The Terra Nova Yacht Club traces its roots to the Bowring Sailing Club established in the early 1960s by the Bowring family for their employees, family, and friends. In 1963 the Bowring Sailing Club acquired the property that currently houses the TNYC clubhouse in Holyrood to be used as a base for Snipe-class races. By the late 1960s the Bowring Sailing Club at Holyrood had disbanded as its members moved from sailing Snipes to acquiring larger boats, perhaps teaching us that “two-foot-itis” is not just a modern affliction.

In 1970 the Bowring family donated the club building to the newly formed Terra Nova Sailing Club under the leadership of its first commodore, Frank O’Connor. In 1976 the Terra Nova Sailing Club acuired several quarter-ton racers through Memorial University as young sailors began to practice for the 1977 Canada games in St. John’s. The Terra Nova Sailing Club began to flourish in the 1980s, with more boats added to the club and substantial improvements to the club house. In 1993, the Terra Nova Sailing Club changed its name to the Terra Nova Yacht Club to reflect its openness to both sail and power boaters, with member Robin Cook creating the new crest and logo depicting the common bond all boaters have with the sea.

The 2000s saw continued growth and expansion of the club with continuous improvements to facilities, including replacing the fixed Pier 1 with floating docks in 2002. In 2005 TNYC became a member of the Holyrood Marina Park Corporation, a not-for-profit partnership with the Town of Holyrood designed to operate the marina for the benefit of its users. 2013 now brings the replacement of Pier 2 with new floating docks and major enhancements to the marina with the acquisition of a travel lift by HMPC. TNYC currently has over 70 member boats and an active calendar of recreational and social events.