MASTERSKIP
MASTERSKIP is a Dutch sail training organization that runs 5–7 week ocean voyages on tall ships for approximately 500 Dutch and Belgian secondary school students (ages 14–18) annually, combining accredited schoolwork with experiential sailing and personal development at €6,500–€9,500 per voyage.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersHarlingen, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What MASTERSKIP does
Masterskip, operated by Rederij Swan Expeditions B.V., is a Dutch sail training organization that delivers 5–7 week ocean voyages aboard traditional tall ships to Dutch and Belgian secondary school students aged 14–18. The company runs approximately 14 voyage stages per year, carrying around 500 trainees annually, on a fleet of three vessels: the Wylde Swan (62m topgallant schooner, ~30 trainees), the Gulden Leeuw (70m, ~40 trainees), and the Noorderlicht (expedition ship, ~22 trainees), supported by a professional crew of 11–14 plus certified teachers. Trainees participate in structured sail training — including a culminating "ship takeover" (scheepsovername) where they sail independently — while continuing formal schoolwork aligned with the Dutch and Flemish curricula, with 3–4 hours of daily self-study and weekly Sailmail emails to family.
The commercial model is direct-to-consumer: voyage fees range from €6,500 to €9,500 per trip, with a 30% deposit upon booking and balance due 60 days before departure; trainees typically arrange at least 50% of costs through Masteracties, Masterskip's supported fundraising platform. Go-to-market leans heavily on free online and live information sessions, with the ShoreCrew alumni network doing grassroots advocacy (80% of new trainees come via word-of-mouth). Ancillary revenue streams include €1,250 Tall Ships Races participation, day trips from Harlingen and Scheveningen (€39–€95), merchandise (Mastershop), a €150 pre-registration deposit, and the newer Parents-Only Voyages and Tall Yourself Tussenjaar (gap-year) programs. The company is privately held, with no disclosed funding, and operates under the statutory VZR Garant travel guarantee scheme.
MASTERSKIP firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MASTERSKIP
- Legal name
- Rederij Swan Expeditions B.V.
- Website
- https://masterskip.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MASTERSKIP is a Dutch sail training organization that runs 5–7 week ocean voyages on tall ships for approximately 500 Dutch and Belgian secondary school students (ages 14–18) annually, combining accredited schoolwork with experiential sailing and personal development at €6,500–€9,500 per voyage.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MASTERSKIP industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sail Training and Experiential Education
- NAICS
- Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (48311)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Educational Cruises & Shipboard Learning Programs (THAKAGAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- School Group & Curriculum-Led Trips (THAKAGAB), Sailing Experiences (Lessons, Regattas, Day Sails) (THAJAJAG)
Keywords
Where MASTERSKIP is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Harlingen
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
MASTERSKIP business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Voyage/Trip Fees: Primary revenue stream from program fees charged to trainees for 5-7 week sailing expeditions. Prices range from approximately €6,500 to €9,500 per voyage depending on duration and destination. Includes program participation, food and drink, transfers, excursions, harbor fees, fuel surcharge, and clothing package. Excludes flights. Payment structure: 30% deposit upon booking, balance due 60 days before departure.
- Tall Ships Races Participation: 10-day Tall Ships Races participation fee of €1,250 for former trainees aged 15-25, including transport to Denmark and race participation
- Merchandise Sales: Webshop sales of branded merchandise including ship beanies (€17.50), socks (€9.50), and other items with ship logos
- Pre-registration Fee: €150 fee for reserving a spot on a voyage while still preparing (securing school permission, raising funds). Converts to full booking with balance due.
- Day Trips: Day sailing excursions from Harlingen or Scheveningen on Wylde Swan, with prices ranging from €39-95 depending on duration and type (afternoon, evening, full day)
- Workshop Fees: Free fundraising workshops (Masteracties workshops) to help trainees raise money for trips, provided as value-added service to support the booking process
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Standard 5-7 week ocean voyage program |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Oceaan & woestijn: Macaronesia/Casablanca/Dakar/Kaapverdie (26GL1) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Tall Ships Races 10-day participation |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Day sailing excursions |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-registration deposit |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
MASTERSKIP product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Masterskip operates 5-7 week ocean voyages aboard traditional tall ships for Dutch and Belgian secondary school students aged 14-18, combining formal classroom education with progressive sail training and personal development. Approximately 500 trainees participate annually across 14 voyage stages on three tall ships (Wylde Swan, Gulden Leeuw, Noorderlicht), with trip costs averaging €9,500 and trainees typically raising at least 50% through sponsorship. The program includes structured curriculum delivery by certified teachers, sail training culminating in full trainee-led ship operations (Scheepsovername), and is supported by the Masteracties fundraising platform and ShoreCrew alumni network.
Product overview
MASTERSKIP is a Dutch sail training organization offering ocean voyages for teenagers (14-18 years) aboard traditional tall ships. The core product consists of 5-7 week sailing expeditions that combine education with adventure, serving approximately 500 trainees annually. The fleet includes three active ships: the Wylde Swan (62m topsail schooner, 30 trainees), Gulden Leeuw (70m topsail schooner, 40+ trainees), and Noorderlicht (expedition ship, 22 trainees). The portfolio includes the Mastershop merchandise webshop, Masteracties fundraising platform, ShoreCrew alumni program, day trips, parents-only voyages, and the Tall Yourself Tussenjaar gap year program. Travel guarantee is provided through VZR Garant.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tall Ship Sailing Voyages Core sail training program offering 5-7 week ocean voyages for teenagers aged 14-18 aboard traditional tall ships. Combines classroom education (3-4 hours daily self-study plus deepening lessons) with progressive sail training culminating in full trainee-led ship operations. Prices range from €6,500 to €9,500 depending on duration and destination, with payment structure of 30% deposit and balance 60 days before departure.
