Virginia Boat Club

Originally founded in 1876, the Virginia Boat Club descends from one of the earliest rowing clubs in the United States. The Olympic Rowing Club, originally located on the James River at Second Street by the Kanawha Canal in downtown Richmond, later moved to Mayo Island and became the Virginia Boat Club. Defunct for a number of years in the 20th Century, the club was reorganized in 1986.

For a while, the Club used a collegiate "crossed oars" logo with an athletic block letter "V" in the center. The logo was attractive, but it was sometimes mistaken for the University of Virginia Crew logo. The new identity needed to reflect the Club's history and present a timeless look that worked well on apparel, signage and stationery. The primary VBC logo that was designed retains the classic crossed oars and employs a Copperplate typeface that was used frequently in the 19th Century, along with a complementary support typeface. A secondary logo, an understated "V.B.C." pennant on an oar, serves to support the Club’s identity on stationery, cocktail napkins and apparel.