The membership model, does it have a future? New users of nautical services

Zarpar is the platform that connects boat owners and crew to live unique nautical experiences. ZARPAR’s mission is to multiply x10 the use of boats in Spain and promote social boating. From 15 outings per year per boat only in summers, to 150 outings all year round.

The membership model, does it have a future? New users of nautical services

Chimo Such, Club Náutico de Altea
Modesto Prieto, Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo
Raimón Roca, Club Náutico de La Escala

Three executives from Mediterranean clubs shared their experiences and visions about the future of the traditional nautical membership model, offering diverse perspectives on how to adapt to new social demands without losing the associative essence.

Club Náutico de Altea’s bet: the hybrid model

Chimo Such began by explaining the particular situation of Club Náutico de Altea, which has been in concessional precariousness with monthly authorization for 25 years. This instability, far from paralyzing them, has pushed them to constantly innovate.

The proposal is clear: the traditional membership model does have a future, but it must evolve towards a hybrid format. This means maintaining a stable social base while opening new channels of access to the sea for different types of users.

The club has identified five fundamental dimensions in its activity:

• Social and community: Opening to citizens with gastronomy, culture and concerts
• Sports: Organization of regattas such as the 200 Miles for 2, sailing and rowing schools
• Environmental: 38 consecutive years with Blue Flag, ISO 9001, 14001, EMAS3 certifications
• Commercial: Professional management of the port and its own restaurant
• Tourism: Innovation with programs like State Sailing Point for circular economy

A notable initiative is Gastrovela, a product that combines three hours of sailing on recycled boats with local food at the club’s restaurant. This project won the second national prize for tourism product and exemplifies how to generate internal synergies and attract new audiences.

The keys to their strategy include:

• Staggered and flexible fees
• Neo-nautical services with own rental boats
• Complete digitalization
• Year-round events to combat seasonality
• Zero-kilometer products in catering

Club Náutico de La Escala: user diversification

Raimón Roca focused his intervention on the numbers: 500 members, 2,000 boats, 9,000 sports uses. These numbers reveal that the club’s impact goes far beyond its formal social base.

At CN La Escala, of 944 berths, practically half are occupied by users who don’t have long-term assignments. They are people who rent by days, months or seasons without being club members. This reality is already part of their management model.

Roca argued that the social base is defined from the first article of the statutes: they are natural persons organized to promote and practice sports activities. It’s not an economic business, but about developing a passion that comes from people.

Sports activities have become the third business axis after hotels and flights in tourist destinations. Yacht clubs, especially in tourist areas, have a great opportunity here as experience providers.

Advantages of this approach:

• Diversification of offerings (diving, rowing, sailing, rental)
• Attracting young audiences
• Redistribution of tourist flows outside high season
• Intangible connection with the municipality: sports, social, cultural and environmental activity

Roca was clear: as long as the club exists, the member figure makes sense, but it can coexist with other types of users with less roots and commitment but who enjoy different advantages and obligations.

Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo: the small club perspective

Modesto Prieto began his intervention recognizing himself as “the ugly duckling of the movie” due to the size difference with the other clubs. In Sanxenxo they had to let go of the manager because they couldn’t pay him, and the board divides the functions of sports management, maintenance, sponsorships and events.

His model is more conservative: keeping the club as a space for members who pay 55 euros monthly all year. Prieto expressed his doubts about how to explain to these members that suddenly they’ll find the club full of people who don’t pay fees or have obligations.

However, they have implemented interesting initiatives:

• Children’s sports membership: Children from local schools access sailing courses without their parents being members. This has led many families to become members when they see that “they’re not the little lords from Madrid”
• Commitment to the local community: all employment contracts through the municipality, purchase of materials in the town, hiring local services first
• The town sees the club as a reference, not as a closed preserve

Prieto posed an uncomfortable question: Democratization of the sea with nautical capital? He proposed as a first step that yacht clubs in Spain establish correspondences with each other so that members can access other clubs.

The debate: Hybrid model or traditional model?

During the debate some key issues emerged:

About passive members: Many clubs have historic members who religiously pay their fee without using the facilities, and this sustains sports and social activity. What happens when this generation disappears?

About young people: Youth members often see the club as “my father’s thing” or “for old people”. The new generation thinks differently: they want to pay only for what they use, without too much attachment. Additionally, demographically “those coming behind are half as many as us”.

About rental as a gateway: The experience of CN La Escala showed that this doesn’t work as expected. The profile of someone who rents is someone who rents, not necessarily someone who will later become a member.

About the legal nature: Chimo Such insisted that being non-profit entities that occupy public domain, yacht clubs must be useful to society. If they don’t offer diverse options for all budgets, “we will die”.

Conclusions

The three speakers, from very different realities, agreed on several points:

1. Yacht clubs must evolve to adapt to the new society, but each must find its model according to its environment and circumstances

2. Openness doesn’t mean free: New types of users can pay for specific services without being full members

3. Sports and tourism activities are non-negligible sources of income and a way to connect with new generations

4. Local roots are fundamental: Hire locally, use local suppliers, generate positive social and environmental impact

5. Professional management compatible with social values: You can manage with market criteria without losing the associative nature

As Raimón Roca said: “We can have an open and professional club without losing the vision and mission of the entity. We are the safe and orderly sports access to the sea, and administrations need that too”.

The membership model has a future, but it requires adaptation, creativity and, above all, understanding that each yacht club must find its own balance between tradition and innovation.