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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Drew Mitchell

Drew Mitchell

Drew Mitchell grew up sailing at the Lunenburg Yacht Club in Nova Scotia. He has raced on and coached high performance one design for nearly 20 years. Drew races in the Melges 24, Farr 30, Bluenose and Martin 242 fleets and has won the Farr 30 North Americans and Melges 24 PNW championship. He came in 3rd at Martin 242 North Americans and was in the Top 3 in the Bluenose class for the last 4 years at Chester Race Week. Drew’s distance racing experience includes winning the Van Isle 360 and racing the 2017 Transpac on a TP 52.

In addition to sailing, Drew enjoys playing hockey, surfing and snowboarding.

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Bill Gladstone

Bill is the Director of North U and author of the North U Racing Trim, North U Racing Tactics, and North U Cruising and Seamanship books and discs.  In addition, Bill is a collaborator in the creation of the Rules and Match Racing programs and materials. 

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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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Kerry Poe

Kerry Poe

Kerry is the owner of the North Sails Oregon Loft and is a Four time US Sailing Team member. He has competed in 10 World Championships, 470, Laser II, 505, Melges 24 and Farr 30.

A partial list of events won include 470 US Nationals, Laser II US Nationals, Oregon Offshore, Swiftsure, Newport to Ensenada, Chicago Mackinac.

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