The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is among those paying tribute to His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh – a key name in the sailing world, the former RYA President and RYA Honorary Member and Admiral of the Royal Yacht Squadron.

The organisation said: "Our thoughts are with Her Majesty The Queen, RYA Patron, The Princess Royal, RYA President and the entire Royal Family at this time."

In 1948, Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh were listed as new members of the RYA and given Honorary Membership.

At the 1956 RYA Annual General Meeting, The Duke of Edinburgh was elected as President of the RYA for the first time and meetings were held on board HMY Britannia during Cowes Week.

Isle of Wight County Press:

The Royal Yacht Britannia was a familiar face at Cowes until 1997, image via Cowes Heritage Centre

A regular face at the Cowes Week sailing regatta, the Duke of Edinburgh was a friend of the boat designer and sailor Uffa Fox.

The pair raced on board Bluebottle (a wedding gift from the Island Sailing Club) and Coweslip.

In 1962, Coweslip nearly sank off Cowes after a gust of wind capsized her, throwing Prince Philip and Uffa Fox into the water.

Sarah Treseder, RYA Chief Executive, said: "As a sailing community we share the nation’s sadness following the loss of Prince Phillip.

"He will be missed by the RYA family and we pay tribute to not just a keen, competitive and successful yachtsman, but also an outstanding President of our Association who dedicated many years to helping protect and promote our sport.

"In 2011, I was lucky enough to attend one of the celebrations for his 90th Birthday at Trinity House, of which HRH The Duke of Edinburgh was Master until succeeded by HRH The Princess Royal the same year.

"His affinity for the sea and camaraderie with his fellow mariners shone though.

"The Duke accompanied Her Majesty The Queen on a trip to Cowes in 2012, where he was introduced to a number of young OnBoard sailors and asked some very searching questions about their experiences on the water.

"Some were a little nervous, but the Duke was clearly interested and soon put everyone at ease."

Isle of Wight County Press:

The Duke of Edinburgh on board Bluebottle, image via Cowes Heritage Centre

Sarah Treseder said: "In 2012, the RYA was recognised as a National Operating Authority for the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE), the renowned self-improvement programme for young people – and more than 20 RYA training centres are now recognised as DofE centres.

"It is thanks to the Duke’s passion for boating and his commitment to helping young people fulfil their potential that our centres are able to give so many DofE participants the opportunity to experience new activities or develop existing skills.

"2016 saw the celebration of 60 years of the DofE scheme take place in the gardens of Buckingham Palace and we were all impressed by the extraordinarily wide-ranging knowledge the Duke had of the various partners there."