Shelter Island Yacht Club

What Shelter Island Yacht Club does

Shelter Island Yacht Club (SIYC) is a private membership yacht club founded in 1886, with its clubhouse opening in the spring of 1892 at 12 Chequit Avenue on Dering Harbor in Shelter Island Heights, New York. The original clubhouse was designed by New Jersey architect Botticher and retains its historic character, including a dining room perched over the harbor. The club operates as a for-profit, privately held membership organization serving Northeast USA families and the regional sailing community, with a staff of 11-50 employees. It is owned and operated by its member community rather than by any corporate parent or institutional investor, and has maintained continuous operation for over 130 years.

SIYC's product portfolio spans five core offerings: a Junior Sailing Program enrolling 120+ children annually across five class tiers (JY Trainer I/II, Opti I/II, Feva/Laser AM) in 4- and 8-week summer formats with tuition ranging from $1,680 to $5,930; adult fleet programs across Herreshoff 12, Etchells Fleet 15, PHRF Racing, Laser/ILCA, Sonars, and Cruising Fleet; clubhouse dining and bar services operated seasonally from June 21 to September 6; waterfront services including launch service, mooring facilities, dry sail area, and storm preparation; and private event hosting for weddings, receptions, and corporate functions across the Commodore's Room, South Deck, East Deck, Bar, and North Pier. Sailing instruction is led by Sailing Director Jeff Bresnahan, who has run Connecticut College's head sailing coaching program for 29 years.

The business model combines subscription-style recurring revenue from membership dues and Junior Sailing tuition with event-based professional services revenue from private functions and seasonal dining. Pricing for junior sailing tiers is unit-based with optional boat rental at $50 per week, plus auxiliary PGJSA ($20) and JSA ($75-$125) fees. Technology is limited to third-party platforms, with Clubessential powering the website, member login, event calendar, and online registration, and Ambient Weather providing weather, wind, and tide monitoring. Distribution is entirely direct and on-site, with go-to-market driven by community referrals, the @siycjsp Instagram channel, hosting of regional ILCA/Optimist/C420 regattas, and reciprocal-club partnerships. No proprietary technology, no AI capabilities, no patents, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no parent company are disclosed.

Name

Shelter Island Yacht Club

Legal name

Shelter Island Yacht Club

Website

https://siyc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shelter Island Yacht Club is a private, historic membership yacht club founded in 1886 on Dering Harbor in Shelter Island Heights, NY, serving Northeast USA member families with junior and adult sailing programs, seasonal dining, waterfront services, and private event hosting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Shelter Island Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for club members and associate members providing access to club facilities, sailing programs, dining, and events.
2. Junior Sailing Program Tuition: Fees for the junior sailing program ranging from $1,680 to $5,930 depending on class level, duration, and boat rental requirements.
3. Event Hosting and Private Functions: Rental of club facilities including the Commodore's Room, South Deck, East Deck, Bar, and North Pier for weddings, receptions, luncheons, cocktail parties, and family gatherings.
4. Dining and Bar Services: Restaurant and bar services during the summer season (June 21 - September 6) operating lunch and dinner service with limited bar menu offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shelter Island Yacht Club is a private membership yacht club providing access to sailing programs, waterfront facilities, dining, and social spaces. The club operates a historic clubhouse on Dering Harbor in Shelter Island Heights, NY, and runs a junior sailing program enrolling over 120 children annually across multiple skill levels, alongside adult fleet racing programs, dining and bar services, and private event hosting for members and guests.

Product overview

Shelter Island Yacht Club offers a portfolio of yacht club services centered around sailing programs and member facilities. The core offerings include the Junior Sailing Program (a 4 or 8-week summer program for children and teens with multiple class levels from JY Trainer through Laser/C420), sailing fleet programs for adult members across multiple boat classes (Herreshoff 12, Etchells, PHRF, Laser/ILCA, Sonars, Cruising), clubhouse and dining facilities (including the historic 1892 clubhouse with the Commodore's Room, South Deck, East Deck, and North Pier), waterfront services (launch service, moorings, dry sail area), and event planning for private gatherings. The club is situated on Dering Harbor in Shelter Island Heights, NY.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Junior Sailing Program (JSP): A four or eight-week summer sailing program designed to teach children and teens the fundamentals of sailing, with enrollment typically over 120 children at different skill levels. Led by Sailing Director Jeff Bresnahan.

Products and services

• Junior Sailing Program A four- or eight-week summer sailing program for children and teens (ages 6+) covering fundamentals through advanced racing. Enrolls over 120 children across class levels including JY Trainer I/II, Opti I/II, Feva, Laser AM, and C420. Tuition ranges from $1,680 to $5,930 depending on class and session length.
• Adult Sailing Fleet Programs Member sailing fleet activities across Herreshoff 12, Etchells Fleet 15, PHRF Racing, Laser/ILCA, Sonars & Adult Sailing, and Cruising Fleet, including race committee operations and a sailing calendar.
• Clubhouse & Dining Historic 1892 clubhouse with dining room, bar, South Deck, East Deck, and other spaces. Offers seasonal dining and bar service (June 21 to September 6) along with social and member events.
• Waterfront Services Launch service, mooring facilities, dry sail area, weather and storm preparation services for boat-owning members on Dering Harbor.
• Private Event Hosting Private event hosting at the clubhouse for weddings, receptions, luncheons, cocktail parties, and family gatherings, using the Commodore's Room, South Deck, East Deck, Bar, and North Pier, with a dedicated culinary team.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Indian Harbor Yacht Club: Long Island Sound yacht club in Greenwich, CT with similar membership-based sailing, dining, and junior program structure. Comparable in scale, fleet offerings, and demographic profile to SIYC.
• Larchmont Yacht Club: Long Island Sound yacht club in Larchmont, NY with a strong junior sailing program, multiple racing fleets, and waterfront dining — directly comparable to SIYC's offerings and geography.
• Pequot Yacht Club: Southport, CT yacht club on Long Island Sound with similar membership model, junior sailing, and active one-design racing. Mid-size private club closely analogous to SIYC.
• American Yacht Club: Rye, NY yacht club offering sailing, dining, and junior programs on Long Island Sound. Comparable scale and member demographics to SIYC.
• Noroton Yacht Club: Darien, CT yacht club with active junior sailing, multiple racing classes, and member dining. Operates in the same Long Island Sound market with similar service offerings.

Broad incumbents

• New York Yacht Club: Historic, prestigious yacht club with multiple clubhouses and a global sailing reputation. Operates at a larger scale but shares the membership, dining, and hosted-regatta model with SIYC.

Regional players

• Conanicut Yacht Club: Historic New England yacht club in Jamestown, RI with junior sailing, racing, and waterfront dining. Operates in a different geography but is structurally very similar to SIYC.

Emerging players

• Saunders Yachtworks: Provider of marina storage, boat repair, and waterfront services in coastal areas. Comparable to SIYC's waterfront/launch/mooring services, though more commercially focused.

Others

• Cruising Club of America: Membership-based sailing organization for cruisers with reciprocal privileges and club-style structure. Tangentially related to SIYC's sailing culture and membership economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/siycjsp
• Facebookfacebook.com/SIYCjsp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shelter-island-yacht-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shelter Island Yacht Club