America's Cup Charters

What America's Cup Charters does

America's Cup Charters is a privately held Newport, Rhode Island-based charter and tourism operator that runs the largest and longest-running fleet of authentic wooden 12 Meter yachts in the United States, operating under two Rhode Island LLCs (America's Classic Twelves LLC and Dragon Holdings LLC). Founded in 1986, the company owns and operates six historic 12 Meter racing yachts—Intrepid (US-22), Heritage (US-23), American Eagle (US-21), Weatherly (US-17), Gleam (US-11), and Onawa (US-6)—most of which were America's Cup winners or contenders between 1958 and 1970, originally designed by Olin Stephens, Philip Rhodes, Bill Luders, W. Starling Burgess, Clinton Crane, and Charles E. Morgan, and built with traditional double-planked mahogany on white oak frames. The fleet is supported by a number of additional classic vessels (power yachts, schooners, and tenders) and all vessels undergo rigorous annual USCG safety inspections.

The company generates revenue through three core product lines: (1) ticketed day sails and racing experiences sold directly to individual tourists (2-hour Narragansett Bay sails at $100/adult and 3-hour racing experiences at $195/adult, available mid-May through late October via the Starboard Suite booking platform); (2) private charters for celebrations, reunions, and weddings accommodating up to 70 guests per boat with customizable itineraries; and (3) corporate team-building charters for groups of 12-70+ guests, structured around formats such as Casual Regatta, Rabbit Race, and America's Cup Experience. A Sails Coordinator handles custom charter planning, while gift certificates and officially licensed nautical gear provide ancillary revenue. Distribution is fully direct-to-consumer through the company website, phone, email, and on-site dock presence at 49 America's Cup Avenue.

Go-to-market relies on earned-media coverage in The New York Times ('36 Hours in Newport', 2023) and Travel + Leisure, complemented by TripAdvisor, Instagram, and Facebook presence, plus word-of-mouth referrals and annual community events such as the Hometown Heroes Regatta. Each vessel is captained by a dedicated USCG-licensed professional (e.g., Managing Partner Mike Patterson, a 200-Ton Master Mariner), with corporate and private clients including robotics firm Universal Robots and various Fortune 500 leadership teams. The business is highly seasonal, geographically constrained to Newport and Narragansett Bay, and serves tourists, private celebrants, corporate clients, and nonprofits as its primary customer segments.

Name

America's Cup Charters

Legal name

America's Classic Twelves LLC and Dragon Holdings LLC

Website

https://americascupcharters.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

America's Cup Charters operates Newport, Rhode Island's largest fleet of authentic historic 12 Meter wooden yachts, offering ticketed day sails, premium racing experiences, and private/corporate charters to tourists, families, and corporate clients on Narragansett Bay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yacht Charter Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Crewed Yacht Charters (Luxury Crewed) (THAEAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Luxury Yacht & Small-Ship Expedition Cruises (THAEABAF)

Keywords

• Yacht charter services
• Historic sailing experiences
• Corporate team building
• Narragansett bay tours
• 12 meter yacht charters

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticketed Day Sails: Individual tickets sold for 2-hour daily sails on Narragansett Bay from mid-May through late October. Guests pay per person for authentic sailing experiences aboard historic 12 Meter yachts.
2. Racing Experience Tickets: Premium 3-hour racing experiences sold on select dates (June through September) at higher price points than regular sails.
3. Private Charter Rentals: Exclusive single-boat or multi-boat charter rentals for private celebrations including anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, reunions, and photo shoots. Custom itineraries available including Historic Landmark Sail, Narragansett Bay Race, and Circumnavigate Conanicut options.
4. Corporate Team Building Charters: Customized corporate team building experiences including Casual Regatta, Rabbit Race, and America's Cup Experience formats. Catering to groups of 12-70+ with team gear, catering coordination, and speaking engagements available.
5. Gift Certificates: Gift certificates sold for ticketed sails or officially licensed gear celebrating the fleet's legacy. Never expire and can be used on any ticketed sails.
6. Nonprofit Rate Charters: Special nonprofit rates offered during specific dates for organizations seeking unique venues for fundraising events or engagement experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

America's Cup Charters operates the largest fleet of authentic historic 12 Meter wooden sailing yachts in Newport, Rhode Island, offering ticketed day sails, private charters, and corporate charters on Narragansett Bay. The company sells authentic sailing experiences aboard six original America's Cup yachts (Intrepid, Heritage, American Eagle, Weatherly, Gleam, Onawa) along with supporting power and sailing vessels for events ranging from intimate 6-15 guest sails to large gatherings of up to 350 guests.

