Swan River Sailing

What Swan River Sailing does

Swan River Sailing is the trading name of The Western Australian Yachting Foundation Inc. (WAYF), a not-for-profit organisation established in 1988 in the wake of the America's Cup Challenge in Fremantle. It provides corporate sailing charters, team building programs, tourism charters, and regatta event management on the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia, operating from the Royal Perth Yacht Club at Crawley with additional venue relationships at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, South of Perth Yacht Club, and East Fremantle Yacht Club.

The core physical asset is a proprietary fleet of eight to nine identical Foundation-36 yachts, co-designed by Brett Bakewell-White and built by Peter Milner Yachts, with each vessel licensed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority under the Domestic Commercial Vessel National Law Act 2012 to carry up to 11 passengers plus instructor. Multiple yachts can operate in parallel to accommodate events of up to 150 guests. Service offerings are layered on top of this fleet: corporate sailing charters (including a Christmas Twilight package at $1,550 for up to 11 guests), team building programs led by America's Cup campaigner Graeme Spence and Olympic Gold Medallist Tessa Parkinson OAM, tourism sailing charters, pre-packaged corporate away days for 11/14/18 guests, and a calendar of regattas including the WA Tour & Development Program, Youth State Keelboat Championships, Women's State Keelboat Championships, and the Corporate Cup.

The business model is services-based with quote-driven pricing for corporate packages and unit pricing for promotional events. GTM is enterprise field sales with event-driven demand generation: direct enquiry via website forms, email, phone, and word-of-mouth from yacht club and alumni referrals. Revenue mechanics rest on charter utilisation of the Foundation-36 fleet, venue and catering commissions at partner clubs, and ancillary income from tourism and learn-to-sail courses. The organisation is governed by a seven-member board with day-to-day operations led by Executive Officer Adele Jackson and Ambassador/Coordinator of Operations Graeme Spence, and draws strategic support from the Warren Jones Foundation and City of Perth for its youth development programming.

Name

Swan River Sailing

Legal name

The Western Australian Yachting Foundation (Inc)

Website

https://swanriversailing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Swan River Sailing is a Perth-based not-for-profit operating a fleet of Foundation-36 yachts from the Royal Perth Yacht Club to deliver corporate sailing charters, team building, tourism charters, and regatta events on the Swan River.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Sailing and Team Building Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Corporate sailing charters
• Team building programs
• Regatta events
• Yacht charter services
• Networking functions

Headquarters

HQ city

Crawley-nedlands

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sailing Charters: Corporate sailing charters for team building, networking events, and social outings. Packages range from casual cruises to elite racing experiences. Each charter includes yacht hire, experienced instructor, and complimentary refreshments for approximately 2.5 hours.
2. Team Building Programs: Customised team building programs delivered by elite athletes (Graeme Spence - America's Cup campaigner, Tessa Parkinson OAM - Olympic Gold Medallist). Programs include onshore workshops on high-performing teams followed by practical sailing application.
3. Tourism Sailing Charters: Leisure and tourism sailing experiences for visitors and groups, accommodating up to 150 guests total with multiple yachts operating simultaneously. Typical duration 1.5-2.5 hours.
4. Regatta & Event Management: Organising and managing sailing championships and youth development events including WA Tour, Youth State Keelboat Championships, Women's State Keelboat Championships, and other regattas.
5. Corporate Away Day Packages: Pre-packaged corporate away day options including meeting room hire, AV equipment, conference catering, and corporate sailing programs. Packages available for 11, 14, or 18 guests.
6. Learn to Sail Courses: Australian Sailing Learn to Sail keelboat courses offered to the general public for youth development and skill building.
7. Venue Hire & Catering Commission: Arranging onshore catering and venue hire at partner yacht clubs (Royal Perth Yacht Club, Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, etc.) with bookings coordinated through Swan River Sailing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Swan River Sailing provides corporate sailing charters, team building programs, tourism sailing experiences, and regatta event management on the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia. The organisation operates a fleet of Foundation 36 yachts licensed for commercial charter and delivers these experiences under The Western Australian Yachting Foundation Inc. as a not-for-profit community organisation.

