The Deben Yacht Club was founded in 1838, and is now a thriving and active club in the upper reaches of the River Deben. Its Clubhouse at Woodbridge is unique to the area, being built on piles at the riverside, and having fine views of the river and the sailing.
The club operates two dinghy parks and maintains a launching ramp and pontoons, providing access to the river for dinghies and small cruisers. It also administers a number of moorings adjacent to the club.
A full racing programme is organised, normally from March through to December, with Handicap racing for Dinghy and Yacht fleets, and competition is fierce with a wide range of dinghies competing. In addition a number of Open Meetings for various dinghy classes, typically Mirror, Topper, Laser and OK are held each year and attract many visitors thus giving additional competition. The Yacht fleet, apart from having the opportunity to race, also has several organised short cruises each year.