Galway Bay Sailing Club

What Galway Bay Sailing Club does

Galway Bay Sailing Club (GBSC) is a private members sailing club founded in 1980 and based at Renville, Oranmore, County Galway, Ireland (H91 W678), approximately 10 km from Galway City. The club serves adults, juniors and youths, cruisers, dinghy sailors, Irish-speaking teens, and sailors with physical disabilities through a member-governed, community-led model. Its core technology is the nationally recognised Irish Sailing Small Boat Sailing Scheme (SBSC), delivered as an Irish Sailing accredited Training Centre, with skill progression and certifications tracked via the Checklick/Irish Sailing Passport system.

GBSC's offering spans progressive sailing courses (Try Sailing Week €100, junior and adult Levels 1–4, Sailing Academy for racing sailors), powerboat certification, sea kayaking and SUP, winter shore-based courses (SRC, RYA Diesel, RYA Radar, PHECC First Aid, Coastal Navigation), and inclusive Sailability sessions. Supporting infrastructure includes a clubhouse with bar and catering (seating 80, open April–September), a dinghy and cruiser park, 6 race-management support boats, and a new €380,000 training facility opened in June 2024. Revenue is generated through eight membership tiers (€90–€504/year, annual or monthly), course fees, event entry (including Aquabroker 1720 Europeans, Cong–Galway Race, King of the Bay series), merchandise, gift cards, and venue hire. Operations are run on third-party SaaS: Corsizio for booking, Servasport and Sailing Club Manager for member databases, and Google Calendar for event distribution.

The 2025–2026 committee is led by Commodore Pat Irwin, Vice Commodore John Collins, Secretary Gerry Drudy, and Treasurer Ger Hogan, with Johnny Shorten heading the Training Centre. Partnerships include Irish Sailing (governing body), Bord Iascaigh Mhara (kayak centre grant), Galway County Council and Gaeltacht bodies (Gaeilge Chois Trá), RNLI (safety and donations), and Checklick/Corsizio (technology). The club was named Irish Sailing Club of the Year 2023 and is GDPR-compliant in its data handling.

Name

Galway Bay Sailing Club

Legal name

Galway Bay Sailing Club Limited

Website

https://gbsc.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Galway Bay Sailing Club is an Irish Sailing–accredited private members club in Renville, Oranmore offering certified sailing, powerboat, kayaking and SUP training, racing, and Sailability programmes for adults, juniors, cruisers, and sailors with disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Sailing Club

NAICS

Marinas (713930), Marinas (71393)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKABAH

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

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Professional Sports Teams & Clubs

SECONDARYTHAJAJAG

Sailing Experiences (Lessons, Regattas, Day Sails)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Marine & Water Experiences (Boat Tours, Diving, Snorkeling, Fishing)

Keywords

• Sailing club services
• Recreational sailing
• Sailing education
• Water sports training
• Marina club membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Galway

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual and monthly membership subscriptions across multiple categories including Ordinary, Family, Senior, Junior, Cadet, Crew, and Cruising Fleet memberships ranging from €90 to €504 annually.
2. Training Courses: Revenue from sailing courses, powerboat courses, kayaking, and summer camps for adults and juniors. Course fees include temporary club membership during course duration.
3. Bar and Catering: Clubhouse bar and catering facilities generating revenue during bar opening hours (April-September). Venue hire for private events including birthdays, anniversaries, and parties.
4. Merchandise and Shop: Sale of club merchandise including beanies (€15), burgee flags (€30), polo shirts, hoodies, and gift cards (€50-200). Dinghy park fees (€50-75 annually) for member boat storage.
5. Event Entry Fees: Registration fees for events such as Turas Mara Chiarrai (€120) and cruiser race fees (€4 for members, €10 for non-members, €5 for students).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Galway Bay Sailing Club is a private members sailing club providing accredited sailing and water sports training under the Irish Sailing Small Boat Sailing Scheme. It delivers progressive courses for juniors and adults, powerboat certification, kayaking/SUP, race management, equipment rental, boat storage, and hosts regional and national regattas from its Renville, Oranmore clubhouse.

