Saugatuck Rowing Club

What Saugatuck Rowing Club does

Saugatuck Rowing Club is a private, member-based rowing and fitness club founded in 1990 and headquartered at 521 Riverside Avenue, Westport, Connecticut, overlooking the Saugatuck River. The club operates a vertically integrated suite of offerings: adult and junior rowing programs (learn-to-row, recreational, competitive, summer youth intro), a fitness center with personal training and group classes, licensed massage therapy at the adjacent SRC Annex, a public waterfront restaurant (The Boathouse), a pro shop, and the Saugatuck SurviveOARS 501-c3 breast cancer survivor program in partnership with Norwalk Hospital. The club operates under the RowAmerica umbrella, founded by owner Howard Winklevoss, and shares resources with Greenwich Rowing Club; the combined network exceeds 1,000 members and operates a 75-shell fleet.

Name

Saugatuck Rowing Club

Legal name

Saugatuck Rowing Club

Website

https://saugatuckrowing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Saugatuck Rowing Club is a private Westport, Connecticut-based rowing and fitness club offering adult and junior rowing programs, a fitness center, massage therapy, and a waterfront restaurant to individuals and families across Fairfield County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rowing Club and Fitness Center Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Rowing club services
• Fitness center membership
• Junior rowing programs
• Adult rowing instruction
• Wellness and massage therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Westport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Club Membership: Annual and monthly recurring membership fees providing access to fitness center, rowing facilities, group classes, and member benefits including restaurant discounts
2. Rowing Programs: Seasonal fees for junior, adult, and competitive rowing programs including summer youth camps, beginner/intermediate, competitive team, and winter training
3. Personal Training: One-on-one and small group training sessions with certified personal trainers
4. Massage Therapy: Therapeutic massage services offered at SRC Annex, including deep tissue, Swedish, sports massage, and specialized Thai bodywork
5. Boathouse Restaurant: Waterfront restaurant open to public, providing dining revenue stream

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Saugatuck Rowing Club operates a premier rowing club, fitness center, and waterfront restaurant in Westport, Connecticut. The club offers rowing programs for adults, juniors, and competitive athletes, along with state-of-the-art fitness facilities, personal training, group fitness classes, massage therapy, club memberships, and adaptive rowing programs for breast cancer survivors.

Product overview

Saugatuck Rowing Club is a premier rowing club and fitness center in Westport, Connecticut, offering a comprehensive suite of programs across rowing instruction and competitive training, fitness and wellness services, and membership access. The core offerings center on rowing programs for all ages and skill levels—including the Junior Rowing Program (established 1993), Adult Rowing Programs, Summer Youth Intro Program, and Competitive Team—supplemented by a state-of-the-art Fitness Center with personal training and group fitness classes. Additional revenue streams include Massage Therapy services, Club Membership tiers, the Boathouse Restaurant, and the Saugatuck SurviveOARS breast cancer survivor rowing program. The product portfolio spans youth development through masters-level competitive rowing, complemented by wellness services and retail operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Saugatuck SurviveOARS: Breast cancer survivor rowing program (501-c3) launched in partnership with Norwalk Hospital in 2018 and operated full-time since 2019.

Products and services

• Adult Rowing Programs Rowing programs for adults offering learn-to-row clinics, recreational rowing, competitive training, and private lessons. The club rows on water from March through November and transitions to indoor winter training.
• Junior Rowing Program Junior rowing program serving boys and girls ages 12-18, with Beginner/Intermediate and Competitive tracks. Practices include water and land training seasonally, with winter season held indoors.
• Summer Youth Intro Program Two-week rowing sessions for youth ages 11-15, meeting daily for 2.75 hours. Maximum 20 participants per session, introducing sweep rowing and sculling with land-based strength training.
• Competitive Team Advanced junior rowing program with approximately 200 athletes from Fairfield County, New Haven County, and NY State. Practices 6+ times per week with national championship goals.
• Fitness Center State-of-the-art fitness facility overlooking the Saugatuck River offering cardio training, weight training, personal training, and group fitness classes including yoga, Pilates, cycling, and barre.
• Massage Therapy Licensed massage therapy services at the SRC Annex offering deep tissue, Swedish, Myoskeletal alignment, prenatal, and sports massage. Includes Deep Tissue Thai sessions.
• Club Membership Annual and month-to-month membership tiers providing access to rowing facilities, fitness center, complimentary group classes, boat fleet, and discounts at the Boathouse Restaurant. Includes Individual, Couple, and Young Adult options.
• Saugatuck SurviveOARS

Named customers3 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

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Norwalk HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership to teach breast cancer patients how to row, leading to the Saugatuck Survive-OARS program (501-c3 nonprofit) launched January 2018. Diana Kuen serves as Head Coach of the program.
• RowAmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization founded by Howard Winklevoss dedicated to advancing the rowing sport. Saugatuck Rowing Club was the first club under RowAmerica, which also includes Greenwich Rowing Club. Focuses on shell sales and servicing in the US market.
• Saugatuck Survive-OARSminorOthersBreast cancer survivor rowing program operated as 501-c3 nonprofit under Saugatuck Rowing Club, founded summer 2019

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• USRowing: National governing body for the sport of rowing in the United States, setting competition standards and sanctioning events including national championships where Saugatuck athletes compete. Indirect peer as the ecosystem steward rather than a competing operator.
• New York Athletic Club: Historic NYC-based membership athletic club offering rowing, fitness, dining, and social amenities under a subscription model. Operates at much larger scale across multiple sports but shares Saugatuck's playbook of bundling rowing with fitness and restaurant services for affluent members.

Direct peers

• Community Rowing Inc. Large non-profit rowing club in Boston operating out of the Harry Parker Boathouse on the Charles River. Comparable in combining adult learn-to-row, recreational, competitive, and adaptive programs (including breast cancer survivor rowing) with strong college recruitment outcomes.
• Greenwich Rowing Club: Sister club under the same RowAmerica ownership umbrella, founded in 2002 as a second RowAmerica club in Fairfield County. Operates with a combined 1,000+ adult/junior members and 75 rowing shells, mirroring Saugatuck's model of junior competitive, adult learn-to-row, and masters programs.
• Riverside Boat Club: Cambridge, MA-based rowing club with a comparable mix of competitive, recreational, and learn-to-row programs serving both juniors and adults. Operates with similar subscription/membership model and direct regatta competition, particularly at Head of the Charles.
• Connecticut Boat Club: Long-established rowing club in the same Connecticut market offering competitive junior, adult, and masters programs. Direct competitor for athletes and families in the CT/NY corridor, with overlapping regatta participation and college recruitment positioning.
• Maritime Rowing Club: Connecticut-based rowing club offering junior and adult programs on Long Island Sound, comparable in scale and service mix (junior competitive, adult learn-to-row, recreational). Competes directly with Saugatuck for Fairfield County athletes and regatta entrants.

Regional players

• Pelham Community Rowing Association: Westchester County, NY-based community rowing program offering junior and adult programs to a similar suburban commuter demographic. Comparable business model and competition for athletes crossing state lines from NY into CT.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saugatuck-rowing-fitness-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Saugatuck Rowing Club