Product overview

America's Cup Charters operates a fleet of historic 12 Meter yachts for sailing experiences in Newport, Rhode Island. The company offers two primary service categories: (1) ticketed day sails including the Narragansett Bay Sail Experience (2-hour daily sails) and 12 Meter Racing Experience (3-hour races), with 6-15 guests per boat; and (2) private/corporate charters including Historic Landmark Sail, Narragansett Bay Race, and Circumnavigate Conanicut itineraries, accommodating groups up to 70 guests. The core fleet consists of six 12 Meter yachts—Intrepid (US-22), Heritage (US-23), American Eagle (US-21), Weatherly (US-17), Gleam (US-11), and Onawa (US-6)—all former America’s Cup competitors. Supporting vessels include Scout (tender), Gansett (power yacht), Rum Runner, Mariner III, Madeleine, Adirondack IV, and Aquidneck (schooners). The company also sells custom gear and gift certificates. Booking is handled through Starboard Suite. Founded in 1986, it is the largest and longest-running 12 Meter charter fleet in Newport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Charters Exclusive single-boat or multi-boat yacht charters for private celebrations including anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, reunions, and photo shoots, accommodating groups up to 70 guests with custom itineraries such as Historic Landmark Sail, Narragansett Bay Race, and Circumnavigate Conanicut. A Sails Coordinator assists with catering, custom gear, and onshore activities.
• Corporate Charters Customized corporate team building and client entertainment experiences for groups of 12-70+ guests, including Casual Regatta, Rabbit Race, and America's Cup Experience formats. Includes team gear, catering coordination, and optional speaking engagements with professional sailors.
• Ticketed Day Sails Public ticketed sailing experiences including 2-hour daily Narragansett Bay sails ($100 adult, $65 child ages 5-12) and 3-hour 12 Meter Racing Experiences ($195 per person) on select dates June through September, with 6-15 guests per boat aboard historic 12 Meter yachts.
• Gift Certificates Non-expiring gift certificates redeemable on any ticketed sails or officially licensed gear celebrating the fleet's legacy.
• Custom Gear Officially licensed nautical apparel including shirts and hats featuring fleet branding, available as commemorative merchandise for charter guests.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured in The New York Times as a top activity in Newport
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Stacey Patterson (Hometown Heroes Regatta)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual partnership with Newport nurse Stacey Patterson to host the Hometown Heroes Regatta, featuring local first responders from Newport Hospital, fire, and police departments racing on Narragansett Bay.
• Catering Partners (unnamed)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe company partners with trusted local catering companies to provide food and beverage services for private charters and corporate events. Sails Coordinator connects clients directly with these partners.
• Classic Yacht Operators (unnamed)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAs a full-service yacht charter company, America\'s Cup Charters works with operators of classic sailing and power yachts out of Newport to accommodate client needs for spectator boats and catered cocktail cruises, accommodating groups up to 350 guests.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Dream Yacht Charter: One of the world's largest crewed and bareboat charter operators with a global fleet. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same crewed-charter space serving the luxury leisure customer, though Dream is fleet-of-modern-monohulls and catamarans rather than historic racing yachts.
• The Moorings: Global, multi-decade yacht charter company offering crewed and bareboat charter vacations across the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and beyond. While operated at vastly larger scale and with a different vessel profile, comparable on the crewed-charter business model and affluent experiential-travel customer segment.

Direct peers

• Sail Newport: Nonprofit sailing center and sailing school based in Newport, RI, offering public sailing programs, junior sailing, and access to a sailing fleet on Narragansett Bay. Directly comparable as a Newport-based sailing experience operator competing for the same tourist and corporate group demand, although Sail Newport is more school-oriented and America's Cup Charters is charter/heritage-oriented.
• Liberty Fleet of Tall Ships: Boston-based operator of tall ship and schooner sailing cruises on Boston Harbor. Directly comparable model (ticketed public sails + private charters on historic sailing vessels) targeting a similar New England tourist/corporate market.
• Newport Harbor Tours: Newport-based harbor sightseeing tour operator offering boat tours around Newport Harbor and Narragansett Bay. Competes for the same Newport tourist ticket-buying segment, although focused on sightseeing tours rather than participatory sailing.
• Twelve Meter Charters (Sail Newport-affiliated): Other operators offering 12 Meter sailing experiences in Newport; if extant, would represent the closest direct competitor on identical vessel type and customer segment. Listed where peer-type data is supported by the broader market presence of 12 Meter sailing operators in Newport beyond America's Cup Charters' own fleet.
• Schooner Mystic Whaler: Classic 110-foot schooner sailing cruises out of Mystic, Connecticut, offering day sails, sunset cruises, and private charters. Comparable ticketed-day-sail/private-charter dual revenue model on a traditional sailing vessel in the southern New England corridor.

Regional players

• Schooner Woodwind: Sailing cruise operator in Annapolis, MD, offering public and private 2-hour sails aboard a 74-foot wooden schooner. Comparable product (ticketed public sails + private charters on a classic vessel) and customer base (tourists, families, couples), but in a different geography than America's Cup Charters' Newport/New England market.
• Schooner J&E Riggin: Maine-based overnight windjammer schooner offering multi-day heritage sailing experiences, similar niche-historic maritime experience and customer base (bucket-list tourists seeking classic sailing). Operates in Penobscot Bay, so geographically distinct from Newport but very comparable experience product.

Emerging players

• Sailo: Peer-to-peer online marketplace for booking yacht charters and sailing experiences, including crewed charters. Overlaps with America's Cup Charters from the demand-aggregation side — charters of historic/heritage sailing yachts are searchable on the platform, creating both a competitor and a potential distribution channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AmericasCupCharters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/americas-cup-charters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 America's Cup Charters