Tom Babel

Tom Babel

Tom Babel is a professional sailor with over forty years of sailboat racing, sail making and coaching experience. He grew up sailing in Traverse City, MI where he still lives.

Tim Ray

Tim Ray

Tim has raced Stars extensively during his sailing career – Compiling top finishes in the Star Olympic Trials, World Championships, Western Hemisphere Championships, North American Championships, and District Championships. Tim is also a two-time single-handed and two-time double-handed PHRF champion in the Buffalo Harbor Sailing Club. Other offshore and one-design racing experience includes tactician, navigator, watch captain and weather router in the J/120 class, and watch captain racing from San Francisco to Tahiti.

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David Dellenbaugh

David Dellenbaugh

David Dellenbaugh is the publisher, editor and author of Speed & Smarts. He was the tactician and starting helmsman on America3 during her successful defense of the America’s Cup in 1992 and sailed in three other America’s Cup campaigns.

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Dave Franzel

Dave Franzel

A veteran coach and champion racer, Dave Franzel founded the Boston Sailing Center in 1977.  Through coaching, clinics and seminars, he has helped thousands of people become better sailors and racers.

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Mark Laura

Mark Laura

Mark was elected to the Collegiate Hall of Fame and has won a J24 North American Championship, three Thistle Mid-Winter Championships, the Volvo Cup, and has a Sir Thomas Lipton Sportsmanship award.  Currently Mark races a full spectrum of boats, from J24s to Gun Boat 65s and serves as head coach to the University of Washington Sailing Team.  Most recently, Mark was 4th in Mexico City for the J24 North Americans, Tactician for the Winning boat in the Maxi World championships in Italy and will be sailing in the 2019 J24 World Championships in Miami.

Mark has served as U.S. Coach for three World Championship teams and is a former US Olympic Sailing Coach. He is renowned as among the world’s finest seminar leaders.  Mark has taught literally hundreds of seminars and clinics to sailing groups of every description. His racing clinics have been held in five countries worldwide.

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