Watch Hill Yacht Club

What Watch Hill Yacht Club does

Watch Hill Yacht Club is a private, member-owned sailing and racing club established in 1913 in the coastal community of Watch Hill, Rhode Island, operating from 1 Fort Road with a mailing address in Westerly, RI. The club's core offering is a traditional yacht club experience centered on a one-design racing program featuring 25 fiberglass WH-15 sloops designed by Nathaniel Herreshoff in 1922-23, a comprehensive Junior Sailing Program running two 4-week sessions each summer, clubhouse dining, and mooring/launch services for boats up to 50 feet. WHYC maintains reciprocal visiting privileges with 40+ yacht clubs across the US and Bermuda, and participates in the annual Parsons Cup competition against Wadawanuck Yacht Club and Fishers Island Yacht Club.

The club operates three primary revenue streams: recurring membership dues (pricing not publicly disclosed), usage-based mooring and launch fees ($65 for stays of 3 hours or less, $100 for overnight stays), and transactional dining and event revenue with a 4% credit card fee on reciprocal guest visits. Distribution is exclusively through private membership and reciprocal club guest programs, with no public marketing beyond word-of-mouth and member referrals. Operations are supported by Jonas Club Software, a standard club management platform. The club employs 11-50 staff across general management, business office, junior sailing direction, executive chef, and dining room management functions.

The entity is privately held by its membership with governance through a Board of Directors and Flag Officers, and is not engaged in any venture capital, private equity, or public capital markets. A separate nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity, the WHYC Sailing Association (WHYCSA), was established in 2006 to handle community sailing outreach and own/maintain certain fleet assets, but operates independently of the club. There is no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed digital product, mobile application, or technology platform beyond traditional club management software.

Name

Watch Hill Yacht Club

Legal name

Watch Hill Yacht Club

Website

https://whyc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Watch Hill Yacht Club is a private, member-owned sailing and racing club founded in 1913 in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, offering one-design racing, junior sailing programs, dining, and mooring services to its members and reciprocal yacht club guests.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yacht Club and Recreational Boating Services

NAICS

Marinas (713930)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing) (MPAKABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sailing Experiences (Lessons, Regattas, Day Sails) (THAJAJAG)

Keywords

• Private yacht club
• Sailing racing programs
• Junior sailing instruction
• Yacht club moorings
• Recreational boating services

Headquarters

HQ city

Westerly

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Mooring and Launch Services: Revenue from transient moorings and launch service fees for visiting boats. Launch service provided for moorings as part of the fee. $65 for boats staying 3 hours or less, $100 for stays longer than 3 hours and overnight guests leaving prior to 10am.
2. Dining and Events: Fine dining services available to members and reciprocal guests. Restaurant and bar services within the clubhouse.
3. Membership Dues: Private membership fees for club access. Members have access to moorings, racing programs, junior sailing, dining, and all club facilities.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Watch Hill Yacht Club is a private, member-owned sailing and racing club established in 1913 in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. It provides members with access to a 25-boat Herreshoff-designed WH-15 one-design racing fleet, junior sailing instruction, moorings for boats up to 50 feet with launch service, and clubhouse dining and event facilities. Reciprocal privileges extend access to members of partner yacht clubs across the US and Bermuda.

Product overview

Watch Hill Yacht Club is a private sailing and racing club established in 1913 in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. The club operates primarily as a member-based recreational organization offering sailing programs, racing competitions, and dining facilities. Its core products include the WH-15 one-design racing program featuring 25 fiberglass sloops competing in multiple series (Spring, July, August, Fall, and Wednesday Night), a comprehensive Junior Sailing Program teaching OPTI and 420 classes with progression from beginner to advanced racing, club facilities including moorings and dock services, and reciprocal privileges with over 40 affiliated yacht clubs nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WH-15 Racing Program

