YACHT: Tell me Kim, are you founding a club to finance your sailing hobby?
Kim Rødkjær: No. I found Sailclub24to enjoy first-class sailing together with others without drowning in work and high costs. Owning a modern boat is very expensive, while the utilisation is only 10 to 15 percent. I had to bear all the costs alone and I lacked sailing friends. So it was an expensive and lonely pleasure. What's more, I don't really enjoy lying under the boat in winter to sand. I just want to sail!
What exactly does the Sailclub24 concept look like?
Basically quite simple: twelve club members buy themselves a new Beneteau First 30 and pay extra for not having to worry about anything. Each member can book 24 sailing days per season via an app. As a co-sailor, you can spend up to 30 additional days on board.
How much will it cost?
Everyone pays a club fee of 1,500 euros and around 6,500 euros as a boat share. In addition, there are monthly costs of 350 euros for maintenance, mooring fees and other expenses. Depending on the attractiveness of the sailing day, there are also costs of 50 to 100 euros per day.
But that doesn't sound very cheap.
It depends on the perspective. All in all, you pay 8,000 euros once and then 4,200 euros annually for an all-inclusive package. This not only includes maintenance and mooring costs. It also includes, for example, replacing the sails after two years. And the costs for the sailing days can be shared among the crew. Of course, it is true that it will never be cheap to sail - especially not with new boats. The advantage with us is that we can calculate optimally and are very flexible.
Where will the home harbour be?
For practical reasons, I am launching the Sailclub24 pilot project right on my doorstep in Copenhagen - in Tuborg Havn. I can very well imagine other locations in England or Germany, for example, depending on where interested parties get in touch.
How can I cancel my membership?
The share can either be sold on independently to another interested party. Or we can take over the marketing. In principle, however, the boats are to be sold after five years. Then you either get the remaining share back, estimated at 50 per cent. Or the money is used to finance a new boat.
And how safe is an investment in Sailclub24?
It's as safe as it can be. We don't stash large sums of money in our account, as the majority is invested directly in the boat. In the unlikely event of a forced sale due to unpaid bills, the shares would probably be a thing of the past. In my opinion, however, this financial risk is minimal compared to buying a boat that only belongs to you.
Kim Rødkjær, founder of Sailclub24
As a former racing driver, the 55-year-old Dane is passionate about fast sailing.
Fittingly:
Morten Strauch
Editor News & Panorama
