Yacht Club de France

What Yacht Club de France does

Yacht Club de France is a private French sailing club founded in 1867 and headquartered at 41 avenue Foch in Paris's 16th arrondissement. Its purpose, stated as "Pratiquer et promouvoir la navigation de plaisance" (practice and promote pleasure navigation), is delivered through four interlocking functions: (1) membership services anchored by club facilities including a dining room, salons, and meeting spaces open to members; (2) official IRC Rating Authority status in France, under which it administers measurement, certificate issuance, and rule interpretation for the International Rating Certificate (IRC) handicap system used in yacht racing; (3) the Pôle Course racing division, which organizes competitive sailing across offshore racing, classic and metric yachts, and oceanic events such as the Transat Cap Martinique and the RORC Transatlantic Race; and (4) heritage and cultural programming including a library, the Galerie du YCF, the Prix du Conseil du YCF, polar expeditions, and a partnership with the Musée National de la Marine.

The organization serves two primary customer segments: yacht owners and recreational sailors, and competitive sailors and racing teams. The core technology is the IRC rating system, a rule-based handicapping methodology rather than a software product; the club's differentiation rests on its formal designation as France's IRC Rating Authority and its domain specialization in measurement and certification rather than on proprietary software. Go-to-market is community-led: members are acquired and retained through racing calendars, allied club reciprocity, and exclusive physical facilities, supplemented by social channels (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) and a partnership with the SeaZaZoo community platform for regatta participants.

Yacht Club de France generates revenue across four streams: recurring membership fees, professional-service fees for IRC measurement and certificates (unit-priced and published on the website), transaction-based revenue from on-site restaurant and bar services, and transaction-based boutique sales of club merchandise. Distribution is primarily direct, with the Paris headquarters serving as the sole physical site and racing events acting as the principal engagement channel across France's Mediterranean and Atlantic sailing regions. The organization is privately held and independent, with no parent company disclosed.

Name

Yacht Club de France

Legal name

Yacht Club de France

Website

https://ycfrance.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1867

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yacht Club de France is a private 1867-founded Parisian sailing club that serves French yacht owners and competitive sailors through membership services, racing event organization (Pôle Course), and its official role as France's IRC Rating Authority for boat measurement and certification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yacht Club and Sailing Club Services

NAICS

Marinas (713930)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Sailing club membership
• Yacht racing events
• IRC rating certification
• Offshore sailing competitions
• Recreational boating services

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for club access and participation in club activities
2. IRC Certificate Services: Fees for IRC measurement services and certificate issuance for yacht owners participating in IRC-rated races
3. Restaurant and Bar Services: Dining room and bar services open to members, generating food and beverage revenue
4. Boutique Sales: Sale of club merchandise and yachting-related products through the club's online boutique

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Yacht Club de France is a Paris-based private sailing club founded in 1867 that practices and promotes recreational sailing and pleasure navigation. It provides club membership with access to dining and social facilities, acts as France's official IRC (International Rating Certificate) Rating Authority issuing measurement certificates for racing yachts, and organizes competitive sailing events across multiple disciplines including offshore racing, classic yacht racing, and oceanic races.

Product overview

Yacht Club de France operates as a sailing club and racing organization offering a portfolio centered on IRC rating certification services, competitive sailing events across multiple disciplines (offshore, classics, and oceanic racing), and club membership facilities. The IRC Certificate Services serve as the core product providing boat measurement and rating certification for racing. The Racing Division (Pôle Course) organizes and manages various competitions including Duo Catamania, Range Rover Sardinia Cup participation, and European IRC Championships. Club facilities provide dining and social spaces for members, complemented by a boutique for club merchandise. The organization connects with the sailing community through the SeaZaZoo platform partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Club Membership Annual membership providing access to the club's Paris headquarters facilities including the dining room, salons, and meeting spaces, as well as access to organized racing events, allied club networks, and heritage programs such as the marine museum and polar expeditions.
• IRC Certificate Services Official IRC Rating Authority services for France, providing yacht measurement, certificate issuance, and rating system administration for owners participating in IRC-rated races worldwide. Includes rules, jargon guides, measurer directories, and TCC lists.
• Dining Room and Bar Services

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Allied Clubs NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of allied sailing clubs across France with mutual membership recognition and collaborative racing event organization. Includes clubs in major sailing regions such as Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts.
• Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on international ocean racing events including the RORC Transatlantic Race. The YCF participates in RORC-organized events and the Range Rover Sardinia Cup.
• IRC International ClassescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of IRC boat owners in France (IRC-Classe Association) working together on rule development and rating standards for IRC racing.
• Musée National de la MarineminorOthersHeritage partnership providing club members access to the National Marine Museum and joint preservation of maritime heritage.
• Sponsors and Patrons (Mécénat)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsorship and patronage program supporting club activities, racing events, and maritime heritage preservation. Includes Range Rover sponsorship for the Sardinia Cup.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Royal Yacht Squadron: One of the world's most prestigious yacht clubs based in Cowes, UK. Directly comparable to YCF as a historic, membership-based sailing organization organizing elite racing and representing national prestige in yachting governance.
• New York Yacht Club: Historic US yacht club (founded 1844) with elite membership, organized offshore racing (e.g., Transatlantic Race), and a flagship clubhouse. Directly comparable as a heritage, membership-driven organization running major international sailing competitions.
• Yacht Club Italiano: Historic Genoa-based yacht club, founded 1879, comparable in vintage and prestige to YCF. Operates as a membership sailing organization with active racing, training, and social programs in the Mediterranean.
• Storm Trysail Club: US-based invitation-only sailing club focused on offshore and heavy-weather racing. Comparable as a niche, membership-driven organization specializing in serious ocean racing events (e.g., Block Island Race Week, SORC).
• Norddeutscher Regatta Verein: Germany's largest and oldest sailing club (founded 1868), organizer of Kieler Woche. Comparable as a heritage European yacht club combining membership, organized offshore and dinghy racing, and IRC-rated regattas in a different national market.
• Yacht Club de Monaco: Prestigious Mediterranean yacht club founded by Prince Rainier III. Closely comparable peer: membership-based, organizes international racing (Monaco Yacht Show, Rolex Series), and operates F&B and social facilities for an elite sailing community.
• Royal Ocean Racing Club: UK-based membership organization dedicated to ocean and offshore racing. Already a strategic partner of YCF for the RORC Transatlantic Race; comparable as an organizing authority for IRC-rated offshore events and member-driven racing calendars.
• Cruising Yacht Club of Australia: Leading Southern Hemisphere yacht club famous for the Sydney-Hobart race. Comparable peer for membership sailing, organized offshore racing, and IRC-rated competition in a distinct but analogous national sailing ecosystem.

Regional players

• Société des Régates d'Antibes: French Mediterranean yacht club organizing IRC-class racing on the Côte d'Azur. Comparable as a French regional sailing club operating in YCF's Mediterranean championship geography and IRC ecosystem, though smaller in scope.
• Cercle de la Voile de Paris: Paris-based sailing club operating on the Seine and at regional venues. Comparable as a Paris-region membership sailing organization focused on racing and cruising, though without YCF's IRC rating authority or national prestige.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/YachtClubdeFrance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yacht-club-france
• Instagraminstagram.com/yacht_club_de_france

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Yacht Club de France