THE YACHT HARBOUR ASSOCIATION

What THE YACHT HARBOUR ASSOCIATION does

TYHA (The Yacht Harbour Association) is a UK-based, non-profit trade association headquartered in Southampton that serves the global marina industry. Its primary constituents are marina operators and marine industry suppliers, supported by members in 26 countries. The association runs the Which Marina directory and administers a portfolio of accreditation schemes — most prominently the Gold Anchor Award Scheme, a tiered quality-rating framework inspected by trained assessors — alongside newer schemes (Clean Marina, Superyacht Ready), a Code of Practice, the Fore & Aft quarterly magazine (with Fore & Aft Extra digital edition), and a Supplier Directory.

The technology stack is conventional web infrastructure: ASP.NET session handling, Google Analytics, ShareThis social widgets, and Mailchimp for email marketing. There is no documented public API, no mobile application, and no AI/ML components; core member-facing functionality is directory lookup, accreditation records, and document downloads. Member categories include Full Member marinas, Associate Members, the higher Anchor tier, Supplier Members, and Premium Display advertisers in the magazine.

The business model is a recurring subscription structure: marina operators and suppliers pay annual membership dues, with additional revenue from accreditation inspections, magazine advertising, and events/training. TYHA is structurally affiliated with British Marine, the broader UK marine industry trade body, with documented overlap in staff email domains and joint member-facing communications such as the June 2026 backflow prevention guidance issued with Water Regs UK.

Name

THE YACHT HARBOUR ASSOCIATION

Legal name

The Yacht Harbour Association

Website

https://tyha.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Yacht Harbour Association is a UK-based non-profit trade association serving marina operators and marine suppliers across 26 countries, operating the Gold Anchor accreditation scheme, the Which Marina directory, and the Fore & Aft quarterly publication on a recurring membership revenue model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marina Industry Trade Association Services

NAICS

Marinas (713930)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Marina & Small Craft Harbor Construction (IMAFAJAG)

Keywords

• Marina accreditation
• Marina industry association
• Yacht harbour standards
• Marina directory services
• Boating membership organisation

Headquarters

HQ city

Southampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: TYHA generates revenue through membership fees from marina operators and suppliers. Members pay for access to technical support, marketing tools, training, the Gold Anchor accreditation scheme, and the Fore & Aft magazine. The association also offers advertising opportunities in their magazine and at boat shows.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TYHA is a trade association that supports the global marina industry through membership services paid by marina operators and marine suppliers. Its core offerings include the Gold Anchor accreditation scheme, the Find a Marina directory covering 26 countries, the quarterly Fore & Aft Magazine, the Supplier Directory, and the TYHA Code of Practice for marina design, construction and operation. Members also receive technical support, training access, networking events and reduced-rate boat show participation.

Product overview

The Yacht Harbour Association operates a platform-based ecosystem focused on marina industry development and boat owner services. The core offerings include a Marina Finder directory across 26 countries with advanced search capabilities, the Gold Anchor Award Scheme (a global marina accreditation programme), and the Which Marina portfolio for marina discovery. TYHA publishes the Fore & Aft Magazine (quarterly) and Fore & Aft Extra as industry publications. The platform provides a Supplier Directory connecting members with 65+ service providers. Member benefits include free access to the Code of Practice for marina design/operation, education and training access, and networking events. Additional programmes include Superyacht Ready and Clean Marina certifications. The overall architecture is a unified platform with multiple interconnected services: directory search, accreditation schemes, publications, and member resources that work together to support marina standards development and boat user navigation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Which Marina: A marina directory portfolio operated by TYHA to help boat users find marinas
• Gold Anchor Award Scheme
• Fore & Aft Magazine

Products and services

• Find a Marina Directory Searchable online directory enabling boat owners and enthusiasts to locate marinas across 26 countries, with filtering by country and access to member marina details, photos and websites.
• Gold Anchor Award Scheme

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British MarinecoreOthers · 1 April 2021British Marine is the parent organization of TYHA. They collaborate on regulatory matters affecting the marina industry, such as backflow prevention guidelines from Water Regs UK. TYHA's email domains and staff contacts ([email protected], [email protected]) indicate a close organizational relationship.
• Water Regs UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater Regs UK (parent organisation of WRAS - Water Regulations Approval Scheme) provides guidance on backflow prevention in marinas. British Marine met with Water Regs UK to address legal duties under the Water Supply (water fittings) Regulations 1999, with guidance produced for Category 5 risk level prevention.
• Marina Projects LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarina Projects Ltd assists in securing licenses and regulatory approvals for marine projects. They helped secure necessary licenses for the 2025 archaeological excavation at Buckler's Hard Yacht Harbour, working with environmental and heritage bodies to ensure compliance with statutory protections.
• Buckler's Hard Shipyard TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe trust leads archaeological excavations at Buckler's Hard Yacht Harbour. Chair Mary Montagu-Scott leads the project working in partnership with the University of Southampton's Centre for Maritime Archaeology.
• University of Southampton's Centre for Maritime ArchaeologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeaded by Professor Jon Adams and Dr. Rodrigo Ortiz-Vazquez, the university centre collaborates on maritime archaeological research projects including the Buckler's Hard excavation, providing academic expertise.
• Maritime Archaeology TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Maritime Archaeology Trust supported students and volunteers for the archaeological excavation at Buckler's Hard Yacht Harbour, contributing to the historical research project.
• New Forest National Park AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe authority contributed students and volunteers to the 2025 archaeological excavation project at Buckler's Hard Yacht Harbour.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA): US trade association representing recreational marine manufacturers and the broader boating product ecosystem. Comparable as a marine industry trade association with accreditation-adjacent activities (e.g., NMMA Certified), but with a manufacturer-focused rather than marina-operator focus.

Regional players

• American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC): US-based organization developing marine technical standards for boat design, construction, repair, and safety. Comparable to TYHA's Code of Practice and accreditation activities, though ABYC focuses on boats rather than marina facilities and is US-only in geographic scope.

Direct peers

• British Marine: TYHA's parent/affiliated UK marine trade body, sharing staff email domains and joint regulatory engagement on issues like marina backflow prevention. Both serve as UK-centered membership organizations within the broader marine industry ecosystem, with British Marine operating at the wider industry level and TYHA at the marina-specific subset.
• Royal Yachting Association (RYA): UK national body for recreational boating, focused on training, certification, and instructor standards. Comparable as a UK-headquartered membership organization serving the recreational boating sector, though RYA's scope is training and personal credentials versus TYHA's marina accreditation focus.
• International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA): Global federation of national marine industry associations, paralleling TYHA's role as a multi-country marine industry representative. Both coordinate member services and policy advocacy across national marine associations, though ICOMIA sits one layer above national bodies while TYHA directly serves marina operators.
• European Boating Industry: European federation representing the recreational boating industry with policy and standards activities across multiple countries. Comparable to TYHA's multi-country scope and marine industry association role, though with broader industry-wide rather than marina-specific coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-yacht-harbour-association-limited

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 THE YACHT HARBOUR ASSOCIATION