I should say -- better in my experience to find a community run organisation run by its members than a commercial operation in my experience. A lot of clubs run on the enthusiasm of their members and this means lower prices and more opportunities to get involved

Definitely agree here. I've been dinghy sailing for near 20 years now (in the UK) and most clubs will require you to do a couple of days a year as safety boat helm/crew (depending on experience) - it's not a lot of time to invest and it benefits everyone in the club.