Dublin Bay Sailing Club

What Dublin Bay Sailing Club does

Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC), legally Dublin Bay Sailing Club Ltd., is Ireland's largest yacht-racing organization and a member-owned non-profit sailing club operating from Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin. The club runs comprehensive weekly racing across keelboats (Cruiser classes 0–5, Beneteau 31.7 and 211, Dragon, Dublin Bay 21, Glen, Ruffian 23, Shipman, SB20, Sports Boats, Flying Fifteen), dinghies (ILCA 6/7, IDRA 14, Melges 15, Fireball, Portsmouth Yardstick, Green Fleet), and one-design Water Wags, on courses set around 26 fixed marks across approximately 40 square miles of Dublin Bay between Salthill/Seapoint and Burford Bank. DBSC also operates winter series (Turkey Shoot in November–December and Spring Chicken in February–March) and the recently reintroduced AIB DBSC Royal Alfred Yacht Club Super League Cup.

Race management is supported by multiple handicap rating systems (VPRS, YTC, IRC, ECHO, ORC), a committee vessel fleet including the new 'Corinthian' acquired in 2024, formal protest and scoring inquiry procedures aligned with World Sailing Racing Rules, and digital infrastructure including JotForm-based entry/membership forms with Stripe payment processing, WhatsApp broadcast channels, an RSS feed via Afloat.ie, and halsail.com results. DBSC is regulated through the national governing body Irish Sailing and complies with the Children First Act 2015, GDPR via the Data Protection Act, and minimum €3 million third-party insurance requirements for competing boats.

DBSC generates revenue from annual individual memberships (€90/year, €30 for over-70s non-sailing members), per-boat entry fees ranging from €385 (Water Wags) to €1,525 (Cruisers 0), dinghy entry fees (€275–€450 with youth pricing), late entry surcharges, and title sponsorship from AIB alongside supporting sponsors (Gunpowder Irish Gin, Viking Marine, Killen Marine, Leinster Boats, Facet Jewellers). Members are primarily drawn from four Dun Laoghaire yacht clubs (Royal Irish Yacht Club, Royal St. George Yacht Club, National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club), with temporary visitor membership available for visiting yachts. The current Commodore is Jacqueline McStay, supported by Vice Commodore Brian Mathews, Rear Commodore Jonathan Skerritt, Honorary Treasurer Keith Poole, and Honorary Secretary Brian Mulkeen.

Name

Dublin Bay Sailing Club

Legal name

Dublin Bay Sailing Club Ltd.

Website

https://dbsc.ie

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dublin Bay Sailing Club is Ireland's largest yacht-racing non-profit, providing weekly keelboat, dinghy, and Water Wags racing across 320+ boats and 1,300 elected members drawn from four Dun Laoghaire yacht clubs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yacht Racing Club Services

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 organization
• Keelboat race management
• Dinghy sailing series
• Handicap rating systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees for sailing and non-sailing members, with reduced rates for over-70s
2. Boat Entry Fees: Per-boat entry fees based on class (Cruisers 0-5, Beneteau 31.7, Beneteau 211, Dragon, Dublin Bay 21, Glen, Ruffian 23, Shipman, SB20, Sports Boats, Flying Fifteen, Water Wags, Dinghies). Fees range from €385 for Water Wags to €1,525 for Cruisers 0. Late entry fees apply after deadline.
3. Dinghy Entry Fees: Entry fees for dinghy classes including Fireball, IDRA 14s, PY Single Handed, Double Handed PY, Melges 15, ICLCAs with age-based pricing (reduced rates for ages 16-25)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dublin Bay Sailing Club is Ireland's largest yacht-racing organisation, providing regular weekly competitive sailing for keelboats, dinghies, and Water Wags from late April to September on Dublin Bay. The club manages race administration, multiple handicap rating systems, sailing instructions, course marks, and committee vessels for approximately 320 boats, while operating as a private non-profit member-owned sailing club with about 1,300 elected members.

