Spinnaker Sailing

What Spinnaker Sailing does

Spinnaker Sailing Inc. is a founder-owned sailing school and club founded in 1980 and headquartered at the Port of Redwood City Marina in Redwood City, California. The company provides American Sailing Association (ASA) certified sailing instruction ranging from ASA 101 (Basic Keelboat) through ASA 105 (Coastal Navigation) and ASA 118 (Motoring & Docking), alongside skippered and bareboat charter services, group sailing activities, corporate team building programs, and international sailing vacation packages. It serves individual sailing students, sailing club members, women sailors, sailing vacation travelers, and corporate groups.

The business operates a fleet of more than two dozen sailboats ranging from 25-foot Merit 25 sloops through 44-foot Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 449 cruising yachts, plus Catalina 27, Catalina 42, and Beneteau 39 vessels. Charter and bareboat services require ASA 103 certification or club membership. Revenue is generated through five streams: ASA-certified sailing courses ($1,295-$1,395 per course), annual club memberships with recurring monthly billing, pay-as-you-go skippered and bareboat charters ($195-$690 per booking), one-time overseas vacation packages (e.g., $4,985 per cabin for BVI), and corporate team building regattas priced around $190 per person. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the company website, phone, and walk-in inquiries at the marina.

The company is led by founding owner Rich Ferrari and School Director Bob Diamond (a 100-ton Coast Guard licensed captain and ASA instructor evaluator who co-authored ASA's "Sailing Made Easy"). With 11-50 employees including approximately 20+ sailing instructors, Spinnaker Sailing competes on 40+ years of brand reputation, instructor quality, reciprocal club privileges, and its Learn to Sail Guarantee. It maintains an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Yelp, and is the only such operator of meaningful scale anchored at the Port of Redwood City.

Name

Spinnaker Sailing

Legal name

Spinnaker Sailing Inc.

Website

https://spinnakersailing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spinnaker Sailing is a founder-owned sailing school and club in Redwood City, California, founded in 1980. It delivers ASA-certified sailing courses, skippered and bareboat charters, corporate team building, and international sailing vacations using a fleet spanning 25- to 44-foot sailboats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sailing Education and Recreation

NAICS

Marinas (713930)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Sailing instruction
• ASA certification
• Boat charter services
• Sailing club
• Corporate team building

Headquarters

HQ city

Redwood City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sailing Classes: ASA-certified sailing courses ranging from beginner (ASA 101) to advanced levels. Four-day courses taught over two consecutive weekend modules with classroom portion via Zoom and on-water instruction at the marina.
2. Memberships: Annual club memberships providing unlimited access to group sails, 25% discount on classes, and access to charter fleet. Monthly payment options available.
3. Charter Services: Skippered and bareboat charter services for boats ranging from 25 to 44 feet. Bareboat requires club membership; skippered charters available to all.
4. Sailing Vacations: Overseas sailing vacation packages to destinations including British Virgin Islands, Croatia, Tahiti, and Half Moon Bay. Includes boat charter, transfers, provisions, and accommodations coordination.
5. Corporate Team Building: Regatta programs and skippered cruises for corporate groups. Includes basic sailing instruction, racing activities, and optional add-ons like branded merchandise and post-race receptions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Spinnaker Sailing is an ASA-certified sailing school and sailing club that teaches adult keelboat sailing courses (ASA 101 through ASA 118) on San Francisco Bay. The company also rents its fleet of keelboats (Merit 25, Catalina 27, Catalina 42, and Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 449) via skippered and bareboat charters, organizes multi-day Bay Area trips and international bareboat sailing vacations (British Virgin Islands, Tahiti, Croatia), and delivers corporate team-building regattas and skippered cruises.

