ALDEBURGH YACHT CLUB

What ALDEBURGH YACHT CLUB does

Aldeburgh Yacht Club is a private, non-profit members' sailing and boating club founded in 1897 on the River Alde in Suffolk, England. The club operates from a single waterfront site at Slaughden Road, Aldeburgh (IP15 5NA), and is run with a small staff of 13. It serves individual members, families, course attendees, and visiting yachtsmen across all ages and abilities, with a programme that spans racing, RYA-certified training, junior and youth development, cruising, and social events.

The club's core offering is structured around sailing instruction and competitive racing. Training includes RYA dinghy sailing courses, powerboating, shore-based courses, instructor training, race training, and private lessons. Racing is organised across multiple classes — Dragon, Flying Fifteen, Loch Long, K6, Wayfarer, ILCA/Laser, Lapwing, RS Feva, and Tera — with a calendar anchored by the Junior & Youth Regatta and Senior Regatta each August. The charter fleet comprises 12 Tera dinghies (new in 2025), 6 RS Feva XL (new 2020), 6 Quests, and 3 Lasers.

The revenue model is a mix of annual membership subscriptions, course fees, charter hire, boat launching and recovery (£67.50-£204.75 per service), pressure scrubbing (£69.50-£295), seasonal dinghy parking and storage (£18-£112.50), Brick Dock dry storage (£145-£178.50), clubhouse bar and galley (e.g., Wednesday suppers at £22.50 member / £26.50 non-member), and a private events hire programme catering up to 80 guests. Distribution is direct to members and visitors at the single site, with marketing via the club website, an Instagram account for junior sailing, email communications, and the regatta events themselves. The AYC Schools Sailing Trust extends the club's youth outreach to local schools.

Name

ALDEBURGH YACHT CLUB

Legal name

Aldeburgh Yacht Club

Website

https://aldeburghyc.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aldeburgh Yacht Club is a private, non-profit members' sailing and boating club founded in 1897 on the River Alde in Suffolk, England, offering RYA-certified training, multi-class racing, boat hire, storage, and social facilities to members and visiting yachtsmen.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sailing & Boating Club

NAICS

Marinas (713930)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJAJAG

Sailing Experiences (Lessons, Regattas, Day Sails)

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

Keywords

• Yacht club memberships
• Sailing training courses
• Boat storage services
• Regatta event hosting
• Dinghy boat charter

Headquarters

HQ city

Aldeburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Aldeburgh Yacht Club is a membership-based sailing and boating club that sells annual memberships and a portfolio of club services including RYA-certified dinghy sailing and powerboating courses, fleet boat hire, professional launching and recovery, pressure scrubbing, and dinghy/sail/outboard/Brick Dock storage. The club also operates a year-round racing and regatta programme across multiple dinghy classes, a junior and youth sailing programme, a weekend cruising programme, and on-site bar, galley, and private event hire.

Product overview

Aldeburgh Yacht Club operates as a membership-based sailing and boating club offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. The core offering comprises sailing courses (dinghy sailing, powerboating, shore-based training), race training programmes, and the annual regatta events (Junior & Youth Regatta and Senior Regatta). Supporting services include boat charter/hire (Tera, Feva, Quest, and Laser dinghies), professional launching and recovery, pressure scrubbing, and dinghy/car park storage. The club also provides bar and galley facilities, private event hire, and a sailing/cruising programme. All services centre around the club's location on the River Alde in Suffolk, with the fleet racing programme featuring classes including Dragon, Flying Fifteen, Loch Long, K6, Wayfarer, ILCA/Laser, Lapwing, RS Feva, and Tera.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dinghy Sailing Courses RYA-certified dinghy sailing instruction covering progressive skill levels from beginner to advanced, for members and course participants.
• Powerboating Courses RYA powerboating courses providing training in boat handling and safety operations for members and external participants.
• Boat Hire (Charter Fleet) Charter fleet of 12 Tera dinghies (new 2025), 6 RS Feva XL (new 2020), 6 Quest dinghies, and 3 Lasers, available to members with RYA qualifications or equivalent experience via half-day, full-day, weekly, and regatta charter rates.
• Boat Launching and Recovery Service Professional launching and recovery of member boats by club boatmen, including mast stepping services and exit scrubs, with itemised pricing per service component.
• Boat Scrubbing Service Pressure scrubbing service for member boats with single-scrub and annual 5-scrub package options, including tow in and out.
• Dinghy Parking and Storage Dinghy parking, sail storage, outboard motor storage, and Brick Dock dry storage facilities with summer and winter rates by vessel class.
• Junior and Youth Sailing Programme Five-week summer sailing programme for junior members (RYA Stage 3 and above) including race days, fun days, and the annual Junior and Youth Regatta.
• Regatta Events Annual regatta events including Senior Regatta (August), Junior and Youth Regatta (August), Spring Regatta (May), and open meeting championships hosted by the club.
• Sailing and Cruising Programme Programme of local weekend cruises with destinations including Southwold, Ostende, Ramsholt, and longer-distance cruising to the Baltic, Holland and France.
• Private Events and Hire Private event hire for weddings, christenings, and celebrations accommodating up to 80 guests with catering by Mackenzie-David Events.
• Bar and Galley Services Club bar serving Adnams beers and wines, with galley food service including Wednesday evening suppers, Saturday lunches, and Sunday roasts.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Royal Lymington Yacht Club: A full-service Solent yacht club offering racing, cruising, training, youth sailing, and a full social/event calendar. Operates on a similar member-owned, multi-revenue-stream model to AYC but at a larger scale.
• Royal Harwich Yacht Club: A long-established member-owned yacht club on the Suffolk/Essex border (Stour/Orwell) offering sailing, racing, training, youth programmes, and social facilities. It is the closest comparable club in scale, geography, and service mix to Aldeburgh Yacht Club.
• Island Sailing Club: Cowes-based club famed for its annual Round the Island Race, with racing, training, and social programmes. Comparable membership-club structure and event-driven revenue model to AYC's open meeting calendar.
• Bembridge Sailing Club: Isle of Wight sailing club with an active racing, training, and junior programme. Mirrors AYC's mix of club racing, junior development, and seasonal regatta-style events.
• Hamble Yacht Club: Major UK sailing club on the Hamble River known for strong youth development, race training, and open meetings. Highly comparable in the training, racing, and youth-programme pillars that AYC emphasises.
• Woodbridge Yacht Club: Suffolk-based sailing club on the River Deben offering racing, training, and social activities for members. It directly competes with AYC for the same East Anglia sailing membership pool and visiting yachtsmen.
• West Mersea Yacht Club: Essex-based sailing and motor boat club on the Blackwater estuary offering racing, training, and social events. Comparable in terms of regional catchment, recreational sailing focus, and member-owned operating model.
• Southwold Sailing Club: A small coastal sailing club a few miles up the Suffolk coast from Aldeburgh, focused on dinghy sailing and racing. Closely comparable in size, regional focus, and recreational sailing orientation.
• Royal Corinthian Yacht Club: A member-owned yacht club on the East Coast (Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex) offering sailing, racing, training, and social facilities. Closely parallel to AYC in structure, scale, and East Coast location.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Yacht Squadron: The most prestigious UK yacht club, based in Cowes, offering racing, cruising, and dining on a much larger and broader scale. Relevant as a benchmark for premium club positioning and as an aspirational peer within UK yachting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/aldeburghyouthsailing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aldeburgh-yacht-club

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 ALDEBURGH YACHT CLUB