Membership & costs
The most affordable sailing on the South Coast
Membership runs for 12 months from the month you join, with year-round access to both yachts. A year’s membership costs a fraction of a single day’s yacht charter anywhere on the Solent. On top you pay a day rate each time you go out. That’s it for the sailing; RYA courses are priced separately. No boat to buy, no berthing, maintenance or depreciation: you turn up, enjoy, and go home happy.
The membership
Member*
£165/yr
Full access to both yachts, to our RYA courses and to the social calendar. This is the membership everything else builds on.
Apply to joinFamily Member
+£100/yr
Adds a member’s spouse, partner or adult children under 24. Not a membership on its own.
DetailsJunior Member
+£10/yr
Adds a member’s child aged 8 to 17: learn to sail and build miles with the club.
Details
Then a day rate each time you go out
Summer £56/ day
Winter £41/ day
*New members pay a one-time joining fee of £100. Family Member and Junior Member rates are in addition to membership, not an alternative. Temporary membership is available to friends and family of existing members, for an additional £20 on top of the day rate. Winter rates apply from November to March (inclusive); summer rates apply otherwise. Rates valid until 31 March 2027. Day rates cover the boat, fuel, gas and maintenance; you just chip in for any visitor moorings and food on the day.
Why it costs so little
Speedbird exists to promote the sport of yacht sailing, and we believe getting out on the water shouldn’t be a luxury. The members own the club. The board is a handful of volunteer directors, elected by the members at the AGM. The skippers who take you out are volunteers too, members giving their own time so that the rest of us can sail. The reason the club is so affordable is that every penny goes back into the club, which is why a year with us costs less than a weekend’s charter.
And if none of that appeals? That’s fine too. Most members simply sail. You get a vote and you can stand for the board. Plenty of members never do, and that is fine.
A season afloat, compared
There are lots of ways to go sailing without owning a boat these days: points-based fleet clubs, boat-share schemes, day charter. They’re good options for qualified skippers, but they come at a price. Here’s how it compares for someone who wants 20 days on the water a year:
Our Membership
~£1,200
£165 a year plus day rates of £41 to £56 across the year.
Timeshare-style scheme
~£8,000
A typical shared-ownership, points-based subscription scheme.
Own your own yacht
tens of thousands
The purchase price, then berthing, maintenance, insurance and depreciation every year.
Figures are indicative, for a season of roughly 20 days on the water. SOYC is a non-profit, member-run club and does not run commercial trips or charter vessels.
