Segelschule Pieper

What Segelschule Pieper does

Segelschule Pieper GmbH is Hamburg's oldest water sports school, operating for over 65 years as a privately held, owner-managed business headquartered in Hamburg-St. Georg with three operational sites: a headquarters/training room at Alstertwiete 1b, a primary boat dock at An der Alster 74a (Atlanticsteg) on the Alster lake, and a motorboat practice site at Hamburg-Rothenburgsort on the Bille river, plus a check-in/theory exam location at Billstraße 41. The school delivers accredited sailing and motorboat education, including official German sport boat license courses (SBF Binnen Segeln, SBF Binnen Motor, SBF See, SKS, SRC/UBI, SSS/SHS), VDS association certificates, and structured children and teenager holiday programs on Optimist dinghies and dinghies respectively. Two managing directors, Benjamin Möller and Joachim Schacht, oversee operations across 13 employees and a fleet of 35+ maintained boats.

The business generates revenue across five streams: licensed courses (one-time fees typically €190–€720 plus DSV exam fees), seasonal boat rental on the Alster from April to October (€25/hour for pedal boats, €38/hour for sailing dinghies), corporate and private sailing events with skipper-led excursions, private Alstertörn tours with skipper (€150 per trip for up to 4 persons), and gift vouchers (Gutscheine) valid for 3 years. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the company website, phone, email, walk-in at the dock, Instagram, and the Veranstaltungsbutler online booking platform. Theory instruction is delivered via in-person, hybrid webinar, and OnDemand video formats. Course bookings, exam scheduling, and voucher sales are processed through the third-party Veranstaltungsbutler booking system operated by Webbee GmbH.

The school is a member of Verband Deutscher Sportbootschulen (VDS) and is recognized by the Deutscher Segler-Verband (DSV), enabling official examination administration in cooperation with Prüfungsausschuss Hamburg. Joachim Schacht also operates a parallel boat rental entity, Bootsvermietung Kpt. Pieper & Sohn, at the same Alster address. The company has no disclosed subsidiaries, no external investors, no parent company, and no funding rounds to date.

Name

Segelschule Pieper

Legal name

Segelschule Pieper GmbH

Website

https://segelschule-pieper.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Segelschule Pieper is Hamburg's oldest water sports school (65+ years), offering accredited sailing and motorboat license courses, youth sailing programs, seasonal boat rentals, and corporate/private events on the Alster lake and Bille river for individuals and corporate groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sailing and Boating Education

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB)

Keywords

• Sailing education
• Boat license courses
• Motorboat training
• Children sailing programs
• Boat rental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sailing and Motorboat Education Courses: Core revenue from offering accredited sailing and motorboat license courses including SBF Binnen Segeln, SBF Binnen Motor, SBF See, SKS, SRC/UBI, SSS/SHS, and youth/children's programs. Courses are priced as one-time fees with optional theory and practical components. Some courses include free supplementary OnDemand video courses.
2. Boat Rental / Bootsverleih: Seasonal boat rental from April to October on the Alster lake, including pedal boats (Tretboote), sailing dinghies (Centaur, Zugvogel, Laser 16, Mariner 600), and motorboats. Hourly rental rates with optional sailing certificate requirements for sailboats.
3. Sailing Events and Corporate Team Building: Custom sailing events for corporate groups, team building, and private celebrations. Flexible duration options with or without catering, with boats accompanied by experienced skippers. Revenue generated per event based on group size, duration, and services.
4. Alstertörns with Skipper (Private Sailing): Private sailing trips on the Alster with an experienced sailing teacher as skipper. Fixed price per trip (approximately 2 hours) for up to 4 persons.
5. Gift Vouchers / Gutscheine: Sale of gift vouchers for courses, boat rental, individual Alster trips, and events. Also sold as value vouchers redeemable across the full range of offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Segelschule Pieper is a sailing and motorboat school located on the Außenalster in Hamburg, Germany. The school provides hands-on practical training and theory instruction for official boating licenses (SBF Binnen, SBF See, SKS, SRC/UBI) as well as children and youth sailing courses, boat rentals, corporate sailing events, and private tours. Courses are delivered through on-water sessions, in-person classroom teaching, webinar/hybrid formats, and OnDemand video modules.

