's (right) burgees - Images by António Martins, 11 May 2007

The burgee identifying the Vlootkapitein (Fleet Captain), is similar to the active member's burgee, but with a black disc added in the upper hoist; the burgee identifying the Vlootcommandant (Fleet Commander) has a thin red border added.

Board member's burgee - Images by António Martins, 11 May 2007

The burgee identifying a Beheerder (Trustee or Board member) is similar to the active member's burgee, but with two black discs in the upper and lower hoist, respectively.

Commodore (left) and Vice Commodore's (right) burgees - Images by António Martins, 11 May 2007

The burgee identifying the Vice-Commodore is similar to club member's burgee, but swallow-tailed and with a black dot in the upper hoist; the burgee identifying the Voorzitter (Chairman) or Commodore, has another black disc added in the lower hoist.

Ivan Sache & Jan Mertens, 16 March 2007

H-Cup

Flag of H-Cup - Image by António Martins, 29 March 2007

Since 1988, KYCN has been the organizer of the H-Cup, a project of Jeanine Chevron and Ernest Bonnechère, aimed at collective sailing, uniting amateurs and more experienced sailers, thus strengthening the bond between members and, of course, providing excellent occasions for acquiring, or enlarging, experience. Different categories exist and prizes are awarded.
A flag was designed being the international signal flag H (vertically divided white-red) and bearing a blue axe overall, placed diagonally (ascending), the blade to the right.
The axe most probably recalls the coat of arms of Nieuwpoort. Moreover, an axe is in French a hache, which is strictly homophonic with the letter H.

Ivan Sache & Jan Mertens, 16 March 2007

Watersportkring van de Luchtmacht Nieuwpoort

Burgee of WSKLuM - Image by Ivan Sache, 11 September 2005

The Watersportkring van de Luchtmacht / Cercle Nautique de la Force Aérienne - Nautic Circle of the Air Force in Nieuwpoort, WSKLuM, website) was founded in 1958 as a section of the Sport Circle of the Air Force (Sportkring van de Luchtmacht / Cercle Sportif de la Force Aérienne) and was based in the air and sea search and rescue complex in the Vlotkom. On 26 September 1986, the new club house of the WSKLuM was inaugurated in the Portus Novus. The club has 1,500 members representing c. 500 families, 14 landing stages and 370 morrign spaces. Since 1982, its president is Marcel Terrasson, past Commander of the Belgian Tactical Air Force and president of the Belgian Royal Yachting Federation in 1993-2000.

The burgee of WSKLuM is black with a white winged seahorse.

Ivan Sache, 11 September 2005