Segelschule Thunersee

Name

Segelschule Thunersee

Legal name

Segelschule Thunersee

Website

https://segelschule-thunersee.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sailing Instruction and Water Sports Education

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Educational Cruises & Shipboard Learning Programs (THAKAGAM)

Keywords

• Sailing instruction
• Sailing courses
• Motorboat training
• Boat rental
• Ocean sailing voyages

Headquarters

HQ city

Hilterfingen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sailing Courses: Revenue from teaching sailing courses ranging from beginner (Grundkurs) to advanced (Skipperkurs), including children's courses, youth programs, and specialized courses like Gennakerkurs and Spinnakerkurs. Courses priced by duration and participant age (under 26 vs over 26).
2. Boat Rental and Sharing: Revenue from renting sailing boats (ST19, Yngling, J70, Laser, RS16, Optimist) and boat sharing membership programs including annual passes. Multi-ride cards and season subscriptions also available.
3. Corporate Events and Team Building: Revenue from corporate sailing events, team building programs, and coaching services. Customized programs for firms including workshops, regatta challenges, and yacht sailing experiences.
4. Motorboat Training: Revenue from motorboat certification courses (Category A/D), including intensive courses, private instruction, and refresher courses.
5. Pedalo and Electric Motorboat Rental: Revenue from renting pedal boats and electric motorboats in Spiez location during summer season (May-September). No license required.
6. High Sea Voyages: Revenue from offshore sailing trips (Hochseetörns) including Einsteigertörn, Meilentörn, and Ausbildungs- und Manövertörn in destinations like Greek waters, Danish South Sea, and Elba.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Segelschule Thunersee is a long-established Swiss sailing school offering practical sailing courses ranging from beginner (Grundkurs) to advanced (Skipperkurs, Gennakerkurs, Spinnakerkurs, Starkwindkurs), Swiss D-Schein license exam preparation, motorboat certification training (Category A/D), high-sea voyages, boat rentals and a J70/ST-19 boat-sharing program, plus corporate team-building events and a sailing community platform. Courses emphasize practical on-water instruction (over 70% of time on water) using a fleet of 20+ vessels including dinghies, the ST-19 training ship, J70 sport boats, and ocean-going yachts.

Product overview

Segelschule Thunersee is a sailing school established in 1935 offering a comprehensive portfolio of sailing and water sports education. The core offerings include sailing courses ranging from beginner (Segelgrundkurs, Segel Schnupperkurs) to advanced (Skipperkurs, Gennakerkurs, Spinnakerkurs, Starkwindkurs), preparation for the Swiss D-Schein sailing license, and motorboat training. The company operates a diverse fleet of vessels including the ST-19 training ship, J70 sport boats, dinghies (Laser, Optimist, 420er, 470er), RS16 catamaran, and large yachts (Archambault A40, Grand Surprise, Cupido 8mR). Youth and family programs include dedicated Kindersegelkurs and Jugendsegelwoche. High-sea education encompasses Einsteigertörn, Meilentörn, and Ausbildungs- und Manövertörn trips to destinations like the Danish South Sea, Elba, and Greece. Additional services include motorboat courses, boat rental, J70 & ST-19 boat sharing program, pedalo and electric motorboat rental in Spiez, corporate teambuilding events, coaching programs, yacht charters with skipper, and the Segelcommunity platform connecting Swiss sailors. The company maintains two locations in Hilterfingen and Spiez on Lake Thun in the Bernese Oberland region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Segelgrundkurs (Basic Sailing Course) Introductory sailing course teaching fundamental skills including steering, tacking, jibing, and proper sail trim over 4-5 days on the ST-19 training vessel, aimed at adults with no prior sailing experience.
• D-Schein Prüfungskurs (D-License Exam Course) Intensive 4-5 day preparation course for the Swiss sailing license Category D, required for operating boats with more than 15 square meters of sail area, culminating in the cantonal practical exam.
• Segel Schnupperkurs (Sailing Trial/Taster Course) One-day introductory sailing experience where beginners learn basic sailing under instructor guidance aboard the ST-19.
• Auffrischungskurs Segeln (Refresher Course) Two-day refresher course for sailors returning to the sport after a break, covering essential maneuvers and rebuilding confidence on the water using the ST-19 training vessel.
• Jollenkurs (Dinghy Course) Five-day intensive dinghy sailing course for youth and adults using Laser, 420er, 470er, and RS16 catamaran vessels.
• Skipperkurs (Skipper Course) Advanced 4-5 day course teaching management of a 12-meter high-sea yacht and crew leadership using Archambault A-40, Grand Surprise, classic 8mR, and J70 yachts.
• Gennakerkurs (Gennaker Course) Two-day advanced course teaching asymmetric spinnaker (gennaker) sailing on J70, Grand Surprise, and A40 yachts, covering setting, trimming, and retrieving the gennaker.
• Spinnakerkurs (Spinnaker Course) Two-day advanced course on symmetric spinnaker sailing techniques using ST-19 and high-sea yachts.
• Starkwindkurs (Strong Wind Course) Three-day advanced course on the Urnersee in Sisikon focusing on sailing techniques in strong wind conditions using J70 yachts.
• Meteoseminar (Meteorology Seminar) Weather forecasting seminar taught by in-house meteorologist Patrik Daester, teaching students to create independent, accurate weather forecasts for safe sailing in alpine topography.
• Hafenmanöverkurs Thunersee (Harbor Maneuver Course) Two-day advanced course focused on harbor maneuvers with the Archambault A40 yacht, covering forward, lateral, and reverse docking techniques common in Mediterranean ports.
• Privater Segelkurs (Private Sailing Course) Flexible private sailing instruction tailored to individual needs and skill levels, from beginner to advanced, available for individuals or small groups.
• Segelkurs am Abend (Evening Sailing Course) Five-week evening sailing course meeting daily for 2 hours, ideal for those with limited daytime availability seeking to learn sailing fundamentals on the ST-19.
• Kindersegelkurs (Children's Sailing Course) Sailing course for children ages 6-11 using Optimist dinghies, focusing on fun and developing intuitive boat feel through play, with a pirate excursion and BBQ as a highlight.
• Jugendsegelwoche (Youth Sailing Week) Five-day sailing course for 12-16 year olds transitioning from Optimist to larger dinghies, covering Laser, 420er, and RS16 catamaran sailing in Hilterfingen.
• Motorboot Intensiv Ausbildung (Motorboat Intensive Training) Five-day intensive motorboat training course for beginners, including 22.5 hours of instruction covering all practical and theoretical components needed to pass the Category A motorboat license exam.
• Motorboot Privatunterricht (Motorboat Private Instruction) Flexible private motorboat lessons tailored to individual needs at CHF 120/hour solo or CHF 70/hour per person when sharing.
• Motorboot Refresher (Motorboat Refresher) Two-day refresher course for licensed motorboat operators wanting to build confidence, covering harbor maneuvers and navigation of boats up to 7 meters with both tiller and wheel steering.