Product overview

Segelschule Pieper is Hamburg's oldest sailing and motorboat school (65+ years), offering a comprehensive portfolio of water sports education and experiences. The core offering consists of licensed courses leading to official German boating certificates (SBF Binnen, SBF See, SKS, SRC/UBI) and VDS association certificates. Supporting services include children's Optimist courses, teen sailing programs (Basic/Advanced/Pro), trial sailing experiences, boat rentals (sailboats, motorboats, rowboats), sailing events for groups and companies, private Alster tours with skipper, and refreshers courses. The school operates from the Alster with its own dock (Atlanticsteg) and instructional facilities, maintaining over 35 sailing boats including Mariner 600, Schwertzugvogel, VB-Jollen, Centaur, and Optimist dinghies. They are members of VDS (Verband Deutscher Sportbootschulen) and recognized by DSV (Deutscher Segler-Verband).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SBF Binnen (Inland Boating License) Course Theorie- und Praxisausbildung für den Sportbootführerschein Binnen, der zum Führen motorisierter Boote auf Binnenschifffahrtsstraßen berechtigt. Inklusive Online-Ausbildung, Webinar und Praxistraining auf der Alster. Zielgruppe: Erwachsene Freizeitkapitäne.
• SBF See (Sea Boating License) Course Theorie- und Praxisausbildung für den Sportbootführerschein See, erforderlich für das Führen motorisierter Boote auf Seeschifffahrtsstraßen. Inklusive Navigationsunterricht und Prüfungsvorbereitung. Zielgruppe: angehende Freizeitkapitäne.
• SKS (Sportküstenschifferschein) Course Aufbaukurs für den Sportküstenschifferschein, der Seglern erlaubt, Yachten in Küstengewässern zu führen. Umfasst erweiterte Navigation, Seemannschaft und Törnplanung. Zielgruppe: fortgeschrittene Segler.
• SRC/UBI (Short Range Certificate / UKW-Betriebszeugnis) Course Theoriekurs zur Bedienung von UKW-Seefunkanlagen an Bord. Kombinierter SRC- und UBI-Lehrgang mit Prüfungsvorbereitung. Zielgruppe: Bootseigner, die Funkanlagen betreiben wollen.
• Children's Sailing Course (Optimist) Segelkurse für Kinder ab 8 Jahren im Optimisten-Jollen. Vermittelt erste Segelerfahrung, Bootsbeherrschung und Wassersicherheit auf der Alster. Zielgruppe: Kinder im Einstiegsalter.
• Youth Sailing Courses (12-18 Jahre) Segelunterricht für Jugendliche auf Jollen und größeren Booten. Aufbauend auf den Kindersegelkursen, Förderung von Mannschaftsarbeit und Seemannschaft. Zielgruppe: Jugendliche.
• Boat Rental (Segel- und Motorbootvermietung) Vermietung von Segelbooten, Jollen und Motorbooten an Inhaber entsprechender Führerscheine. Auch für Inhaber einer Segelcard ohne Führerschein verfügbar. Zielgruppe: lizenzierte Freizeitkapitäne.
• Corporate Sailing Events (Firmen- und Gruppensegeln) Maßgeschneiderte Segel- und Teamevents für Firmen, Abteilungen und Gruppen auf der Alster. Inklusive Catering und individueller Törnplanung. Zielgruppe: Unternehmen, die Teambuilding-Events organisieren.
• Private Sailing Tours (Private Segeltörns) Individuelle Segeltörns auf der Alster oder nach Absprache auf der Elbe. Kapitän und Crew werden von der Segelschule gestellt. Zielgruppe: Privatpersonen, Touristen, besondere Anlässe.
• Knotenkunde VideoOnDemand Online-Videokurs zum Erlernen der wichtigsten seemännischen Knoten. Zielgruppe: Segelschüler und Freizeitsegler.
• Gift Vouchers (Geschenkgutscheine) Geschenkgutscheine für Kurse, Segeltörns und Bootvermietung. Zielgruppe: Privatpersonen auf der Suche nach Erlebnisgeschenken.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates receive official German boating licenses recognized by authorities, sports associations, insurance companies, and charter operators
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Törnpartner (Sailing Trip Partners)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing törn (sailing trip) partners with high quality and safety standards to whom Segelschule Pieper forwards customer inquiries. These partners offer day trips, short trips without exam requirements, yacht training, and multi-day SKS trips with practical examination.
• PA Hamburg (Prüfungsausschuss Hamburg)coreOthersThe Prüfungsausschuss Hamburg administers official theory and practical examinations for SBF Binnen and SBF See licenses. Segelschule Pieper serves as a training partner and examination venue, with students required to register directly with PA Hamburg for exams.
• VDS - Verband Deutscher Sportbootschulen e.V.coreOthersSegelschule Pieper is a member of the Verband Deutscher Sportbootschulen (VDS), whose logo appears on the website. Membership enables the school to issue VDS sailing certificates and conduct affiliated examinations.
• DSV - Deutscher Segler-VerbandcoreOthersSegelschule Pieper is recognized by the Deutscher Segler-Verband (DSV), whose logo appears on the website. The DSV administers official sport boat license examinations (SBF Binnen, SBF See, SKS, SRC) and issues the corresponding certificates.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Hamburger Segel-Club (HSC): Established Hamburg sailing club offering training and youth programs primarily for members. Comparable training content but operates as a membership club rather than open-enrollment school, making it a regional alternative rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Seamax / Online SBF Vorbereitung: Online/app-based providers of SBF theory preparation in Germany. Emerging threat to Pieper's theory revenue by offering cheaper, self-paced alternatives to the school's hybrid and OnDemand theory courses.
• Bootsschule24 / Fahrschule für Boote: Multi-location German boating schools and online theory providers covering SBF Binnen and See. Comparable curriculum but more distributed/digital model; an emerging alternative for license-focused customers.

