International Sailing Schools Association (ISSA)

What International Sailing Schools Association (ISSA) does

The International Sailing Schools Association (ISSA) is a non-profit international association founded in 1969 in London and currently registered in Cyprus (Nicosia) with operational headquarters in Warsaw, Poland. ISSA develops and disseminates standardized sailing education curricula and certifications, serving sailing schools, instructors, and individual sailors across multiple continents. Its core technology is the ISSA Hub, an online education platform that handles course enrollment, student records, certificate issuance, and logbook management, with social-login integrations (Google, Facebook, X, LinkedIn) and separate workflows for students versus instructors/schools. ISSA also produces specialized proprietary content, including the International Nautical Sign Language Dictionary for deaf sailors and tactile textbooks for blind learners under its SIPD (Sailing Instructor of Persons with Disabilities) program.

ISSA generates revenue through a diversified non-profit model: school accreditation fees (recurring subscriptions), instructor training courses (€1,500 for full certification, €300 for one-day assessment), instructor license renewal fees every five years, sailing ID card issuance fees (transactional), and event participation fees (€120 per person for Festival of Sails). Its go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, relying on presence at major industry events such as boot Düsseldorf and the World Yachting Summit, alongside a globally distributed channel of accredited sailing schools that deliver ISSA-certified courses locally. The organization has formal strategic alliances with the UN-affiliated World Maritime University (2023), the Qingdao Sports Development Center in China (2017, renewed through 2025), and regional maritime authorities. It operates with a lean core team of approximately 6 employees, supplemented by regional representatives across Germany, Greece, Spain, China, the Persian Gulf, and Southeast Asia.

Name

International Sailing Schools Association (ISSA)

Legal name

ISSA International Sailing Schools Association Ltd

Website

https://issa.global

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ISSA is a non-profit international sailing education association (founded 1969) that operates the ISSA Hub online certification platform and a global network of accredited sailing schools, delivering standardized training and certifications to sailing instructors, schools, and students worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sailing Education and Maritime Certification

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Merchant Marine & Deck Operations (EDAOANAA), Educational Cruises & Shipboard Learning Programs (THAKAGAM)

Keywords

• Sailing education
• Sailing certification
• Instructor training
• School accreditation
• Maritime training

Headquarters

HQ city

Nicosia

HQ country

Cyprus

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. School Accreditation Fees: Schools pay accreditation fees to become ISSA-accredited, gaining access to standardized training materials, support, and the ability to issue ISSA certifications.
2. Instructor Training Courses: Revenue from instructor training courses. Full Instructor Training Course costs €1,500 with separate certificate fees. One-day assessment available for €300.
3. Instructor License Fees: Instructors obtain licenses to teach and certify students within the ISSA system. Licenses must be renewed through update sessions every 5 years.
4. Sailing ID Cards: ISSA Sailing ID Cards issued to students upon course completion. Processed via electronic document system by authorized instructors.
5. Event Participation Fees: Festival of Sails participation fees (120 Euro per person) covering dinners, activities, marina berths, and organized events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ISSA is a non-profit international association that delivers globally recognized sailing education, certification, and instructor training through a network of accredited schools and its ISSA Hub online platform. The association issues sailing certifications from beginner (Yacht Crew) to advanced (Offshore Skipper) levels, accredits sailing schools, trains and licenses instructors, and runs specialized programs including SIPD for inclusive sailing and ISSA PRO for professional-level training.

Product overview

ISSA (International Sailing Schools Association) operates as a platform-plus-modules organization offering sailing education and certification. The core product is the ISSA Hub online education platform, which provides course management, certification, and student records. Around this platform, ISSA offers instructor training and school accreditation programs for professional development. Specialized modules include the SIPD Program for inclusive sailing and ISSA PRO for professional-level training. ISSA also runs experiential products including sailing camps and the Festival of Sails series, along with environmental initiatives like the MedSkippers Project and Prevent Plastic Pollution Program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SIPD: Sailing Instructor of Persons with Disabilities - a program for training instructors to teach sailing to people with disabilities.
• ISSA PRO
• ISSA Hub

