Tom Babel is a professional sailor with over forty years of sailboat racing, sailmaking, and coaching experience. He grew up sailing in Traverse City, MI where he still lives.
Tom has had a well-rounded and successful sailing career. He started in the sailmaking business in 1973, and has been racing and teaching ever since. His numerous victories and accomplishments include Chicago-Mackinaw races, Port Huron-Mackinac races, M.O.R.C., S2 7.9 North American Champion and J-24 Worlds (5th). Tom’s expertise covers the spectrum, from big boat racing on down to Lasers. Now the owner of Tom Babel Sailing Services, he acts as tactician, coaches, and consults throughout the United States.
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… Read More »
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Terry has been racing and coaching in dinghies, catamarans, scows, and mid-size keelboats for decades. Most recently he has campaigned J22s, J24s, and J70s at a championship level. Terry worked as a sailmaker in both big-boat and one-design markets. He has been coaching and teaching seminars from his home base at Wayzata YC on every facet of racing trim, boat handling, and tactics.
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Robby Brown has been teaching sailing and coaching racers since his teens. He also raced competitively in the US Sailing Youth Championships and World Optimist Dinghy Championships. He raced collegiately for the US Naval Academy, where he was Team Captain and a Collegiate All-American. A North Sails Representative and professional coach, Robby is a 2X… Read More »
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Tom Pease has been with North Sails collectively for nearly 35 years working in all phases of sailmaking. Starting part time in the shipping department, he worked his way up through handwork and layout, service manager, sail designer and sales. Using his expertise in sail trim, Tom has helped numerous teams improve their performance on… Read More »
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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,… Read More »
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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… Read More »
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Jay is the owner/manager of our Kemah, Texas loft. The two-time Yachtsman of the Year nominee is one of our J/80 one-design class experts, and he has won multiple World and National Championships in the Lightning, Comet, J/80 and J/122 classes. A New Jersey native, Jay credits Jim Carson from Metedeconk River Yacht Club with… Read More »
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Zeke‘s sailing resume includes a World Championship in the Viper Class as well as seven North American / National championship titles in various classes and disciplines. He is currently active in one-design racing in Vipers, J-22’s, Flying Scots, J-70s, Etchells, and Lightnings as well as the National Team Racing Circuit.
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Nick’s racing experience covers the spectrum from Optimists to TP -52s. Most of his recent racing success has come in One Designs, including Lightnings, Thistles, J22, J24, and Melges 24.
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Jon is a great crew-among the very best crew in the world. He’s won World, National, North American and European Championships in J24s, J22s, Snipes and Thistles. Top skippers seek him out not just his championship sailing skills. Jon’s coaching, training, team building and observational skills set him apart.
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Tim has raced Stars extensively – Olympic Trials, North American Championships, Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, Lipton Cup, Cal Race Week, Mid Winters, and Champaign Series to name a few. Other offshore and one-design racing experience includes tactician, navigator, watch captain and weather router on a J/120 in Southern California and on an Elliot 14 racing from San Francisco to Tahiti.
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Dave is author of the North U Rules and Tactics Seminar Workbook, North U Intro to Match Racing Workbook, Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing through 2020, Dave Perry’s 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes, and Winning in One-Designs.
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Anson Mulder is a Ft. Lauderdale coach and project manager with particular expertise in sails and sail inventory development, Expedition tactical software, project management, crew training, and boat optimization for both inshore and offshore racing.
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Geoff Moore is a 1983 graduate of the University of Rhode Island. He lives with his wife Gillian and their three daughters in Toronto. Geoff has been working as a sail consultant for North Sails since November of 2000.
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As a sail designer, coach and racer, Mike has been involved in championship campaigns in dinghies and small keelboats for decades. As a sail designer, he’s had a hand in Olympic and World Championship sail development for 470s, F18s and Etchells.
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Steve LeMay comes to us from Dallas, Texas. His experience in the J 80, J 105, Melges 32 and Mumm 30 class is extensive. Steve’s campaign as trimmer on some of the leaders in these classes only enhances his teaching ability.
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From her southern California base, Shala’s sailing, coaching and racing experience span the globe, including training for a Round the World record challenge aboard a 92’ catamaran.
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Andrew Kerr was born in Plymouth, Devon, England and graduated from the London School of Economics with a bachelor’s degree in Government and politics.
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Internationally renowned sailor, motivational speaker and author, Peter Isler has parlayed his love of sailing into a career. Inextricable from the America’s Cup since winning it as navigator aboard Dennis Conner’s Stars & Stripes in Australia in 1987.
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Bruce has raced literally thousands of races on a full spectrum of boats.
He holds championships in the Swiftsure, the SORC, and the Pacific Cup on boats ranging from Ranger 29’s and J35s to Turbo 70 Sleds.
Brendan’s decades of racing experience backed up by years of collegiate and private coaching make him an excellent choice for dinghy and keelboat coaching and clinics.
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A perennial champion and One Design Expert at North Sails, Brian has been sharing his skills and insights sail trim, rig tuning, and racing technique in clinics and training programs for decades.
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Carolyn Grant completed a circumnavigation during the Millennium Odyssey and spent seven years as head coach of the Hampton University Sailing Team.
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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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Iver’s 40 year career in many facets of yacht and shipwork includes a continuing career as a licensed Master (500GRT incl aux sail, plus 1600GRT OSVs), and a 25 year business of yacht and commercial vessel design, project management, and consultation.
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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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Rod’s racing experience covers the spectrum from Sunfish and dinghies to Vipers, J24s, Melges 32s, and Farr 39s, from small lakes to open oceans, as helmsman, tactician, and trimmer.
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A certified instructor and instructor trainer, Lisa has been coaching racing and team racing for decades. A veteran of the J22 and J24 circuit, Lisa has raced the Rolex Women’s Keelboat Championship as skipper and crew.
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Kevin Denney is a graduate of Michigan State University and the IIT, Institute of Design where he is a faculty member teaching product and service design.
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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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As a sail trimmer, tactician, and navigator with over 20 years’ experience and many championship titles to his credit, Dobbs has competed in nearly every major offshore race and inshore regatta in the US and around the world on everything from small keelboats to offshore one-designs to America’s Cup yachts to Maxis.
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Most recently, the boat Lou has been coaching the last couple of seasons won Division 8 in the 2011 Around Long Island Race for the 2nd year in a row. Also finishing 2nd in IRC, 1st in Spin class and Team.
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Bobby Brooks has coached over 45 race teams, campaigns a 6 meter in Europe and sails regularly on a J109 and Melges 32 in Texas.
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Bill Biewenga is one of America’s most accomplished offshore sailors. He has accumulated approximately 400,000 sea miles including 39 transatlantic crossings, several TransPacs, participation in 4 Whitbread Round the World Races, numerous record attempts, deliveries, regattas and offshore races.
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Todd Berman’s sailing experience spans boats ranging from dinghies to maxis. After a successful collegiate sailing career, Todd pursued sailing racing aboard dinghies and J24s in the early 80s then progressing to IOR, IMS and IRC 50 footers. Todd worked in the Sail making industry from 1987 to 1992.
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Geoff is a multiple class one-design and keelboat champion, Collegiate National Champion and 2x Collegiate All-American, applying the lessons he learned developing his own skills to his coaching.
View Full ProfileTom 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.
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Profession: Executive Director, Women’s International Match Racing Association Public Health Virologist, California State Department of Public Health
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