CL Vela
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersRio De Janeiro, Brazil
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What CL Vela does
CL Vela (legal entity CINTIA E LULA ESPORTES LTDA) is a Rio de Janeiro-based nautical education school founded in 1990 by Olympic sailor Cintia Knoth and sailing instructor Luiz Evangelista (Lula). Operating from Marina da Glória and three partner clubs (Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro, Clube dos Caiçaras, and Praia Clube São Francisco in Niterói), the school delivers Brazilian Navy-accredited recreational boating licenses (Arrais Amador, Mestre Amador, Capitão Amador, and Motonauta), specialized knowledge courses in electronic, celestial, and meteorological navigation, and a tiered sailing curriculum from children's Optimist programs through advanced ocean and regatta sailing. It also runs experiential products including whale-watching excursions, coastal crossings, corporate team-building events, and school nautical-initiation programs.
The core offering is built on teaching methodology and instructor expertise rather than proprietary technology; the technology footprint is limited to a WordPress/WooCommerce e-commerce site (clvela.com.br), Instagram and Facebook presence, and email newsletter marketing. The school's defensibility is anchored on its regulatory accreditation (first Navy-accredited nautical school, only CREF-RJ affiliated), its founder pedigree (Olympic athletes and Projeto Grael co-founders), and a published textbook recommended by the Brazilian Navy. Instructor bench includes retired Navy Captains, a European-trained ropework specialist, and alumni who became Olympic and world champions.
The business model is direct-to-consumer with predominantly one-time course fees priced between R$ 100 (introductory two-hour sailing experience) and R$ 2,800 (Capitão Amador licensing course), plus per-hour private instruction at R$ 400–R$ 850. A single recurring-revenue tier, the R$ 12,400 Formação Completa Anual subscription, bundles licenses, courses, crossings, and rentals under a 12-month commitment. Distribution mixes direct online enrollment, walk-in traffic at Marina da Glória, and channel partnerships with sailing clubs and the boat-sales sister-site CL Barcos. The company is entirely bootstrapped, family-owned, and reports no external investment.
CL Vela firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CL Vela
- Legal name
- CINTIA E LULA ESPORTES LTDA
- Website
- https://clvela.com.br
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where CL Vela is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rio De Janeiro
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices4 records
Markets served
CL Vela business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Course Fees: One-time fees for individual courses including sailing lessons, nautical certifications, and experiential trips. Courses range from short single-session experiences (R$ 100-500) to comprehensive multi-month programs (R$ 2,500-12,400).
- Hourly Instruction: Per-hour private lessons for specific activities such as Wingfoil and Motonauta training, charged at R$ 400-850 per session.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Arrais Amador Teórico - Entry-level nautical license theory course |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Arrais Amador Prático - Practical boat handling course |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mestre Amador - Intermediate coastal navigation license |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Capitão Amador - Advanced ocean navigation license |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Motonauta - Personal watercraft (jet ski) license |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Optimist Nível 1 - Children's sailing course (ages 7-12) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dingue 1 - Beginner sailing course for youth and adults |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Oceano Nível Básico - Basic ocean sailing course |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Baleias-Jubarte Whale Watching - Sailing and marine ecology experience |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Oceano Regata - Racing sailing experience |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Colônia de Férias - Children's vacation sailing camp |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wingfoil Particular - Private wingfoil lessons |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Travessia/Navegação Costeira - Coastal navigation trip |
| Subscription | Monthly | Formação Completa Anual - Comprehensive annual sailing program |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Meteorologia e Oceanografia - Weather and oceanography for sailors |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Navegação Astronômica - Celestial navigation course |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | GPS, Radar e Sonda - Electronic navigation equipment course |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Navegação Eletrônica - Electronic navigation course |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Marinharia e Costura em Cabos - Ropework and sailing knots |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sistemas e Manutenção de Embarcações - Boat systems and maintenance |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Minha Primeira Velejada - First sailing experience |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
CL Vela product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CL Vela is a nautical education school offering sailing lessons and Brazilian Navy-recognized boating certifications (Arrais Amador, Mestre Amador, Capitão Amador, Motonauta). The portfolio also includes children's sailing programs (Optimist levels, vacation camps), youth and adult sailing courses (Dingue, Ocean sailing), specialty classes (Windsurf, Wingfoil, electronic and celestial navigation, meteorology, boat maintenance), and recreational sailing experiences such as whale watching excursions and coastal crossings.
Product overview
CL Vela is a nautical education school offering a comprehensive portfolio of sailing courses and nautical certifications. The school provides nautical licensing courses (Arrais Amador, Mestre Amador, Capitão Amador, and Motonauta) recognized by the Brazilian Navy, along with specialized knowledge courses covering electronic navigation, astronomical navigation, meteorology, and vessel maintenance. The product line also includes sailing courses for children (Optimist levels 1-3, vacation camps), youth and adults (Dinghy, Ocean levels, Windsurf, Wingfoil), and recreational experiences (whale watching excursions, coastal crossings, sailing tours). The school operates from Marina da Glória in Rio de Janeiro since 1990, offering both group courses and private lessons.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Arrais Amador (Teórico + Prático)
Quantifiable outcome
- 40,000+ students trained since 1990
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use CL Vela
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
CL Vela technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CL Vela partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- CL BarcosminorCross-promotional relationship with boat sales company (clbarcos.com.br). CL Barcos refers customers who need licensing after boat purchases. CL Vela appears as linked site on CL Barcos platform.
