GlobeSailor
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What GlobeSailor does
GlobeSailor is a Paris-headquartered online yacht charter marketplace founded in 2008 by CEO Olivier Albahary and CTO Evgueni Kocheliaev. The company operates as a transactional intermediary connecting consumer travelers with a vetted network of professional charter companies across 180+ destinations spanning the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Pacific, Atlantic, Middle East, and North America. Its product surface covers bareboat and crewed yacht charters, cabin charters, sailing courses, flotilla cruises, themed cruises, and river cruises, with optional attach services including a 100% Flexible Reservation product (2% fee), integrated insurance products through partner Mutuaide (cancellation 3.5%, trip interruption 3.09%, deposit repurchase 4.75-8%, Multirisk Comfort XPLORASSUR), a €99 concierge service, and an in-house travel agency (since 2017) handling flights and land extensions.
The platform combines self-serve online booking with advisor-assisted sales delivered via phone lines in five countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Netherlands), WhatsApp, and email. Underlying technology is a marketplace platform with destination browsing, quote request flows, and partner network management, supplemented by post-booking integrations with Navily, Savvy Navvy, Windy, and sailing publications. Revenue is generated primarily through commissions on completed charter transactions; the average weekly charter price reached €4,556 in 2025 (up 36% from €3,362 in 2019), with cabin cruises averaging €3,747 per week for two. Over 40% of 2025 bookings included a professional skipper or full crew, signaling a shift toward assisted charters serving new-to-sailing customers. The company has accumulated 21,600+ verified client reviews (average 4.3 rating) since founding and operates with 11-50 employees across multi-country customer service operations.
The business model is commission-based with no disclosed pricing tiers; consumers transact either via instant online booking or personalized quote-based sales. The company has only raised disclosed capital once (~US$244K from Paris Business Angels in 2010) and has remained privately held and founder-led, consistent with an owner-operated SMB profile. Distribution channels are layered: content marketing via the GlobeSailor Magazine blog, organic social presence on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn, email/flash-deal newsletters, and a referral program. Supply side relies on a curated network of certified charter partners (Exadas Yachts, Sail Your Myth, Iloria Bretagne and others), with destination concentration in Greece (25% of 2025 departures, 2,700+ sailboats) and Croatia (16%, declining from 26.5% in 2019); 38% of bookings concentrate in the July-August peak season.
GlobeSailor firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GlobeSailor
- Legal name
- GlobeSailor
- Website
- https://theglobesailor.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GlobeSailor industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Yacht Charter Marketplace
- NAICS
- Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Charters & Yacht Experiences (Crewed, Bareboat, Day Charters) (THAJAJAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bareboat Yacht Charters (Self-Skippered) (THAEAEAB), Cabin Charters & Shared Yacht Trips (THAEADAH), Specialty-Themed Private Cruises (Wellness, Diving, Culinary, etc.) (THAEAEAG)
Keywords
Where GlobeSailor is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
GlobeSailor business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Yacht Charter Commission: GlobeSailor acts as an intermediary marketplace connecting customers with professional charter companies. Revenue is generated through commissions on completed yacht charter bookings across 180+ destinations worldwide.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sailboat charters starting from €473 in budget destinations |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Catamaran and motorboat charters from €1,515 to €6,072 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Luxury yacht charters from €39,000 to €280,000 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Skipper service at €125/day, hostess at €120/day |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Insurance products: 2-8% of rental amount |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
GlobeSailor product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GlobeSailor is an online yacht charter marketplace that lets travellers browse and book bareboat charters, crewed yacht charters, cabin charters, sailing courses, flotilla cruises, themed cruises, and river cruises across 180+ destinations worldwide. It generates revenue by earning commissions on completed bookings facilitated between consumers and a vetted network of professional charter operators, with optional add-ons including insurance, flexible reservations, concierge, and travel agency services.
Product overview
GlobeSailor is a yacht charter booking platform operating since 2008 with over 180 destinations globally. The platform offers a unified booking service for various charter types: bareboat (self-skippered) and crewed yacht charters for private vessel rental, cabin charters for shared cabin bookings, and sailing courses for education. Optional add-on services include travel agency (flights, hotels), concierge service, cruise insurance (cancellation, trip interruption, deposit repurchase), and flexible reservation changes. The boat fleet encompasses sailboats, catamarans, gulets, motorboats, luxury yachts, power catamarans, houseboats, and RIBs. The platform also integrates partner apps (Navily, Savvy Navvy, Windy) as bundled benefits for bookings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Yacht Charter (Bareboat) Self-skippered boat rental allowing customers to charter a yacht and captain it themselves, available across 180+ destinations worldwide. Designed for experienced sailors and beginners alike, with optional skipper add-on.
- Crewed Yacht Charter Yacht rental with professional skipper and optional crew (hostess/cook). Pricing typically starts at €25,000-€30,000 per week and targets customers seeking a premium, hands-off sailing experience.
- Cabin Charter Shared cabin bookings on organized sailing cruises where guests book individual cabins and share the vessel with other passengers. Average cabin cruise price for two was €3,747 per week in 2025.
- Sailing Courses Educational sailing programmes for beginners and experienced sailors to develop nautical skills and obtain certifications, bookable alongside or independently of a yacht charter.
- Flotilla Cruise Group sailing cruises in which multiple boats sail together with a lead skipper providing safety oversight and a social experience for participants.
- Themed Cruise Specialty cruises focused on specific themes or interests, offering curated experiences beyond standard sailing itineraries.
- River Cruise Cruises along inland rivers and waterways offering a different experience from open-sea sailing holidays.