Quantifiable outcome

• Learn basic sailing in 4-5 days with ability to independently sail with crew
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Dream Yacht Charter: World's largest yacht charter operator with sailing holidays, flotillas, and bareboat/crewed options. Comparable in delivering sailing holidays and skippered experiences, but as a broad incumbent rather than a niche instructional school.
• Sunsail: Global yacht charter company with flotilla sailing experiences and skipper training. Adjacent peer — overlaps with Segelschule's charter-with-skipper and high-sea offerings, but operates at far larger scale across many geographies.

Emerging players

• Sailogy: Online yacht charter marketplace and booking platform with Mediterranean and global inventory. Comparable as a digital channel for sailing experiences and charters, but operating a marketplace model rather than running its own school.

Direct peers

• North Sailing: Iceland-based operator of sailing tours and educational voyages on traditional and modern vessels. Comparable in delivering sailing experiences and educational voyages, though focused on touristic excursions rather than certification-led instruction.
• J/World Sailing School: Performance sailing school operating across US locations with a strong racing and cruising curriculum. Comparable as a multi-tier sailing school (beginner to advanced) targeting serious recreational sailors, though operating in a different geography.
• Segelschule Christoph Moravec: Austrian sailing school on Wolfgangsee and other lakes offering sailing and motorboat courses, regattas, and corporate events. Highly comparable multi-course, multi-location school serving the German-speaking Alpine market.
• Segelschule Prien am Chiemsee: Long-established German sailing school on Lake Chiemsee offering beginner to advanced sailing and motorboat courses with a comparable fleet and alpine-lake setting. Closest direct analog to Segelschule Thunersee in terms of business model, geography, and target customer base.
• Offshore Sailing School (Steve Colgate): US-based sailing school offering beginner through advanced cruising and racing instruction, including certification courses. Comparable in delivering structured sailing education with premium instructor credentials, though at a much larger national scale.

Others

• American Sailing Association (ASA): US sailing certification body that accredits sailing schools and issues certifications comparable in role to the Swiss D-Schein. Indirectly comparable as part of the credentialing ecosystem in which sailing schools operate.
• VDWS (Verband Deutscher Wassersport Schulen): German association of water sports schools that licenses instructors and certifies water sport schools. Comparable as the German-market analog to the certification and instructor-credentialing infrastructure that supports sailing schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/segelschule-thunersee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Thunersee