Product overview

Dublin Bay Sailing Club is Ireland's largest yacht-racing organisation, operating as a sailing club with a comprehensive racing programme rather than a technology product company. The core offering is the AIB DBSC Summer Series providing weekly racing from late April to September for approximately 320 boats across keelboats (Cruiser classes 0-5, Beneteau 31.7/211, Dragon, Dublin Bay 21, Glen, Ruffian 23, Shipman, SB20, Sports Boats, Flying Fifteen), dinghies (ILCA 6/7, IDRA 14, Melges 15, Fireball, Green Fleet), and Water Wags. Supporting products include the Corinthian committee vessel (new in 2024), race documentation suite (Sailing Instructions, Course Cards, Notices of Race), multiple handicap rating systems (VPRS, YTC, ECHO, IRC, ORC), and the 2025-introduced AIB DBSC Royal Alfred Yacht Club Super League Cup. Winter racing is offered through Turkey Shoot (November/December) and Spring Chicken (February/March) series. Supplementary services include RIB driver support, WhatsApp broadcast channels for race updates, and entry forms powered by JotForm with Stripe payments. No AI/ML capabilities or public API are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AIB DBSC Summer Series Main sailing race programme running from late April to September each year, providing weekly racing for keelboats, dinghies, and Water Wags on Dublin Bay. Open to individual sailing and non-sailing members.
• Keelboat Racing Programme Racing for cruiser classes (Cruisers 0-5, Beneteau 31.7, Beneteau 211, Dragon, Dublin Bay 21, Glen, Ruffian 23, Shipman, SB20, Sports Boats, Flying Fifteen) and Water Wags using courses designed around 26 fixed marks.
• Dinghy Racing Programme Tuesday evening and selected Saturday afternoon racing for ILCA 6, ILCA 7, IDRA 14, Melges 15, Portsmouth Yardstick, Fireball, and Green Fleet classes using Olympic-type courses.
• Turkey Shoot Series Winter racing series for cruising boats running six Sundays in November and December, leading up to Christmas. More relaxed, informal format compared to the summer series.
• Spring Chicken Series Winter racing series for cruising boats starting the first Sunday in February and lasting six weeks until mid-March. Temporary membership is included in the fee.
• AIB DBSC Royal Alfred Yacht Club Super League Cup Special racing series reintroduced in 2025, held over three series (Saturdays in May, coastal races June-August, and September). Open to Cruiser 0, 1, B31.7, Cruiser 2, and Cruiser 4/5 classes with 9 races total and 6 to count.
• Green Fleet Dinghy Racing Entry-level dinghy racing fleet using Sailing Instructions G, providing approachable racing for newer or less experienced sailors with dedicated course and race times.
• Water Wags Wednesday Evening Racing One-design racing for the Water Wag class on Wednesday evenings as part of the summer series running April to September.
• RIB Driver / Patrol Crew Services On-water race support services using RIBs for laying marks and safety cover on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday evenings and Saturdays, requiring a powerboat licence.

Quantifiable outcome

• 320+ yachts racing weekly during summer season
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Gunpowder Irish GinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a supporter of Dublin Bay Sailing Club. Logo displayed on website supporters section.
• Facet JewellersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a supporter of Dublin Bay Sailing Club. Logo displayed on website supporters section.
• Viking MarineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a supporter of Dublin Bay Sailing Club. Logo displayed on website supporters section.
• Killen MarineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a supporter of Dublin Bay Sailing Club. Logo displayed on website supporters section.
• Leinster BoatsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a supporter of Dublin Bay Sailing Club. Logo displayed on website supporters section.
• Dun Laoghaire MarinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarbour marina accommodating a considerable number of DBSC racing yachts. Located in north-western side of Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Provides berthing infrastructure essential to club operations.
• Irish SailingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational governing body for sailing in Ireland providing guidance on safety, regulations, YTC handicap system, insurance recommendations, and safeguarding standards. Club complies with Children First Act 2015 and Sport Ireland best practices.
• Dún Laoghaire Harbour AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarbour authority managing Dun Laoghaire Harbour where DBSC operates. Provides West Pier facilities, manages commercial shipping operations, issues notices to mariners, and coordinates harbour priorities for recreational and commercial vessels.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Cowes Week: UK's largest sailing regatta running competitive classes with handicap ratings across the Solent. Comparable to DBSC in providing mass-participation competitive sailing with multiple handicap systems, but operates as a week-long event in a different geography.

Direct peers

• Tralee Bay Sailing Club: Regional Irish yacht club running seasonal keelboat and dinghy racing with handicap systems. Comparable to DBSC in operating model (member subscriptions, boat entry fees, committee-managed races) but at smaller scale and outside Dublin Bay.
• Royal Cork Yacht Club: Ireland's oldest yacht club (founded1720) operating from Crosshaven with a multi-class keelboat and dinghy racing programme, handicap ratings, and a large elected membership. Directly comparable in business model — member subscriptions + boat entries, multi-handicap racing, committee-vessel race management, and Irish Sailing affiliation.
• National Yacht Club: Dun Laoghaire-based yacht club whose members participate in DBSC racing. Runs a competitive racing programme with cruiser and dinghy classes and shared Dublin Bay waters — a direct local peer in terms of membership base, boat entries, and racing infrastructure.
• Royal Irish Yacht Club: One of the four Dun Laoghaire yacht clubs whose members form DBSC's core racing base. RIYC runs its own competitive sailing programme alongside DBSC, sharing many of the same keelboat owners and competing in the same Dublin Bay waters — making it the closest direct comparable for member/yacht participation, handicap systems, and race-management scope.
• Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta: Major biennial regatta held in Dun Laoghaire using the same bay and many of the same boats/crews that race in DBSC weekly. Comparable in scope of competitive sailing organised in Dublin Bay and overlapping competitor pool.
• Royal St. George Yacht Club: Fourth Dun Laoghaire yacht club feeding into DBSC racing. Operates cruiser and one-design racing with a comparable membership model and shares the same harbour and bay facilities used by DBSC, making it a tight direct peer on operations.
• Howth Yacht Club: Dublin-area yacht club running weekly keelboat and dinghy racing programmes with handicap systems and an active cruising/sailing community. Highly comparable to DBSC in offering organised competitive racing on a defined bay area with member subscriptions and boat entry fees.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dublin-bay-sailing-club

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Dublin Bay Sailing Club