Established in 1951 and based at Helensburgh Pier, the club needed more space and moved, first to "The Hangars", and then in 1959 to its present site north of Kidston Park. The first clubhouse was built in 1968 and proved to be the catalyst for growth. It withstood the elements until the Great Tidal Surge in 1991. It staggered on, lovingly patched up, until a decision to rebuild in 2008 ... two metres higher than before!
The new clubhouse was opened on 27th June 2009 by (at the time) RYA Olympic Team Manager Stephen Park, OBE, an Honorary Commodore of HSC. The other Honorary Commodores are Mike McIntyre (Olympic Gold Medallist in the Star class in 1988) and Emma Sanderson (nee Richards) of Round the World Alone fame. All learned their skills at HSC.