Tønsberg Seilforening

What Tønsberg Seilforening does

Tønsberg Seilforening is a Norwegian non-profit sailing association (idrettsforening) headquartered at Fjærholmen island near Tønsberg, founded in 1888/1920, and affiliated with Norges Idrettsforbund through MinIdrett. It operates a vertically integrated member ecosystem spanning youth education (Optimist dinghy beginner courses, summer sailing school, youth/adult courses), competitive racing (weekly onsdagsregatta, Nøtterøy Rundt, Tjøme Rundt, club championships, Pinseleir camp), and heritage one-design classes (IOD Princess with ~15 boats, RS Elite, and the J70 boat-pool project). Member services include access to club boats, training, a printed sailing magazine (Seilmagasinet, 6x/year), social events, and (from 2026) facility rental at a rebuilt clubhouse.

The business model rests on tiered annual membership fees (500–2,600 NOK across supporting, junior, student, single, couple, and family tiers) plus seasonal course fees (2,500–4,500 NOK), supplemented by merchandise sales through a Henri Lloyd partnership and minor sponsorship (Sparebank1). Distribution is community-led and direct: sign-ups are handled via email and MinIdrett, course and regatta registrations flow through the club website, Sailrace Systems, and Manage2Sail. The organization currently operates from temporary trailers and tents following the loss of its 100-year-old clubhouse to fire in 2024, with Zeiner Bolig Håndverk contracted as general contractor for the new facility (groundwork began late 2025, completion targeted July 2026).

Customer segments are horizontal and local: children and youth, adults/families, competitive regatta sailors, tour/cruising sailors (via the Havnejakt harbor-hunt competition), and supporting non-sailing members. No proprietary technology platform is mentioned; operations rely on standard third-party race management (Sailrace Systems, Manage2Sail) and the central Norwegian sports registry (MinIdrett).

Name

Tønsberg Seilforening

Legal name

Tønsberg Seilforening

Website

https://tonsbergseilforening.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tønsberg Seilforening is a Norwegian non-profit sailing association based at Fjærholmen near Tønsberg, offering tiered memberships, sailing courses for children and adults, weekly regattas, one-design boat classes (IOD Princess, RS Elite, J70), and club facilities serving the local Vestfold sailing community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Sailing Club

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Sailing club services
• Sailing courses
• Recreational boating
• Yacht racing events
• Sailing memberships

Headquarters

HQ city

Nøtterøy

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: Recurring annual membership fees across multiple tiers (family, couple, single, student, junior, supporting). Revenue is reinvested into Fjærholmen maintenance, youth programs, courses, lectures, and training.
2. Sailing Courses: Course fees for beginner courses, summer sailing school, youth/adult courses, and J70 regatta courses. These are seasonal offerings with specific dates and pricing.
3. Club Merchandise (Henri Lloyd Partnership): Sale of branded club clothing and apparel through Henri Lloyd partnership, offering uniforms for members.
4. Facility Rental (Future): Revenue from renting club facilities. Currently on hold due to clubhouse fire but planned for 2026 onwards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tønsberg Seilforening operates a recreational sailing club founded in 1920, offering sailing courses for beginners through advanced sailors, organized regattas and races, a shared boat pool, and member access to club facilities. The association serves members and the local sailing community around Tønsberg in Vestfold, Norway, through training, competitions, and social sailing activities.

Product overview

Tønsberg Seilforening is a sailing club offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services centered around sailing education, racing, and community activities at Fjærholmen. The core offerings include beginner sailing courses (Nybegynnerkurs), summer sailing school (Sommerseilskolen), youth and adult sailing courses, and J70 race courses with boat pool membership. The club organizes competitive racing including weekly Wednesday regattas (Onsdagsregatta), the Nøtterøy Rundt race, Tjøme Rundt, and club championships. Specialty classes include IOD Princess boats and RS Elite. Additional services include membership in various tiers, facility rental (under reconstruction), crane operation training, and the seasonal Havnejakt (Harbor Hunt) cruising competition. The club publishes Tobakksrullen, a 40-year tradition of club magazine, and hosts the annual Pinseleir Whit Week camp.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Princessklubben: Active sailing community with approximately 15 IOD Princess classic wooden one-design sailboats. Races every Wednesday. Offers crew positions, boat rentals, trial sailing, and NM participation.