Products and services

• ISSA Hub Online education platform for certification, online training, and logbook management. Provides course management tools for schools and instructors, and student workflow for finding courses, obtaining certificates, and accessing learning materials.
• ISSA PRO Professional-level training initiative focusing on advanced professional sailing education, building on ISSA's established recreational and pleasure sailing programs.
• ISSA Sailing Certification Courses Comprehensive suite of sailing certification levels from beginner (Yacht Crew) to advanced (Offshore Skipper), including Power Yacht, Inshore, and Dinghy certifications recognized internationally.
• ISSA Instructor Training Professional training program for becoming certified ISSA sailing instructors, offering Inshore Sailing Instructor and Offshore Sailing Instructor qualifications through training courses held globally.
• ISSA School Accreditation Accreditation service for sailing schools ensuring they meet ISSA's quality standards, providing standardized high-quality student materials and modern teaching methods with worldwide recognition.
• SIPD Program (Sailing Instructor of Persons with Disabilities) Specialized instructor certification program enabling sailing instructors to teach and certify people with disabilities, with certificates for Inland Caregiver and Sea Caregiver of Persons with Disabilities.
• ISSA Sailing Camp International sailing camp for young sailors featuring global cultural exchange, life on the water training, and multi-activity programs including SUP, kayaking, and cycling in Poland's Masurian Lake District.
• ISSA Festival of Sails Global sailing event series promoting cultural exchange through sailing, held across multiple destinations including Greece, Turkey, and Croatia with regattas and social activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students can verify certificates online through ISSA Hub
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• World Maritime University (WMU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023ISSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Maritime University (UN specialized agency) to foster cooperation and advance shared goals in maritime education and development. WMU and ISSA are collaborating to strengthen Master of Yacht (Small Commercial Vessel) teaching standards, including improving international training standards, balancing traditional navigation with modern GMDSS/VHF requirements, and promoting greener sailing through an Environmentally Responsible Sailing module aligned with MARPOL.
• Haikou International Investment Promotion BureaustrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023ISSA signed a strategic cooperation agreement memorandum with the Haikou International Investment Promotion Bureau at the 3rd China International Consumer Products Expo Yacht Show. The agreement aims to establish ISSA schools in Haikou, China, supporting the landing of ISSA schools in the region.
• Institut Méditerranéen de Formation aux Métiers Maritimes (IMFMM) TunisiastrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022ISSA signed a cooperation agreement with this state training institution in Tunisia covering education of local and regional students from North Africa, helping the training center become an international hub for sailing education. Training covers both leisure and professional preparation for vessels under 24m.
• Polish-German 'Pomerania' IYFR (International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022ISSA developed the Prevent Plastic Pollution (PPP) program together with Pomerania Fleet IYFR. The program aims to create a pro-environmental approach both among sailors and in their communities, with a conference held in Limassol, Cyprus in April 2022.
• Qingdao Sports Development CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017ISSA and Qingdao Sports Development Center have been cooperating since 2017 under a formal agreement. ISSA sends youth sailing teams to participate in Qingdao International Youth Regatta and related events. The partnership was renewed and expanded in 2025, marking a significant step toward promoting international youth sailing education and exchange.
• TURNING POINT-stiftungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTURNING POINT-stiftung is a foundation committed to facilitating inclusion of impaired and disadvantaged individuals. ISSA's SIPD project aligns with this mission. The organizations met at boot Düsseldorf to explore future collaboration on inclusive sailing initiatives.
• Kition Marina (Larnaca, Cyprus)minorOthersKITION Marina in Larnaca provided support for SIPD training courses conducted in Cyprus, hosting the first 2024 SIPD training session.
• Vardi Vela Cyprus ISSA Sailing SchoolcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVardi Vela Cyprus is an ISSA-accredited sailing school that co-hosted SIPD training courses in Cyprus and participates as co-exhibitor at boot Düsseldorf.
• European Commission (EMFF programme)strategicOthersMedSkippers project was co-funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund programme under agreement No. ASME/EMFF/2017/1.2.1.12/S3/03/SI2.789395. ISSA conducted international standardization of training in the Mediterranean on behalf of the European Commission.
• Korea Yachting Industry AssociationminorOthersISSA met with Secretary General Park Gone Woo at the Yacht Summit Forum during Sanya International Boat Show to discuss industry collaboration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Sailing Association (ASA): The leading US sailing certification body issuing internationally recognized keelboat, cruising, and catamaran credentials through a network of affiliated schools. Directly comparable to ISSA's certification and accreditation business model.
• International Yacht Training (IYT): Globally operating yacht crew and captain training provider issuing IYT Worldwide Certificates of Competency. IYT competes with ISSA in the international professional and recreational sailing certification market.
• Offshore Sailing School: A US-based sailing school chain offering ASA-certified cruising and racing instruction at multiple locations. Comparable as a multi-location accredited sailing school operating within an external certification framework.
• Annapolis School of Seamanship: A US-based seamanship and offshore sailing training school focused on serious passagemaking instruction. Comparable in delivering higher-end sailing training and certifications through experienced instructors.
• Royal Yachting Association (RYA): The UK national authority for sailing certification, training, and instructor licensing. RYA is the most direct competitor to ISSA in international sailing credentials and operates with similar instructor-training and school-recognition models.

Broad incumbents

• UKSA (United Kingdom Sailing Academy): A larger UK-based charity providing sailing and watersports education, instructor training, and youth development programs. Comparable in mission and educational scope, though operating primarily within the UK rather than globally.
• World Sailing: The international federation governing the sport of sailing worldwide (formerly ISAF), with which ISSA has historical cooperation. World Sailing sets high-level rules and event standards that influence but do not directly compete with ISSA's training credentials.

Emerging players

• NauticEd: An online sailing education platform offering charting, certification, and bareboat charter validation. NauticEd represents the digital-native segment that overlaps with ISSA Hub's online training and verification functionality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISSAssociation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@issaglobal501
• Facebookfacebook.com/IssaSchools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/issa-schools
• Instagraminstagram.com/issa.global

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 International Sailing Schools Association (ISSA)