Product overview

Galway Bay Sailing Club operates as a community sailing organization offering a comprehensive range of water sports services centred around its Irish Sailing accredited training programmes. The core offering consists of progressive sailing courses spanning from introductory programmes (Try Sailing Week, Cara na Mara, Taste of Sailing) through to advanced certifications (Advanced Boat Handling Level 4), alongside specialist programmes including powerboat courses, kayaking/SUP, and the Irish language Gaeilge Chois Trá camps. The club provides equipment rental through its dinghy fleet (Topaz, RS Feva) and manages a full events calendar including the King of the Bay racing series, Wednesday Night Racing, the Aquabroker 1720 European Championship, Cong Galway Race, and casual Friday Night Cruising. Supporting services include membership subscriptions across 8 tiers (Ordinary through Cruising Fleet), club merchandise, gift cards, and the Sailability programme for sailors with disabilities. The club integrates with third-party platforms for bookings (Corsizio), membership management (Servasport, Sailing Club Manager), skill certification tracking (Checklick), and calendar sync (Google Calendar).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Try Sailing Week

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Irish SailingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish Sailing is the national governing body for sailing in Ireland. GBSC is an accredited Irish Sailing Training Centre, delivering courses under the Irish Sailing Small Boat Sailing Scheme. Membership of GBSC includes full membership of Irish Sailing Association.
• Galway County CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided funding assistance for the Gaeilge Chois Trá Irish-language sailing program, enabling partial scholarship places for teenagers to participate in sailing combined with Irish language practice.
• Gaeltacht An EachréidhminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with GBSC to offer part-funded scholarship places for the Gaeilge Chois Trá Irish-language activity camps.
• An Bruach ThoirminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting the Gaeilge Chois Trá Irish-language sailing program through funding for scholarship places.
• RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGBSC accepts donations for RNLI (Galway Lifeboat) through the club shop (€25 donation). RNLI instructor Olivia Byrne provides First Aid Response training. Strong safety partnership supporting maritime rescue operations.
• Checklick / Irish Sailing PassportcoreTechnology or IntegrationChecklick system used to track sailing skill progression, record certifications, and monitor candidate progress through Irish Sailing's training scheme. Allows sailors to move between training centers while maintaining their credentials.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Yacht Club: Dún Laoghaire-based sailing club offering junior training, cruiser racing, and keelboat programs under Irish Sailing — same membership-club-plus-academy model as GBSC.
• Schull Sailing Club: West Cork coastal sailing club with active junior training, dinghy and cruiser racing, and Irish Sailing accreditation — comparable community sailing-club model with course-based revenue and event hosting.
• Tralee Bay Sailing Club: Irish coastal sailing club with junior and adult training, cruiser racing, and Irish Sailing accreditation — comparable smaller-scale members club offering similar training/racing mix to GBSC.
• Royal Irish Yacht Club: Dún Laoghaire-based members yacht club with cruiser racing, dinghy sections, and junior training — directly comparable Irish sailing institution with similar training and racing profile.
• Royal Cork Yacht Club: Ireland's oldest yacht club (founded 1720), operating membership-based sailing, training, and hosting of national/international regattas from Crosshaven — the most directly comparable Irish sailing club to GBSC in scale, model, and ambition.
• Howth Yacht Club: Major Dublin-based sailing and dinghy club with active junior training academy, cruiser racing, and event hosting — comparable to GBSC in offering a full junior-to-cruiser progression and accredited Irish Sailing training.
• Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland: Galway-based cruiser and dinghy sailing club on Galway Bay itself — directly competes for the same catchment of Galway Bay sailors, members, and event hosting opportunities as GBSC.
• Royal St. George Yacht Club: Dún Laoghaire members yacht club with strong junior academy and cruiser fleet — comparable club structure and Irish Sailing accredited training delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Yachting Association (RYA): UK national governing body for sailing that accredits training centres, issues certifications (some delivered by GBSC for RYA Diesel/Radar), and represents the broader industry framework in which GBSC operates.

Others

• Irish Sailing: National governing body for sailing in Ireland — partner/ecosystem rather than competitor, providing accreditation (GBSC's Training Centre status), certification pathway (SBSC), membership database (Servasport), and the awards framework (Club of the Year).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance9 records

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 Galway Bay Sailing Club