Poole Yacht Club

What Poole Yacht Club does

The Poole Yacht Club, founded in 1875 and headquartered in Hamworthy, Poole, Dorset, is a member-owned yacht club operating as a traditional not-for-profit social enterprise with over 150 years of continuous operation. It serves 1,650+ active members with a comprehensive service portfolio centred on sailing access: 378 berths and 40 swinging moorings, 250+ dinghy storage spaces, an in-house yard delivering 500+ haul-outs and relaunches per year, RYA-accredited training from introductory to advanced levels, a year-round racing and social calendar, an inclusive Sailability programme, and a 5-star hygiene-rated bar and restaurant. Non-member event hosting (conferences, weddings, workshops) extends the commercial footprint beyond core sailing members.

Technology is built on off-the-shelf integrations rather than proprietary systems: BookWhen for online booking of races, storage, and boat hire; WeatherLink for real-time club and race hut weather data; Met Office and BBC Weather forecasts; ANPR for car park access; and the e-s-p.com EliteLive platform for the Club Card Top Up payment system (clubid 3082). Communications layer includes WhatsApp and VHF radio (Channel 37 or 80, call sign PIKE) for temporary berth coordination.

The business model is multi-stream and predominantly subscription-based. Annual membership fees (individual and family tiers) form the recurring backbone, supplemented by recurring berthing, mooring, dinghy/RIB, and tender storage subscriptions, transaction-based bar and restaurant revenue, usage-based race entry and boat hire fees, and professional-services pricing for yard operations and venue hire. Distribution is community-led, acquired through word-of-mouth, local sailing community engagement, the WordPress website, an active Facebook presence, and email communications, with self-serve booking via BookWhen for specific services. Governance is by elected Flag Officers (Commodore, Vice Commodore, Rear Commodores for Sailing and Services, Honorary Treasurer), consistent with the member-run structure typical of UK yacht clubs.

Name

Poole Yacht Club

Legal name

The Poole Yacht Club

Website

https://pooleyc.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Poole Yacht Club is a member-owned yacht club founded in 1875 in Poole, UK, serving 1,650+ members with berthing, moorings, RYA-accredited training, yard services, racing, and a 5-star bar and restaurant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yacht Club and Recreational Sailing

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

• Yacht club membership
• Sailing training programs
• Boat berthing services
• Marina storage
• Harbour sailing events

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamworthy

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for individuals and families providing access to club facilities, berthing, moorings, sailing programs, and events
2. Bar and Restaurant: Food and beverage sales at the club's bar and restaurant, rated 5 stars for food hygiene
3. Yard Services: Haul-out, high-pressure cleaning, towing, relaunching, and winter storage services for member vessels
4. Berthing and Moorings: Over 378 berths and 40 swinging moorings for member vessels, including winter temporary berths
5. Storage Services: Dinghy storage (250+ spaces), RIB/Whaler storage, and tender storage for members
6. Event Hosting: Venue hire for sailing conferences, meetings, workshops, weddings, and special events
7. Boat Hire: Accessible boat hire options for members and visitors at various skill levels
8. Sailing Courses and Race Entries: RYA-certified training programs and race entry fees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Poole Yacht Club is a traditional member-owned sailing club founded in 1875 that sells annual memberships to individuals and families, providing access to sailing and training programs, berthing and moorings, dinghy storage, yard services (haul-out, cleaning, towing, relaunching, winter storage), a race and social events calendar, boat hire, and clubhouse bar and restaurant facilities. Its core revenue drivers are recurring membership subscriptions complemented by transactional services tied to vessel ownership and club usage.

Product overview

Poole Yacht Club is a traditional yacht club with over 150 years of heritage offering a unified membership-based service portfolio. The core offering centers on yacht club membership providing access to sailing programs, berthing services (378 berths and 40 moorings), and social facilities. Supporting services include RYA-accredited training programs, yard services (haul-out, storage, cleaning), dinghy storage (250+ spaces), race management, event hosting, and bar/restaurant facilities. All services are interconnected through membership, with online booking via Bookwhen for specific activities like boat hire, dinghy storage, and race entry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Yacht Club Membership
• Sailing and Training Programs
• Haven Berthing and Swinging Moorings
• Yard Services
• Dinghy Storage
• Races and Sailing Events
• Bar and Restaurant
• Event Hosting (Venue Hire)
• Boat Hire

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ haul-outs and relaunches completed annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Royal Yachting Association (RYA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRYA accreditation for the club's training programmes. The club is an RYA-accredited centre offering certified sailing courses from introductory levels to advanced, providing official sailing qualifications to members.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pooleyachtclub
• Facebookfacebook.com/pooleyachtclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-poole-yacht-club

Compliance2 records

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 Poole Yacht Club