What World Sailing does

World Sailing is the international federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the worldwide governing authority for the sport of sailing. Incorporated in the Isle of Man as World Sailing Limited (a company limited by guarantee without share capital), the organization is headquartered in London and represents 140 Member National Authorities (MNAs) across every continent. Its core functions include establishing and enforcing the Racing Rules of Sailing, certifying race officials, coaches, and measurers, organizing World Championships, and operating the only legitimate qualification pathway for athletes to compete in Olympic sailing. Major recurring events include the Annual Conference (which drew over 400 delegates in Qingdao, China in 2026) and the Sailing World Championships, the 2023 edition of which hosted over 1,200 sailors from 80 nations in The Hague.

World Sailing's product portfolio is centered on digital platforms that serve its governance and development mandate. The flagship offering is the World Sailing Academy, a self-paced online learning management system delivering courses in Race Management, Safeguarding, Equity Diversity & Inclusion, and Sailing-Specific Conditioning, supported by resource hubs for coaches, race officials, Women in Sailing, Para Inclusive Sailing, Sustainability, Offshore, and Anti-Doping. Complementary products include the official sailing.org web portal, World Sailing TV (YouTube channel), the Race Rules mobile application, the XRR data exchange service for import/export of competition data, the Sailor Rankings system, and a Find an Official directory. The organization also runs the Inclusive Development Programme for para sailing.

As a non-profit international federation, World Sailing generates revenue through Member National Authority subscriptions, event organizing, sponsorship partnerships (including 11th Hour Racing for sustainability initiatives), and broadcasting rights from major championships — rather than direct commercial product sales. It is governed by a Board of Directors (President Quanhai Li and eight Vice Presidents for the 2024-2028 term) and a Council, with CEO David Graham leading day-to-day operations. The organization employs 11-50 staff across departments including Events, Technical & Offshore, Participation & Development, Legal, Communications & Digital, Partnerships & Brand, and Finance & Business Operations.

Name

World Sailing

Legal name

World Sailing Limited

Website

https://sailing.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

World Sailing is the IOC-recognized international federation governing the sport of sailing worldwide, representing 140 Member National Authorities and organizing Olympic sailing, World Championships, and certification programs for athletes, coaches, and officials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Sports Federation Governance

NAICS

Marinas (713930)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Sailing governance
• Olympic sailing federation
• Race official certification
• Sports training academy
• International sports federation

Headquarters

HQ city

Paddington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Governing Body Operations: As the international governing body for the sport of sailing, World Sailing operates as a non-profit federation funded primarily through member national authority subscriptions, event revenues, sponsorship partnerships, and broadcasting rights from major championships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

World Sailing is the International Olympic Committee-recognized global governing body for the sport of sailing, representing 140 Member National Authorities. It establishes standardized racing rules and equipment specifications, certifies race officials, coaches and measurers, organizes World Championships, qualifies athletes for Olympic competition, and delivers online training and certification through the World Sailing Academy.

Product overview

World Sailing operates primarily as a governing body for the sport rather than a product company. Its main digital offerings include the sailing.org website portal, the World Sailing Academy online education platform (offering courses in race management, safeguarding, diversity & inclusion, and conditioning with associated resource hubs), World Sailing TV for video content, a Race Rules mobile application, the XRR data exchange service, and directory services for officials and rankings. The organization also runs the Inclusive Development Programme for para sailing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• World Sailing Academy Online education platform providing self-paced courses, certifications, and resource hubs for sailors, coaches, officials, administrators, and sailing enthusiasts. Offers courses in Equity Diversity and Inclusion, Race Management, Safeguarding, and Sailing-Specific Conditioning.
• World Sailing Website (sailing.org) Official website portal for World Sailing, providing access to news, rankings, athlete profiles, anti-doping information, participation and development resources, and organizational governance content.
• World Sailing TV YouTube video channel featuring event coverage, athlete profiles, and behind-the-scenes content from sailing competitions worldwide.
• Race Rules App Mobile application providing access to Racing Rules of Sailing for competitors, officials, and enthusiasts.
• XRR Project Free data exchange service for importing and exporting sailing competition data, available to any external party.
• Find an Official Directory tool helping users locate and connect with certified sailing officials.
• Sailor Rankings Official world rankings system for competitive sailors across various sailing disciplines.
• Inclusive Development Programme Program designed to promote inclusive and para sailing development globally, including training and support for para sailing initiatives.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Marine FuturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 July 2026Sustainability consultancy partnered with World Sailing to conduct the first-ever life cycle assessment of Olympic sailing equipment, measuring environmental impact from manufacturing through disposal. The project collects data from boat builders and surveys athletes on equipment usage and replacement patterns.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• World Athletics: World Athletics is the IOC-recognized federation for track and field, the largest Olympic sport by athlete participation. While operating at significantly greater scale than World Sailing, it shares the same IOC-recognized federation model, World Championships, member federation network, and rule-setting authority for its sport.
• International Hockey Federation: The International Hockey Federation governs field and indoor hockey, an Olympic sport with a similar-sized federation footprint to World Sailing. It is comparable in IOC-recognized federation structure, member national authority network, World Cup and World Championship event portfolio, and development programs.
• International Tennis Federation: The International Tennis Federation is the IOC-recognized federation for tennis with a global membership network, governance over Olympic tennis, Davis Cup, and Billie Jean King Cup. Comparable to World Sailing in scope and federation governance model, though operating a much larger commercial enterprise.

Others

• World Sailing Trust: The World Sailing Trust is the affiliated charitable foundation of World Sailing focused on sailing participation, sustainability, and inclusion initiatives. It is thematically related as a sister entity channeling philanthropic funding into sailing development programs aligned with World Sailing's mission.

Direct peers

• International Surfing Association: The International Surfing Association governs surfing and stand-up paddleboarding and was recognized by the IOC in 2020 with surfing included in the Olympic program. Comparable to World Sailing as another water sports federation pursuing Olympic legitimacy and managing a global community of national federations and athletes.
• World Triathlon: World Triathlon (formerly ITU) is the IOC-recognized federation for triathlon, an Olympic multi-discipline sport with significant water (swim) component. It is comparable to World Sailing in federation structure, Olympic pathway management, certification of officials, and event-driven revenue model.
• World Aquatics: World Aquatics (formerly FINA) is the IOC-recognized federation governing swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming, and open water swimming. It is a close peer to World Sailing as another Olympic water sport federation with a similar governance structure, World Championships, certification programs, and global membership model.
• International Canoe Federation: The International Canoe Federation governs canoe, kayak, and paddle sports including Olympic sprint, slalom, and canoe marathon disciplines. It is a directly comparable Olympic water sports federation with similar member federation structure, World Championships, and rule standardization mandate.
• World Rowing: World Rowing (FISA) is the IOC-recognized international federation for the sport of rowing. It is the most direct comparable to World Sailing: a non-profit federation governing an Olympic water sport, organizing World Championships, certifying officials, and representing ~150 national federations globally.

Regional players

• Royal Yachting Association: The Royal Yachting Association is the UK national governing body for sailing, a Member National Authority of World Sailing. It is comparable as a sailing-specific federation operating training, certification, and event programs, though it serves a single national market rather than the global remit of World Sailing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/worldsailing
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WorldSailingTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/worldsailingofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-sailing
• Instagraminstagram.com/worldsailingofficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@worldsailing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 World Sailing