Products and services

• Seilingskurs for nybegynnere og viderekomne (Sailing courses for beginners and advanced sailors) Instructional sailing courses offered to club members and the local public, covering beginner through advanced skill levels including keelboat handling and racing techniques, delivered on club waters in Tønsberg.
• Sommer-seileskole (Summer sailing school) Multi-week summer sailing program for youth and adult participants, providing concentrated sailing instruction during the Norwegian summer season at the club's Tønsberg facility.
• Medlemskap i Tønsberg Seilforening (Club membership) Annual club membership granting access to club activities, courses, regattas, boat pool, and facilities, offered in tiers including family, couple, single, student, junior, and supporting membership.
• Onsdagsregatta kjølbåt (Wednesday keelboat race series) Weekly organized keelboat racing event held on Wednesdays at the club, providing regular competitive sailing opportunities for members.
• Nøtterøy Rundt (Nøtterøy Round race) Organized around-island sailing race circumnavigating Nøtterøy, hosted by Tønsberg Seilforening for members and visiting sailors.
• Tjøme Rundt (Tjøme Round race) Organized around-island sailing race circumnavigating Tjøme, hosted by Tønsberg Seilforening for members and visiting sailors.
• Klubbmesterskap (Club championship) Annual club-level sailing championship event crowning top performers across classes for Tønsberg Seilforening members.
• Båtpool (Boat pool access) Shared access to club-owned boats that members can use on a pool/booking basis, reducing the cost barrier to getting out on the water.
• J70-regatta program Competitive J70 one-design racing program organized by the club's J70 project, offering members structured J70 regattas and training.
• Krankurs (Crane operation course) Training course certifying members in the safe operation of the club's marine crane used for launching and recovering boats.

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Zeiner Bolig HåndverkcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 11 November 2025Zeiner Bolig Håndverk selected as general contractor for the new clubhouse construction at Fjærholmen. Ronald Bodin, Managing Director, stated they are proud to build the modern, functional clubhouse. Ground work expected to start quickly with target completion of July 14.
• Henri LloydcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 June 2024Tønsberg Seilforening entered a partnership with Henri Lloyd to offer branded club clothing. Knut Frostad and Lars Erik Heibek, known figures from sailing and the industry, are building the Henri Lloyd presence in Norway. The club receives a partnership agreement with local retailer, offering members club clothes with logo and printing.
• Maritim BåtustyrminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMaritim Båtustyr offers member evenings with special deals and prizes for regatta participants. Provides gift certificates worth 2000/1000/500 NOK for 1st/2nd/3rd place in the Havnejakt competition.
• PrincessklubbencoreOthersActive sailing group within Tønsberg Seilforening with approximately 15 IOD Princess classic wooden one-design boats. Sails weekly regattas every Wednesday from Fjærholmen. Organizing Norwegian Championships when minimum 15 boats participate.
• Sparebank1minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal bank appearing as club sponsor with logo on website. Partnership provides marketing visibility for the bank while supporting the sailing club.
• Jan StalsbergminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with Tønsberg Seilforening to provide crane certification courses for stationary pillar crane boat lifting. Course held April 10, 18:00-21:00, price 1200 NOK plus materials and certification fees.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fredrikstad Seilforening: Long-running Norwegian sailing club running dinghy and keelboat racing, junior courses, and member regattas — analogous membership model, course pricing, and competitive programming structure.
• Bærum Seilforening: Norwegian sailing club running junior/youth courses, summer sailing school, and regatta programming for the Oslofjord area — closely mirrors Tønsberg Seilforening's course catalog, youth pathway, and weekly racing cadence.
• Asker Seilforening: Norwegian sailing association offering member-based access, junior sailing education, and Oslofjord regattas — comparable geographic scope, member-tier structure, and seasonal course line-up to Tønsberg Seilforening.

Broad incumbents

• Kongelig Norsk Seilforening (Royal Norwegian Yacht Club): Founded 1884 in Oslo, it is Norway's flagship sailing club offering courses, regattas, and member facilities — the most direct domestic analog to Tønsberg Seilforening's membership-based sailing-club model but at far greater scale and historic prestige.
• Royal Yacht Squadron (RYC): One of the world's most established private yacht clubs, providing membership-based access, training, and racing — useful international benchmark for member-tier structure and clubhouse economics.
• New York Yacht Club (NYYC): Historic private yacht club offering membership tiers, training, and major regattas — analogous premium-membership model and clubhouse-rental revenue logic, though at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Maringruppen / Royal Cork Yacht Club: One of the world's oldest yacht clubs running member courses, junior pathways, and competitive racing — useful European peer for membership fees, clubhouse rebuild economics, and regatta programming benchmarks.
• Horten Seilforening: Historic sailing club in the Vestfold region of Norway operating out of its own harbor with member courses and racing — comparable scale and similar Vestfold coastal catchment, directly competing for Tønsberg-area members.

Others

• Norges Seilforbund (Norwegian Sailing Federation): National governing body for sailing in Norway; not a direct competitor but a relevant ecosystem participant that Tønsberg Seilforening is affiliated with through Norges Idrettsforbund and that sanctions the Norwegian Championships the club hosts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tonsbergseilforening

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Tønsberg Seilforening