- Day Trips (Dagtochten) Sailing day trips departing from Harlingen or Scheveningen aboard the Wylde Swan, including ship lunch and sea excursions. Available as afternoon, evening, or full-day experiences priced €39-€95 depending on duration. Designed to introduce the general public to tall ship sailing.
- Parents-Only Voyages Special adult-only voyages for parents of Masterskip trainees to experience the tall ship sailing program themselves. Includes two-week journeys such as the Harlingen to A Coruña, Spain route on Gulden Leeuw with departure Saturday October 3, 2026.
- Tall Yourself Tussenjaar Program Gap year program for students aged 15-25 who have completed secondary school, featuring a structured 12-week voyage on the Noorderlicht before university or career. Designed for recent graduates seeking meaningful personal development through structured sail training and expedition travel.
- Mastershop Merchandise Online merchandise store selling branded products with ship logos including Gulden Leeuw, Noorderlicht, and Wylde Swan beanies (€17.50 each), socks (€9.50 per pair), and other items. Shipping charged at €4.25 per mailbox package.
- Tall Ships Races Participation 10-day competitive sailing program for former Masterskip trainees aged 15-25 participating in Tall Ships Races from Aarhus, Denmark to Harlingen. Price €1,250 includes transport and race participation, building international friendships through competitive tall ship sailing.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1,200 students have completed Masterskip voyages since inception
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use MASTERSKIP
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MASTERSKIP technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
MASTERSKIP partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights7 records
MASTERSKIP competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Eye of the Wind: German-operated brig offering sail training voyages and adventure trips for youth and adults. Comparable traditional sailing vessel offering experiential ocean voyages with similar target demographic overlap.
- Oosterschelde (Stichting Zeeschip Oosterschelde): Dutch three-mast topsail schooner offering sail training trips and adventure voyages out of Rotterdam. Most direct geographic peer operating in the same Dutch sailing-training market with a similar traditional tall ship platform.
- Stavros S Niarchos (Sail Training Association): UK Sail Training Association vessel offering multi-day to multi-week voyages for 16-25 year olds. Direct peer in the European youth sail training market with similar vessel-based experiential education model.
- Sørlandet: Norwegian full-rigged ship offering sail training and student voyages. Comparable traditional tall ship operator in Northern Europe with multi-week youth voyages and curriculum-integrated programming.
- Class Afloat: Canadian operator running semester-at-sea programs on tall ships for high school students earning academic credit. Closest direct peer - similar combination of accredited curriculum, multi-week ocean voyages, and youth development focus, though serving North American rather than European market.
- Half Moon (Clearwater): Historic Dutch-built schooner operating Hudson River educational sail training programs for school groups. Comparable vessel-based experiential education model with classroom-on-water curriculum integration.
Broad incumbents
- Sail Training International: Industry association coordinating the international sail training community, including Tall Ships Races in which Masterskip participates. Functions as a broader incumbent organizing the competitive and event ecosystem around operators like Masterskip.
- Hurtigruten Group: Norwegian-based ocean voyage operator offering multi-day coastal and expedition cruises with cultural/educational components. Represents the broader incumbent ocean voyage category that competes for experiential travel demand and student/adult gap-year attention.
Others
- Swan Sail Training / Wylde Swan Original Operators: Adjacent operator using tall ships for adult and family sailing charters out of the Netherlands. Comparable fleet category but different commercial focus - charters and day experiences rather than the structured school-integrated curriculum model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
MASTERSKIP social profiles
Digital presenceMASTERSKIP financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MASTERSKIP leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
MASTERSKIP funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MASTERSKIP 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 MASTERSKIP
What does MASTERSKIP do?
Masterskip operates 5-7 week ocean voyages aboard traditional tall ships for Dutch and Belgian secondary school students aged 14-18, combining formal classroom education with progressive sail training and personal development. Approximately 500 trainees participate annually across 14 voyage stages on three tall ships (Wylde Swan, Gulden Leeuw, Noorderlicht), with trip costs averaging €9,500 and trainees typically raising at least 50% through sponsorship. The program includes structured curriculum delivery by certified teachers, sail training culminating in full trainee-led ship operations (Scheepsovername), and is supported by the Masteracties fundraising platform and ShoreCrew alumni network.
Is MASTERSKIP a public or private company?
MASTERSKIP is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was MASTERSKIP founded?
MASTERSKIP was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MASTERSKIP based?
MASTERSKIP is headquartered in Harlingen, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does MASTERSKIP make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Voyage/Trip Fees are the primary driver. The others are tall Ships Races Participation, merchandise Sales, pre-registration Fee, day Trips and workshop Fees.
Who are MASTERSKIP's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Eye of the Wind, Oosterschelde (Stichting Zeeschip Oosterschelde), Stavros S Niarchos (Sail Training Association), Sørlandet, Class Afloat and Half Moon (Clearwater). Broad incumbents are Sail Training International and Hurtigruten Group. Swan Sail Training / Wylde Swan Original Operators is listed as an others.
Does MASTERSKIP have an API?
No public API is recorded for MASTERSKIP.
What industry is MASTERSKIP in?
MASTERSKIP's product category is Sail Training and Experiential Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAGAM, Educational Cruises & Shipboard Learning Programs, with a secondary code of THAKAGAB, School Group & Curriculum-Led Trips. Its NAICS code is 48311 and its SIC code is 4400.