Product overview

Swan River Sailing is a not-for-profit organisation (Western Australian Yachting Foundation Inc.) offering sailing experiences on the Swan River in Perth from the Royal Perth Yacht Club. The core product is the Foundation 36 Yacht Charter fleet of 9 identical 36-foot sailing yachts, which serve as the platform for multiple service offerings: Corporate Sailing Charters (team building, networking, social events), Team Building Programs (customised workshops with elite sailors, Corporate Away Day Packages, Pirates of the Swan Challenge), Tourism Sailing Charters, Regatta Events (annual sailing competitions including Youth State Keelboat Championships, College Cup, Inter Club Championships), WA Tour & Development Program (youth sailing development with match racing events), and Twilight Sailing/Christmas Functions. Additional offerings include Conference Facilities at partner yacht clubs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Sailing Charters
• Team Building Programs
• Corporate Away Day Packages
• Pirates of the Swan Challenge
• Tourism Sailing Charters
• Twilight Sailing
• WA Tour & Development Program
• Regatta Events
• Corporate Cup
• City of Perth Youth Cup
• Women on Water
• Corporate Christmas Functions
• Learn to Sail Courses
• Conference Facilities and Venue Hire

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 45 youth athletes engaged in WA Tour Development Program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Keep Australia Beautiful WAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership for Beach Clean Up event during City of Perth Festival of Sail. 37 participants collected 29 bags of rubbish in 2021 event.
• River GuardiansminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner for Beach Clean Up event during City of Perth Festival of Sail, working with Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
• Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner for Beach Clean Up event as part of City of Perth Festival of Sail environmental initiatives.
• Warren Jones FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Major supporter of the WA Tour & Development Program and youth sailing in Western Australia. Provides funding for prize money, development programs, and event support for youth sailing regattas. Key ethos is supporting and developing youth sailors of Western Australia.
• City of PerthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Sponsors the City of Perth Festival of Sail and City of Perth Youth Cup events. Supports the Warren Jones International Youth Regatta brand and youth sailing development in Perth.
• Total Team BuildingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Joint venture partner for the 'Pirates of the Swan Challenge' team building activity. Combines sailing with onshore team challenges for corporate clients seeking fun, informal team building experiences.
• Paul Nelson WinesminorOthers · 1 January 2018Premium WA wine supplier for Christmas Twilight Promotion packages, providing bottle of premium WA wine for corporate Christmas functions.
• Royal Perth Yacht ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988Primary operating base and host venue located at Matilda Bay. Provides function spaces, venue hire, and member-priced hospitality for corporate events. Swan River Sailing operates from the grounds of the prestigious yacht club.
• Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht ClubmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988Host venue for events including twilight sailing evenings (Wednesdays), Women's State Keelboat Championships, and youth regattas. Provides facilities for sailing events and member-priced hospitality.
• South of Perth Yacht ClubmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988Host venue for multiple regattas including Youth State Keelboat Championships, Double Handed Swan River Regatta, and other sailing championships. Provides race management and volunteer support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Australian Sailing: National governing body for sailing in Australia that accredits instructors, oversees competitive sailing programs, and supports Learn to Sail courses (offered by Swan River Sailing). Broader ecosystem incumbent that sets regulatory and training standards.

Emerging players

• SailTime: Sailing membership and fractional yacht ownership concept offering access to sailing without full ownership. Comparable membership-driven model of monetising fleet access that overlaps conceptually with Swan River Sailing's chartered fleet access.

Direct peers

• The Moorings: International yacht charter operator with a fleet comparable in concept to Swan River Sailing's Foundation-36 fleet. Both provide sailing experiences to non-sailors with optional skipper/instructor support.
• Dream Yacht Charter: Worldwide yacht charter and sailing experience provider offering bareboat and crewed charters. Directly comparable business model to Swan River Sailing's charter-first offering with similar experiential positioning.
• Sunsail: Global yacht charter company offering bareboat and skippered sailing holidays. Comparable to Swan River Sailing's charter model and target market of leisure/corporate sailing experiences, though operating internationally and at much larger scale.
• Total Team Building: Australian corporate team-building provider and Swan River Sailing's joint venture partner for the Pirates of the Swan Challenge. Directly competes for Perth corporate experiential team-building budgets with similar onshore/offshore hybrid formats.
• Captain Cook Cruises: Australian scenic and sightseeing cruise operator providing water-based tourism and corporate event experiences. Comparable to Swan River Sailing's tourism charter and corporate function offerings, though based in Sydney and other east-coast locations.
• Perth Boat Charters: Perth-based boat and yacht charter operator offering corporate and leisure cruises on Swan River and surrounding waters. Direct local competitor serving similar Perth corporate and tourism customer segments.

Regional players

• Rottnest Express: Western Australian ferry and tour operator connecting Perth with Rottnest Island and offering water-based tourism experiences. Regional peer operating in the same geography and competing for Perth tourism spend.

Others

• Royal Perth Yacht Club: Swan River Sailing's primary venue partner and operating base. While not a direct competitor, RPYC hosts its own sailing events and membership activities that overlap with Swan River Sailing's community and regatta offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SwanRiverSailing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swanriversailing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Swan River Sailing