Product overview

Spinnaker Sailing operates as a sailing school and club based in Redwood City, California, founded in 1980. The company offers a comprehensive suite of sailing education and on-water services centered around American Sailing Association (ASA) certification courses ranging from ASA 101 (Basic Keelboat) through ASA 105 (Coastal Navigation) and ASA 118 (Motoring & Docking). The core educational offerings are supplemented by a diverse fleet of charter vessels including Merit 25, Catalina 27, Catalina 42, Jeanneau 449, and Beneteau 39 sailboats. Services include group sailing activities (Afternoon Sails, Evening Sails, Night Sails), skippered and bareboat charters, corporate team building programs (Regatta and Skippered Cruise options), and international sailing vacation packages to destinations including British Virgin Islands, Croatia, and Tahiti. The company also maintains a sailing club membership program with reciprocal privileges at other charter bases and discounts on activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ASA 101: Basic Keelboat Sailing Three-day introductory keelboat sailing course for adults with little or no prior sailing experience, taught on San Francisco Bay with a maximum of three students per boat and leading to ASA 101 certification.
• ASA 102: Keelboat Sailing Intermediate ASA keelboat sailing course that builds on ASA 101, covering more advanced boat-handling and seamanship on San Francisco Bay.
• ASA 103: Basic Coastal Cruising ASA coastal cruising course that prepares students to skipper a keelboat on coastal day and overnight trips, taught on San Francisco Bay.
• ASA 105: Coastal Navigation ASA coastal navigation course covering chart work, plotting, and traditional navigation skills needed for cruising.
• ASA 118: Docking and Boat Handling ASA motoring and docking course focused on in-harbor boat handling under power for sailors and boat owners.
• Basic Keelboat Classroom Review Classroom review session for graduates of the ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing course who want a structured refresher of core concepts.
• Beyond the Basics for Women Sailors Women-only sailing course designed to build sailing skills and confidence beyond the introductory level in a supportive cohort environment.
• Afternoon Sail Short recreational afternoon sailing experience on San Francisco Bay, available to members and non-members as a standalone outing.
• Evening Sail Short evening sailing experience on San Francisco Bay, available as a standalone outing for members and non-members.
• Night Sail Nighttime sailing experience on San Francisco Bay that lets participants practice after-dark sail handling and navigation in a supervised setting.
• Skippered Charter Service Hire of a Spinnaker Sailing captain and one of the school's charter boats for a private sail, available to individuals and groups including corporate clients seeking a skippered cruise.
• Merit 25 Charter Fleet Bareboat charter of a Merit 25 keelboat from the school's charter fleet, suited for certified sailors seeking affordable Bay sailing.
• Catalina 27 Charter Fleet Bareboat charter of a Catalina 27 keelboat, a mid-sized cruiser from the school's charter fleet for day sailing and overnight trips.
• Catalina 42 Charter Bareboat or skippered charter of a Catalina 42, the largest boat in the school's fleet, suitable for larger groups and overnight Bay sailing.
• Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 449 Charter Charter of a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 449 modern cruising yacht, suitable for comfortable multi-day Bay charters and the most premium option in the school's fleet.
• Multi-Day Bay Area Sailing Trips Multi-day guided sailing trips in the San Francisco Bay Area for club members and students seeking overnight and multi-day experience without leaving the Bay.
• British Virgin Islands Bareboat Vacation Multi-day bareboat sailing vacation in the British Virgin Islands, sold on a per-cabin basis and operated out of the school's sailing vacations program.
• Tahiti Sailing Vacation Multi-day bareboat sailing vacation in Tahiti, sold on a per-cabin basis as part of the school's international sailing vacations portfolio.
• Croatia Sailing Vacation Multi-day bareboat sailing vacation along the Croatian coast, sold on a per-cabin basis as part of the school's international sailing vacations portfolio.
• Team Building Regatta Program Corporate team-building program built around a facilitated sailboat regatta on San Francisco Bay, sold on a per-person basis to companies and groups.
• Sailing Club Memberships Recurring sailing club membership that grants access to club sails, fleet usage, and member pricing on courses and charters, with separate member and non-member price points.
• Individual Purchase and Gift Cards Purchasable gift cards and individual course vouchers that can be redeemed against the school's sailing courses, sails, and related experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students leave with internationally recognized ASA certification enabling worldwide boat chartering
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Offshore Sailing School: Premier ASA-affiliated sailing school with nationwide locations offering certification courses and premium liveaboard cruising instruction directly comparable to Spinnaker's curriculum-based model.
• J/World Sailing (formerly J/World Annapolis): ASA-affiliated sailing school offering performance-oriented keelboat courses and charters; comparable curriculum, certification pathway, and bareboat/skippered service structure.
• Modern Sailing School & Club: San Francisco Bay-based ASA-affiliated sailing school offering certification courses, memberships, and charters directly comparable to Spinnaker's service mix and geography.
• Annapolis Sailing School: One of the oldest ASA-affiliated sailing schools in the US; comparable in longevity, ASA certification curriculum, charter fleet operations, and recreational sailing instruction.
• Bay Sailing: San Francisco Bay sailing school and charter company offering ASA certification courses and bareboat charters in direct competition with Spinnaker's core offerings.
• Tradewinds Sailing School: Sailing school and charter operation on San Francisco Bay offering ASA courses and bareboat/skippered charters in the same geography and customer base as Spinnaker.

Regional players

• Captain's Cove Sailing School: East Coast sailing school and charter club offering ASA certification and bareboat/skippered charters; comparable in offerings but serves a different coastal geography.
• Seattle Sailing Club: Pacific Northwest sailing club and school offering ASA courses, charters, and memberships; comparable service mix but operates in Puget Sound rather than San Francisco Bay.

Broad incumbents

• Dream Yacht Charter: International bareboat and crewed yacht charter company operating in BVI, Croatia, Tahiti, and other destinations; comparable to Spinnaker's overseas vacation packages at a much larger scale.
• The Moorings: Global bareboat yacht charter operator — Spinnaker partners with Moorings for its BVI catamaran vacation package, and Moorings represents the larger incumbent in the bareboat charter category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spinnakersailin
• Facebookfacebook.com/SpinnakerSailingRWC
• Instagraminstagram.com/spinnakersailingredwoodcity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spinnaker-sailing-school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Spinnaker Sailing