Sydney Flying Squadron Ltd

What Sydney Flying Squadron Ltd does

Sydney Flying Squadron Ltd is a member-based sailing club founded in 1891 by Mark Foy, recognised as the oldest open boat sailing club in Australia and the original home of the famous Sydney Harbour 18-footer skiff class. The club operates a fleet of replica 18-footer and 12-footer skiffs from the early 1900s to the 1940s, which race each Saturday from October through Easter using traditional building and sailing skills no longer practiced in modern sailing. It is located on Sydney Harbour's north shore near Careening Cove at Kirribilli.

The club runs on-site hospitality operations — Foys Restaurant (open daily for lunch and dinner with extended hours Friday/Saturday) and Flying Bear Café (open 7 days a week from 7am to 2:30pm) — alongside a function hire business offering restaurant, boardroom, and sunset deck spaces for corporate and private events. A digital layer supports the operation via the SailSys race results platform and a Member Jungle membership portal that also runs an online shop. Marketing channels are limited to organic social (Facebook, Instagram) and email newsletters.

The business model is a mix of membership subscriptions, sailing activity fees, restaurant and café food and beverage sales, and venue hire revenue. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company is privately held by its membership with the 'Ltd' legal designation, has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no disclosed funding, and a stated headcount of five employees.

Name

Sydney Flying Squadron Ltd

Legal name

Sydney Flying Squadron Ltd

Website

https://sydneyflyingsquadron.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sydney Flying Squadron Ltd is a member-based historic sailing club founded in 1891 on Sydney Harbour, operating replica 18-footer and 12-footer skiff racing alongside on-site Foys Restaurant, Flying Bear Café, and function hire for sailing enthusiasts and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yacht Club Services

NAICS

Marinas (713930)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Historic sailing club
• Skiff racing
• Yacht club membership
• Harbour sailing
• Boat racing events

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sydney Flying Squadron Ltd is a member-based historic sailing yacht club that runs traditional 18-foot and 12-foot skiff racing on Sydney Harbour using replica boats from the early 1900s to 1940s. The club also operates an on-site restaurant (Foys Restaurant), café (Flying Bear Café), and function hire venue, with access gated through paid club membership.

Product overview

Sydney Flying Squadron Ltd operates as a historic sailing yacht club offering a portfolio of services centered on traditional 18-foot and 12-foot skiff racing on Sydney Harbour. The club was founded by Mark Foy in 1891 and is the oldest open boat sailing club in Australia. The core offering is historic boat racing with replica vessels from the early 1900s to 1940s, complemented by hospitality services including Foys Restaurant (open daily for lunch and dinner) and Flying Bear Café (open 7am-2:30pm daily). The club also provides function hire venues and club membership. The SailSys digital platform provides online race results tracking for members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Foys Restaurant: The club's on-site restaurant and bar offering casual dining with views of Sydney Harbour
• Flying Bear Café

Products and services

• 18-Footer Racing Weekly Saturday racing of historic 18-footer sailing skiffs (replica boats from early 1900s to 1940s) on Sydney Harbour, sailed using traditional building and sailing skills, available to club members during the summer racing season.
• 12-Footer Racing
• Foys Restaurant On-site club restaurant and bar offering casual dining with views of Sydney Harbour; trading Sunday to Thursday 12pm–9pm, Friday and Saturday 12pm–10pm.
• Flying Bear Café On-site café open 7 days a week from 7am to 2:30pm, located at the club's waterfront venue near Careening Cove.
• Function Hire Venue hire for corporate or private functions, with restaurant, boardroom, and sunset deck spaces available for events of varying sizes at the club's waterfront location.
• Club Membership Paid club membership providing access to sailing activities, racing events, social functions, and clubhouse facilities including the restaurant, café, and function spaces.
• Online Shop Online shop available through the club's Member Jungle portal, providing merchandise and club-related products to members and supporters.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Middle Harbour Yacht Club: North Sydney sailing club operating on Middle Harbour with active racing and member facilities. Comparable to SFS as a Sydney-based, member-led sailing club with F&B and social offerings.
• Royal Perth Yacht Club: One of Australia's oldest yacht clubs, based in Western Australia. Comparable to SFS as a heritage member-based yacht club with racing, F&B, and function venues, though operating on a different coast and waterway.
• Manly Yacht Club: Manly-based sailing and yacht club on Sydney Harbour offering dinghy and yacht racing plus clubhouse facilities. Comparable member-driven sailing club model on the same harbor as SFS, serving a different sub-market.
• Royal Melbourne Yacht Club: Heritage yacht club based at St Kilda in Melbourne offering sailing, member amenities, and events. Comparable as an Australian, member-led yacht club with similar racing and hospitality mix, but serving a different city.

Direct peers

• Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club: Newport-based Sydney harbour yacht club offering sailing, member amenities, and function hosting. Closely comparable to SFS in scale, membership model, and Sydney Harbour operating context.
• Sydney Amateur Sailing Club: Sailing club operating out of Gladesville on Sydney Harbour, focused on dinghy and amateur sailing competition. Comparable to SFS as a member-based sailing club running regular racing on Sydney Harbour.
• Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron: One of Sydney's most established yacht clubs located on Sydney Harbour at Kirribilli, very close to SFS. Directly comparable as a membership-based sailing and social club with F&B, function venues, and an active racing program on the same harbor.
• Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA): Sydney-based yacht club best known for hosting the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Comparable to SFS as a member-led sailing organization offering racing, dining, and event functions on Sydney Harbour.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SydneyFlyingSquadron
• Instagraminstagram.com/sydneyflyingsquadron
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sydney-flying-squadron-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Sydney Flying Squadron Ltd