ABYC Colours and Burgee
In the early 1900′s, there was an organization known as the Ashbridge’s Sailing Skiff Club. The boat used in the Club fleet was a sloop-rigged 22 footer, along the lines of the original 14′ cat-rigged clinker-built dinghy. The Club burgee of those early days was roughly similar to the ABYC burgee of today. At one point, a family named Brotherton, presented a fine trophy to ASSC, and appropriately enough, it was named the “Brotherton Trophy”.
With the outbreak of World War I, the Club disbanded and was not revived. ABYC was founded in 1932.
Two years later, some of the members of the former ASSC presented the Brotherton Trophy to ABYC. As a mark of appreciation for this gift, and as a courtesy to them, ABYC decided to adopt the general configuration of the old ASSC burgee. Hence, our own Pennant-shaped style, a gold field with a black diamond, and our letters, ABYC.
ABYC Sea Horse Insignia
Various designs of the Sea Horse have been seen during the history of the Club. It appears on our letterhead, our cap badge and our crest.
The original insignia considered by the Club, was the traditional life buoy type. It seemed to be used by everyone to express, in a visual way, anything nautical, whether for purposes related to sailing or commercial including Player’s cigarettes and Lifebuoy soap.
However, the Sea Horse was considered to be more appropriate for ABYC because it more properly represented the prognosis of the Club’s health at the time, in that:
- it had no past to speak of;
- it had all of the future before it;
- it swims in a vertical position looking ahead;
- it holds its head above the water; and,
- it makes very little wake.