The early stages of yachting in Portugal are inevitably tied to the Portuguese Royal Family, who, up to the middle of the nineteenth century, were almost exclusively the only recreational sailors in the country.
The first “boat run” in the Tagus was organized in 1850 with the support of Queen Maria II. In 1853, with the “Tagus Regatta”, yachting became more competitive, leading to the “Regulation of the Tagus Regattas”, published in 1854, which became the first yachting regulation in Portugal.
The Royal Naval Association, created in 1856, is the oldest naval club in the Iberian Peninsula, and one of the 30 oldest in Europe. After the proclamation of the Portuguese Republic, in 1910, the club was renamed the Naval Association of Lisbon. Throughout its history, it has had notable members, such as Henrique Maufoy de Seixas, the most important collector of naval models in Portugal.
In the last 50 years, there has been a steady increase in the number of yachting clubs and associations in Portugal. This has made yachting more accessible, a development reflected in the growing number of practitioners, the age range of these, and in Portuguese results in international yachting competitions.