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Royal Bermuda Yacht ClubminorOthersReciprocal privileges allowing members of Royal Bermuda Yacht Club to visit WHYC on a limited basis per season.
• Huntington Yacht ClubminorOthersReciprocal privileges allowing members to visit WHYC on a limited basis per season.
• San Diego Yacht ClubminorOthersReciprocal privileges allowing members to visit WHYC on a limited basis per season.
• St. Francis Yacht ClubminorOthersReciprocal privileges allowing members to visit WHYC on a limited basis per season.
• Indian Harbor Yacht ClubminorOthersReciprocal privileges allowing members to visit WHYC on a limited basis per season.
• Stamford Yacht ClubminorOthersReciprocal privileges allowing members to visit WHYC on a limited basis per season.
• Stonington Harbor Yacht ClubminorOthersReciprocal privileges allowing members to visit WHYC on a limited basis per season.
• Fishers Island Yacht ClubminorOthersReciprocal privileges. Fishers Island Yacht Club hosts the annual Parsons Cup regatta with WHYC participation.
• Larchmont Yacht ClubminorOthersReciprocal privileges allowing members to visit WHYC on a limited basis per season.
• Annapolis Yacht ClubminorOthersReciprocal privileges allowing members to visit WHYC on a limited basis per season.
• Ida Lewis Yacht ClubminorOthersReciprocal privileges allowing members to visit WHYC on a limited basis per season.
• Newport Yacht ClubminorOthersReciprocal privileges allowing members to visit WHYC on a limited basis per season.
• Chicago Yacht ClubminorOthersReciprocal privileges allowing members to visit WHYC on a limited basis per season.
• Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association (ECSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECSA promotes adult and junior sailing and encourages participation amongst 40 clubs from Bridgeport, CT to Block Island, RI. WHYC junior sailors participate in ECSA regattas.
• Watch Hill Yacht Club Sailing Association (WHYCSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 2006 as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. WHYCSA owns and maintains Blue Bell (Hull #4 of the WH15 fleet) and runs community sailing outreach programs including Sail 15 for juniors 10+.
• Parsons Cup Host Clubs (Wadawanuck Yacht Club, Fishers Island Yacht Club)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Parsons Cup competition where each of three yacht clubs fields a fleet for racing. WHYC won the 2025 Parsons Cup.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Fishers Island Yacht Club: Co-host of the annual Parsons Cup competition alongside WHYC. Comparable private yacht club with racing and member amenities in the same local sailing area.
• Newport Yacht Club: RI-based private yacht club with reciprocal privileges to WHYC. Operates sailing, racing, and social programs for members in the same regional sailing community.
• Larchmont Yacht Club: Long-standing New York-based yacht club with reciprocal privileges to WHYC. Similar private membership structure with sailing, racing, and dining programs for member families.
• Annapolis Yacht Club: Established Maryland-based yacht club with reciprocal privileges to WHYC. Operates a comprehensive sailing, racing, and social member experience on the Chesapeake Bay comparable to WHYC's offering.
• Stamford Yacht Club: Connecticut-based yacht club with reciprocal privileges to WHYC. Comparable private membership club offering racing, dining, and waterfront facilities on Long Island Sound.
• Ida Lewis Yacht Club: Established Newport, RI sailing and yacht club with reciprocal privileges to WHYC. Highly comparable membership-based sailing club with active racing and junior sailing programs in the same New England coastal market.
• Stonington Harbor Yacht Club: Connecticut-based yacht club with established reciprocal relationship to WHYC. Similar private club model offering moorings, racing, dining, and junior sailing in the Fisher's Island Sound region.
• Indian Harbor Yacht Club: Greenwich, CT yacht club with reciprocal privileges to WHYC. Similar exclusive private membership club with active sailing and racing programs in the same regional yachting community.

Broad incumbents

• New York Yacht Club: One of the most prestigious and oldest yacht clubs in the United States, with broad sailing, racing, and social programming. Although much larger and more exclusive than WHYC, it sits in the same private yacht club category and is part of the same reciprocal network.

Regional players

• Royal Bermuda Yacht Club: Historic Bermuda yacht club with reciprocal privileges to WHYC. Operates a comparable private member sailing and racing model in a different geography, but shares the traditional yacht club structure and reciprocal club ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/watch-hill-yacht-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Watch Hill Yacht Club