South Shore Yacht Club

What South Shore Yacht Club does

South Shore Yacht Club (SSYC) is a member-owned, nonprofit yacht club founded in 1913 and headquartered on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood at 2300 E Nock St. It operates a full-service 230-slip marina offering crane service, fuel dock, tender service, dry-sail storage, and winter storage, alongside a year-round clubhouse with a first-floor bar/lounge, an upstairs restaurant, and private event hosting. Membership is structured around three primary constituencies: sailors and yacht racers (including competitive racers in club, regional, and national regattas), powerboat enthusiasts (social cruises, charitable events, water safety seminars), and social members who use the waterfront venue without owning a boat. The club also runs an eight-week Junior Sailing School for ages 8-18, administered in partnership with the South Shore Sailing Foundation.

SSYC generates revenue from annual membership dues, slip rentals (40-60 ft slips among the 230 total), food and beverage operations, and regatta/event hosting — most notably its signature Queen's Cup® Race, an overnight Lake Michigan race held since 1938 that draws approximately 200 boats annually. Pricing is deliberately affordable to maintain the club's blue-collar, inclusive identity; specific dues and slip fees are not publicly disclosed and prospects are routed to open houses or membership packets. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: word-of-mouth within the Bay View neighborhood, regular open houses, and reciprocal access arrangements through the Register of American Yacht Clubs (Yachting Club of America). The club is governed by a 17-member volunteer Board of Directors led by a Commodore, with approximately six paid staff under General Manager Mike Mortell.

Strategically, SSYC holds the marina property under a long-term lease with Milwaukee County following a 2006 restructuring, which separated real estate ownership from club operations. Its competitive position rests on a 110+ year brand, the registered Queen's Cup® trademark, the nationally recognized junior sailing program, and a prime lakefront footprint that is difficult to replicate. There is no external investor, parent entity, or fundraising activity; capital allocation is internally funded, and recent strategic activity has been focused on facility maintenance, programming depth (via the South Shore Sailing Foundation), and community partnerships (Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Fishing Has No Boundaries, US Coast Guard Auxiliary) rather than expansion.

Name

South Shore Yacht Club

Legal name

South Shore Yacht Club

Website

https://ssyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yacht Club Services

NAICS

Marinas (71393)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing) (MPAKABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Yacht club membership
• Marina slip rentals
• Sailing education programs
• Yacht racing events
• Waterfront social club

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues that are kept affordable to ensure accessibility. The club emphasizes low-cost dues as a key differentiator.
2. Slip Fees and Marina Services: Revenue from 230 slips along with premium amenities including crane, fuel dock, tender service, dry-sail storage and winter storage.
3. Food & Beverage: First-floor bar and lounge plus upstairs restaurant with gourmet cuisine. Open year-round with regular theme nights and private parties.
4. Regatta and Event Hosting: Hosting of prestigious regional and national regattas, including the Queen's Cup Race, as a revenue and visibility driver.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

South Shore Yacht Club is a member-owned nonprofit yacht club providing a 230-slip full-service marina, sailing and powerboat programs, junior sailing education, the signature Queen's Cup Race, and a year-round clubhouse with restaurant, bar, and social events to individual members in the Milwaukee area.