Direct peers

• Charter & Segelschule Mola Yachting: German sailing school combining license courses (SBF See, SKS) with charter and flotilla sailing. Same official-exam preparation business model as Pieper, with adjacent charter revenue stream similar to Pieper's Törn partner offerings.
• Segelschule Bayer: Long-established German sailing school delivering the same SBF/SKS portfolio with theory and practical training. Comparable scale, curriculum, and target customer (license-aspirant sailors) as Segelschule Pieper.
• Segelschule Klemens (Norddeutsche Segelschule): Hamburg-based sailing school offering similar German boating license courses (SBF Binnen, SBF See, SKS) on inland and coastal waters. Directly competes for the same license-seeking adult and youth segments in the Hamburg market.
• Segelzentrum Pelzerhaken: Northern German sailing school running the official SBF/SKS/SRC curriculum plus youth programs on the Baltic. Closely comparable curriculum, exam-preparation focus, and youth sailing lineup to Pieper's teen Pro/Advanced programs.

Others

• Törnpartner / Charterschule Ostsee: Baltic Sea charter and flotilla operators that, like Pieper's Törn partners, bundle practical sailing experience and multi-day SKS-relevant mileage. Adjacent ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor.
• DSV (Deutscher Segler-Verband): National governing body for sailing in Germany that administers SBF/SKS/SRC exams and accredits training schools. Not a competitor; rather the ecosystem authority whose recognition Pieper relies on.
• VDS (Verband Deutscher Sportbootschulen e.V.): German association of sport boat schools whose membership enables Pieper to issue VDS sailing certificates. Industry body, not a competitor, but defines competitive standards among member schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/segelschule_pieper
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/segelschule-pieper

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Segelschule Pieper