Sailor Spotlight

Sailor Spotlight - Will Brown
  Will Brown is a fantastic sailor, coach, and family man.  Will grew up sailing on Long Beach Island and moved from yacht club to yacht club always in search of the best opportunity to improve.  He had a successful junior sailing career, began sailing Lightnings on the side, and became an All-American skipper at Brown.  Now, Will is focused on coaching and giving back to the sport that he loves so much.  You'll often find Will (and his wife, Leigh) working with our young Opti sailors or helping kids... Read more...
Sailor Spotlight - Dick Wight
Dick Wight is a living legend.  Seriously.  Dick is one of the best sailors to ever come out of Barnegat Bay.  A champion in many boats, Dick has been a fixture atop the leaderboard in the E-Scow fleet for 50 years now.  At age 71, not only is Dick still skippering E-Scows, but he's still one of the most competitive boats on the course!One tip Dick has for staying competitive is to find good crew and keep them around.  Well when you're one of the nicest guys in the fleet... Read more...
Sailor Spotlight - Turner Ryon
  Turner Ryon is a young Opti sailor from Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club.  Collectively, Turner and his teammates are working harder than ever to up their sailing game. Turner sails at LEHYC in the summer and then continues his training in the fall, winter, and spring.  With off-season training, it's incredible to see the jump that Turner has made in the local fleet.Turner is one of the most genuine, sincere sailors you will meet.  He's admired by his peers and friendly to everybody.  He works hard on the water;... Read more...
Sailor Spotlight - Roy Wilkins
Roy Wilkins is one of those names that everybody on the bay knows.  Roy has been an active sailor for over 60 years, racing so many different types of boats.  "Coach" -- as he is endearingly called by so many because he has coached so many -- was integral in the start of the OCC sailing program that has lead to thousands of sailors experiencing college and high school sailing on Barnegat Bay.  He is a father and a grandfather, he is passionate about his own sailing, and he is... Read more...
Sailor Spotlight - AJ Bailey
First of all, if you are ever at a Trivia Night and you look across the room and see AJ Bailey on another team, save yourself the embarrassment and get up and go home.  Don't even compete; the kid is so good at trivia.AJ Bailey is such a versatile sailor.  He can skipper a tech, crew on an A-Cat, tune up your E-Scow and sail you to 2nd place at the Nationals, or deliver a boat from Newport to Bermuda.  His openness to trying new boats and his passion for... Read more...
Sailor Spotlight - Paul Coward
If you've ever raced at Brant Beach Yacht Club, there's a good chance that Paul Coward was sighting your starting line.  Paul is the PRO at Brant Beach YC, the race manager who sets square lines and bangs off efficient, well-run races.  A sailor at heart, Paul drew the "PRO straw" over 30 years ago and hasn't turned back since.  A member of the Barnegat Bay Sailing Hall of Fame, Paul (and the rest of BBYC) give back numerous times each year by hosting events of all different sizes for... Read more...
Sailor Spotlight - Russ Lucas
Russ Lucas is a very recognizable face on Barnegat Bay.  Russ lives and breathes sailing at Bay Head Yacht Club, and now he's the fleet captain of the BBYRA.  He's a fantastic sailor, having won 10 Duck Boat World Champs, 2 E-Scow Easterns, 1 E-Scow Blue Chip, a Melges 20 Nationals, and everything in between.  Most importantly though, Russ really gives back to sailing on the bay -- he hosts fundraisers at his house, organizes Dave Dellenbaugh Rules Talks before the season starts, and has recently gotten involved in the... Read more...
Sailor Spotlight - Johnny Donnelly
I have two quick stories about Johnny Donnelly.  First, earlier this week at the NJ Opti States Johnny's sister, Noelle, chartered an Opti from us.  After sailing, Johnny helped Noelle wash and teflon the boat before returning it to me.  That's like washing your rental car before returning it - actually that's like helping your sister wash her rental car before returning it!  That just doesn't usually happen!  Second story:  this week Johnny came in to Colie Sails to pick out some birthday presents.  After getting a pair of Zhik... Read more...
Sailor Spotlight: Will Kernan
Will Kernan is a 13 year old sailor who can't spend enough time on the water.  Will loves to sail; whether it's Optis, M-Scows, Manasquan River Prams, or (soon to be) 420s, Will would sail every day if he could!  This summer, Will is reaping the benefits of all the hours he's put in during the off-season.  With a win at the 100+ boat Caryn Wilson regatta and top finishes at other BBYRA events, Will has become one of the top junior sailors in our area.  What makes Will even... Read more...
Sailor Spotlight: Brian Hull
Brian Hull wears many hats:  Opti dad, USODA board member, Donovan Sailing Coach, Director at the Friends of Belmar Harbor.  There's no doubt that Brian has a lot on his plate, but at the end of the day, Brian is giving back to the sport he loves, mentoring young sailors, and spending time with his young family.  Brian will help in any way if it promotes sailing, and that mentality resonates with his family and with those who he coaches.  He's passionate, hard-working, and he loves the sport.  His message... Read more...
Sailor Spotlight - Alex Fasolo
Alex Fasolo is one of the nicest kids you will ever meet.  He's polite, respectful, and one incredible sailor.  Case in point, last week Alex was psyched to spend some time with and crew for his dad - who learned how to sail after Alex - in the Sandpiper Nationals.  Alex's sailing resume speaks for itself, and next year he'll be a huge asset on the Tufts Sailing Team.  This summer, he's coaching Optis at the Metedeconk River Yacht Club.Name: Alex Fasolo                              Age: 18School: St. Georges High School, Tufts UniversityYacht Club:... Read more...
Sailor Spotlight - Buzzy Reynolds
  Buzzy Reynolds is undoubtedly one of the best sailors to come from Barngat Bay.  His experience in many boats - most notably the Finn - show his versatility and skill; the fact that he can be successful in so many classes is a testament to how good he is.  Now, Buzzy is recognized as the chair of the IHYC Junior Olympic Regatta, something he's been doing for over 20 years now.  Buzzy remains an avid racer and has a passion for the sport that is matched by few.  What... Read more...