Product overview

South Shore Yacht Club offers a unified set of waterfront and social services centered around its full-service marina with 230 slips. The club provides sailing and powerboat programs for members, including an 8-week Junior Sailing School for youth, competitive sailing and yacht racing programs, and the signature Queen's Cup Race. Additional offerings include live webcam feeds of the marina, a restaurant and bar with lake views, year-round social events and theme nights, and community outreach through the South Shore Sailing Foundation. Members can access amenities including crane service, fuel dock, tender service, dry-sail and winter storage. The club operates a year-round venue serving both boating and social members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full-Service Marina 230-slip marina offering amenities including crane service, fuel dock, tender service, dry-sail storage, and winter storage for member and visiting boaters.
• Junior Sailing School Eight-week summer sailing course for youth ages 8 to 18, teaching nautical skills and safe boating through qualified instructors; open to all youth regardless of boat ownership.
• Powerboat Program Social and competitive powerboating activities including charitable events, fun cruises, water safety seminars, and community service initiatives for powerboat-owning members.
• Sailing and Yacht Racing Active sail-race program with champion sailors, professional race committees, and multiple sailing fleet options for skippers and crew.
• Queen's Cup Race Signature annual overnight yacht race across Lake Michigan, traditionally held at the end of June, attracting approximately 200 boats.
• Clubhouse Restaurant and Bar First-floor bar and lounge overlooking the south basin anchorage, and upstairs restaurant featuring gourmet cuisine with Lake Michigan views, open year-round with theme nights and private parties.
• South Shore Sailing Foundation Foundation fostering lifelong sailing through education, safety, competition, and youth programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~200 boats participate annually in the Queen's Cup Race
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Big Brothers/Big SistersminorOthersSSYC Power Fleet members volunteer annually, providing boat rides and picnic supper for children from Milwaukee's Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization. Community service activity supporting local youth.
• Fishing Has No BoundariesminorOthersSSYC Power Fleet, in partnership with Milwaukee Fire Department, Milwaukee Police Department and US Coast Guard Auxiliary, organized an annual water safety seminar free and open to the public. Also hosted Fishing Has No Boundaries' first-ever Lake Michigan fishing event for anglers with disabilities.
• Milwaukee Fire Department, Milwaukee Police Department, US Coast Guard AuxiliaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSYC partners with these organizations to host an annual water safety seminar that is free and open to the public.
• Register of American Yacht Clubs (Yachting Club of America)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSYC honors reciprocity with yacht clubs listed in this register. Reciprocal yacht club members can access SSYC facilities with a Letter of Introduction from their club. This reciprocal arrangement is a core member benefit.
• Lake Michigan Yachting AssociationminorOthersSSYC Power Fleet hosts the annual open house for this regional yachting association.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Columbia Yacht Club: Chicago-based member-owned yacht club with full-service marina, sailing, dining, and reciprocal club network. Comparable in member-owned model, Lake Michigan marina amenities, and inclusive membership positioning.
• Bayview Yacht Club: Long-established Great Lakes yacht club in Michigan with marina, racing, junior sailing, and reciprocal club membership. Highly comparable in mission, amenities, and Lake Michigan racing heritage.
• Muskegon Yacht Club: Western Michigan Lake Michigan yacht club with marina, racing, junior sailing, and social amenities. Comparable as a peer Lake Michigan yacht club with similar size and full-service positioning.
• Chicago Yacht Club: Major Lake Michigan yacht club with multiple locations, full-service marina, dining, racing, and reciprocal club participation. Highly comparable to SSYC in core yacht-club offering, premium marina, and Midwest sailing community.
• Saginaw Bay Yacht Club: Great Lakes member-owned yacht club with marina, clubhouse dining, racing, and youth sailing. Compares directly to SSYC's nonprofit membership model and Michigan/Great Lakes footprint.
• Milwaukee Yacht Club: Direct local competitor in Milwaukee with marina slips, sailing, dining, and member social programming. Operates in the same Bay View-adjacent market and target member base as SSYC.
• Grand Traverse Yacht Club: Northern Lake Michigan yacht club offering marina, sailing school, bar/restaurant, and social events. Comparable in size, Lake Michigan focus, and inclusive membership philosophy.
• Macatawa Bay Yacht Club: Lake Michigan-area yacht club with marina, sailing school, regattas, and full-service dining. Comparable in offering mix and member-driven governance model.

Broad incumbents

• Skipper Bud's Marina: Multi-location Great Lakes marina and boat dealer with significant slip capacity. Comparable as a larger marina operator in the same Lake Michigan region with broader reach than SSYC's single location.

Regional players

• JJ Henderson Boatyard & Marina: Lake Michigan-area marina and boatyard operator. Comparable as a regional marina-services provider with adjacent geographic focus, though not a yacht club.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-shore-yacht-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 South Shore Yacht Club