- Projeto Baleia-Jubarte (Projeto Amigos da Jubarte)minorCollaboration for whale watching courses. Projeto Baleia-Jubarte provides route tracking and migration data to maximize whale sighting chances during educational sailing trips aboard the Archangel sailboat.
- Iate Clube do Rio de JaneirocoreCL Vela delivers sailing instruction at Iate Clube premises for club members. Inscriptions handled through club secretariat. One of three partner clubs in Rio de Janeiro area.
- Clube dos CaiçarascoreCL Vela delivers sailing instruction at Clube dos Caiçaras location. Inscriptions through CL Vela directly. Partner club in Rio de Janeiro.
- Praia Clube São FranciscocoreCL Vela delivers sailing instruction at Praia Clube São Francisco in Niterói. Extends CL Vela's geographic reach across Guanabara Bay.
- Projeto GraelcoreFounders Cíntia Knoth and Lula (Luiz Evangelista) were co-founders of Projeto Grael with Torben Grael, Lars Grael, and Marcelo Ferreira. Projeto Grael is a pioneering youth nautical initiation project in Brazil. This historic connection establishes CL Vela's foundational role in Brazilian sailing education.
- Diretoria de Portos e Costas (DPC) - Marinha do BrasilcoreRegulatory oversight body for nautical education. CL Vela is the first school accredited by DPC for issuing official recreational boating licenses.
- FEVERJ (Federação de Vela do Estado do Rio de Janeiro)coreState sailing federation. CL Vela received Best Sailing School award from FEVERJ. Federation affiliation provides legitimacy and competitive recognition.
- BR Marinas / Marina da GlóriacoreHost marina for CL Vela headquarters and primary teaching location. BR Marinas operates the Marina da Glória facility where CL Vela maintains its main office (Loja 17B) and conducts most courses.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CL Vela competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Projeto Grael: Brazilian non-profit youth sailing initiative co-founded by CL Vela's founders. Highly adjacent — shares pedagogical DNA and alumni pipeline, but operates as a social-impact program rather than a paying school.
- Wingfoil School Brasil: Brazilian wingfoil/wing-foil instruction provider. Comparable as a water-sports school monetizing premium experiential lessons at coastal locations, intersecting with CL Vela's wingfoil offering.
Direct peers
- Annapolis Sailing School: One of the largest US sailing schools, offering ASA-certified courses from beginner through offshore passages. Highly comparable to CL Vela's licensing-track + recreational experience model, though operating in a much larger and more tourism-driven US market.
- J/World Sailing School: Performance-oriented sailing school offering cruising and racing courses in the US and Caribbean. Comparable in curriculum structure (licensing path + specialty courses) and target market of serious adult sailing enthusiasts.
- Offshore Sailing School: Founded by Steve and Doris Colgate, this school delivers ASA-certified cruising and bareboat charter courses plus liveaboard passages. Closely comparable to CL Vela in combining certification pathways with premium experience-based trips.
- Escola de Vela de Ilhabela (ICSB): Brazilian sailing school in Ilhabela (São Paulo coast) offering Brazilian-Navy-accredited courses plus recreational and charter experiences. Comparable product mix and accreditation, competing in the Southeast Brazil leisure boating segment.
- Escola de Vela do Iate Clube de Brasília: Sailing school inside one of Brazil's premier yacht clubs, offering Arrais/Mestre/Capitão Amador courses to members. Comparable in regulatory curriculum and club-channel distribution, though restricted to club members.
Broad incumbents
- Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Training Centres: UK-based federation that accredits a global network of sailing schools with internationally recognized certifications. Comparable in establishing and governing recreational sailing credentials; CL Vela plays an analogous role within Brazil's Marinha system.
Others
- CL Barcos: Sibling boat sales business operated within the same founder ecosystem. Functions as a referral channel into CL Vela's licensing courses, making it an ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor.
Regional players
- Escola Náutica Brasileira / Marinha do Brasil (DPC): Brazilian Navy's Diretoria de Portos e Costas, the regulator that accredits nautical schools and administers amateur license exams. Not a commercial peer, but defines the regulatory framework within which CL Vela operates.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CL Vela social profiles
Digital presenceCL Vela financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CL Vela leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
CL Vela funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CL Vela M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CL Vela
What does CL Vela do?
CL Vela is a nautical education school offering sailing lessons and Brazilian Navy-recognized boating certifications (Arrais Amador, Mestre Amador, Capitão Amador, Motonauta). The portfolio also includes children's sailing programs (Optimist levels, vacation camps), youth and adult sailing courses (Dingue, Ocean sailing), specialty classes (Windsurf, Wingfoil, electronic and celestial navigation, meteorology, boat maintenance), and recreational sailing experiences such as whale watching excursions and coastal crossings.
Is CL Vela a public or private company?
CL Vela is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CL Vela founded?
CL Vela was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CL Vela based?
CL Vela is headquartered in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does CL Vela make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Course Fees are the primary driver. The others are hourly Instruction.
Who are CL Vela's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Projeto Grael and Wingfoil School Brasil. Direct peers are Annapolis Sailing School, J/World Sailing School, Offshore Sailing School, Escola de Vela de Ilhabela (ICSB) and Escola de Vela do Iate Clube de Brasília. Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Training Centres is listed as a broad incumbent. CL Barcos is listed as an others. Escola Náutica Brasileira / Marinha do Brasil (DPC) is listed as a regional player.
Does CL Vela have an API?
No public API is recorded for CL Vela.