- GlobeSailor Travel Agency Full-service travel agency handling flights, hotels, land extensions, transfers, and excursions to complement a yacht charter booking, including access to trusted local providers (e.g., private drivers, 4-star hotels, guided tours).
- Concierge Service
Quantifiable outcome
- 36% increase in average weekly charter price from 2019 to 2025
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use GlobeSailor
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
GlobeSailor technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
GlobeSailor partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Trusted Local Service ProviderscoreCarefully selected local partners for travel agency services including private drivers, hotel accommodations (e.g., 18 Micon Str 4-star hotel in Athens), guided tours, and excursion providers.
- Exadas YachtscoreProfessional yacht charter company selected as a GlobeSailor partner for providing quality boats and services meeting GlobeSailor's criteria.
- Sail Your MythcoreProfessional yacht charter company selected as a GlobeSailor partner for providing quality boats and services meeting GlobeSailor's criteria.
- Iloria BretagnecoreProfessional yacht charter company selected as a GlobeSailor partner for providing quality boats and services meeting GlobeSailor's criteria.
- NavilyminorCruising app partnership offering Navily Premium (valued at €19.99) free for 12 months with GlobeSailor bookings. App features 30,000+ marinas and anchorages, 200,000+ photos and comments, and booking in 700+ marinas.
- Savvy NavvyminorNavigation app partnership offering Savvy Navvy Elite (free for 2 months with booking). App provides Google Maps for boats with charts, tides, weather, and route planning.
- WindyminorWeather app partnership offering Windy Premium (valued at €38.99/year, free for 2 months with booking). App provides detailed wind forecasts and nautical weather data.
- Sailing Today and Yachts & YachtingminorMagazine partnership offering 6-month free subscription (valued at €35) to sailing publications with bookings.
- MutuaidecoreInsurance partner providing cancellation insurance, trip interruption coverage, and security deposit repurchase products for GlobeSailor customers.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
GlobeSailor competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sailogy: Online yacht charter platform offering bareboat, crewed, and cabin charter bookings across the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Directly comparable as a digital-first yacht charter broker targeting European consumers.
- Click&Boat: Peer-to-peer and professional boat rental marketplace operating across Europe with similar sailing holiday, bareboat, and crewed offerings. Closest direct competitor to GlobeSailor in the yacht charter aggregation space.
- MedSailors: Specialist flotilla and sailing holiday operator in Greece and Croatia catering to groups and solo travelers. Comparable in product type (organized sailing holidays in Mediterranean) and overlapping customer base with GlobeSailor's group charter segment.
- The Yacht Week: Curated flotilla and sailing holiday experience company operating in Croatia, Greece, Italy, and the British Virgin Islands. Comparable in targeting groups of younger/experiential travelers seeking crewed sailing holidays in Mediterranean destinations.
- SamBoat: European boat rental marketplace connecting private boat owners with renters across sailboats, motorboats, and yachts. Directly comparable business model to GlobeSailor as a commission-based charter broker with pan-European coverage.
Broad incumbents
- Sunsail: Established global yacht charter company offering bareboat, crewed, and flotilla sailing holidays across the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and beyond. Comparable in destination coverage and customer base, but operates its own fleet rather than brokering.
- Le Boat: Largest self-drive boating holiday company in Europe and Canada, specializing in canal and river cruising with houseboats and motor cruisers. Comparable in offering self-skippered leisure boating vacations to similar consumer demographics.
- Dream Yacht Charter: One of the world's largest yacht charter operators with owned and managed fleets across 50+ destinations. Comparable in destination breadth and product offering, but operates as an operator rather than pure broker, making it both a partner candidate and competitor.
Emerging players
- KaterBlue: Peer-to-peer boat rental marketplace with a growing presence in Europe, Mediterranean, and Adriatic destinations. Comparable marketplace model but typically smaller fleet and less established brand than GlobeSailor.
- Navigare Yachting: Swedish-based yacht charter operator offering both bareboat and skippered charters with a strong Scandinavian and Mediterranean focus. Comparable in product offerings and Mediterranean destination mix, smaller-scale operator with potential supply partnership overlap.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GlobeSailor social profiles
Digital presenceGlobeSailor financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GlobeSailor leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
GlobeSailor funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GlobeSailor M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GlobeSailor
What does GlobeSailor do?
GlobeSailor is an online yacht charter marketplace that lets travellers browse and book bareboat charters, crewed yacht charters, cabin charters, sailing courses, flotilla cruises, themed cruises, and river cruises across 180+ destinations worldwide. It generates revenue by earning commissions on completed bookings facilitated between consumers and a vetted network of professional charter operators, with optional add-ons including insurance, flexible reservations, concierge, and travel agency services.
Is GlobeSailor a public or private company?
GlobeSailor is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was GlobeSailor founded?
GlobeSailor was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is GlobeSailor based?
GlobeSailor is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does GlobeSailor make money?
One revenue line is on record: yacht Charter Commission.
Who are GlobeSailor's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sailogy, Click&Boat, MedSailors, The Yacht Week and SamBoat. Broad incumbents are Sunsail, Le Boat and Dream Yacht Charter. Emerging players are KaterBlue and Navigare Yachting.
Does GlobeSailor have an API?
No public API is recorded for GlobeSailor.
What industry is GlobeSailor in?
GlobeSailor's product category is Yacht Charter Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAJAB, Private Charters & Yacht Experiences (Crewed, Bareboat, Day Charters), with a secondary code of THAEAEAB, Bareboat Yacht Charters (Self-Skippered). Its NAICS code is 48721 and its SIC code is 4400.