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Sail Patrol Members
Following are members of the Sail Patrol.
There are up to 20 Sail Patrol positions available at the club. The Sail
Patrol is listed below in order of seniority:
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1. Sonya
Mesommonta (since 2009)
Anyone who knows me,
knows that sailing is my passion. For me, sailing can be a competitive
sport as well as a therapeutic past-time. I took the Basic Keel Boat
course at the Manhattan Sailing School and joined the Manhattan Sailing
Club in 2004. I served as Social Chair in 2006-2007, and became a
skipper member in 2008. As a Sail Patrol / Fleet Captain Skipper, I now
see myself as an ambassador for the club; to make new members feel
welcomed, to ensure that we're all responsible sailors and, most
importantly, to have fun. I still actively
participate in many club events and enjoy socializing with my fellow
club members on and off the water. I race every chance I get, not only
on J24s, but on dinghies and big boats, to develop a better perspective
on boat handling and make the boat go faster. I've done charters in
Turkey, the Caribbean, and the San Juan Islands and my most recent
experience (April '09) was delivering a beautiful Alden 52 north via the
Gulfstream. Recreational sailing in
our backyard has given me many opportunities to explore beyond the
Hudson River. Every time I step aboard, I am looking forward to my next
adventure. - SohoBelle
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2.
Craig Kayaian
(since 2009)
I’m a local city kid from Queens, NY who grew up
surrounded by water, but never sailed until taking Basic Keelboat class at the
Manhattan Sailing School. Getting to enjoy a relationship with the water right
here in New York Harbor is a remarkable privilege that I cherish!
I will always be a student of this vast sport,
which brings me closer to nature right in the middle of the city. I followed
Basic Keelboat with Costal Cruising, Live Aboard Cruising and Bareboat
Chartering courses, which really sealed in a core ability on a sailboat for me.
Since, I’ve been active at Manhattan Sailing Club’s regular races, and also
‘event’ races like the International Yacht Club Challenge and Hedge Fund
Regattas. I also volunteer for Race Committee, working on club boats and other
club programs – learning all the while. Becoming an active part of the regional sailing
community – from New York to the Long Island Sound to Newport, RI and beyond –
has given me a global community of solid friends for whom my respect and
admiration is consistently growing! It’s also enabled me to sail on many boats
– large and small – in many different positions, and I enjoy this variation and
growth in my abilities as a sailor. Now I enjoy being able to pass on some of the
understanding I’ve developed, and sharing the sport with others. I’m very happy
to work with people in navigating the sport of sailing, and the waters in which
we sail, toward safe and enjoyable experiences, and I look forward to sailing
with each new crew I meet.
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3.
Ben Kramer
(since 2009)
Growing up in Burlington, VT, I have always
loved the water. A cool breeze flows from Lake Champlain year round and
calls for people to be on a boat. My fascination with the water and raw
power of the wind started in elementary school when a class trip
introduced me to Colonial warships. Fast forward to more recent times -
I completed the basic keelboat course as a formality. The
navigation, "lift" from sails and safety/planning aspects came naturally
as in my previous life I was a commercial pilot. After all, a sail is
simply a vertical wing, right? To improve my skills and seamanship, I took the coastal cruising course
as I believe that you can never stop learning, and continual education
is the best way to avoid bad situations. In the summer, you can find me
on at the club on a boat or on the docks. When winter comes you can
find me cruising the Caribbean. My goal is to help others understand the difference between crewing and
commanding a boat as I pass on the knowledge that I have picked up along
the way. I am honored and privileged to be a member of the inaugural
Sail Patrol. |
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4. Chris
Bickford (since 2009)
There is nothing quite like the collective excitement a crew feels when
a sailboat is being pulled through the wind. The aerodynamic
principles at work driving the boat are fascinating too. I enjoy
sharing this experience with my MSC crews when I am on Sail Patrol.
Becoming a Sail Patrol Skipper in 2009 has gave me great
opportunities to get out with others who want to chase the wind and
practice sailing skills. I learned to sail Blue Jays as an Eagle Scout
in California in the 50’s. In the 60’s I
crew raced one-design sloops on San Francisco Bay. Racing International
Once Design #87 enabled me to develop a good base of knowledge and
interest in sailing. Since those formative years I have had
opportunities to enjoy cruising aboard a Concordia Yawl out of
Pandanaram and a Beneteau 44 out of Bridgeport as well as opportunities
to bay sail in San Diego and Vancouver, BC. During the 90’s I got
involved in teaching New York City kids how to sail at Pier #26 on
the Hudson River. Most recently I bought a
dry suit to enable my year round enjoyment of dinghy sailing.
Thanks to Manhattan Sailing Club I look forward to continuing
Sail Patrol and become qualified to crew on America II this season.
Hope to see you on the water. |
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5. Gregg
Streibig (since 2010)
As a kid my family always had a sailboat
on the Delaware River, in Philadelphia. We sailed on that body of
water, made many trips to the Chesapeake Bay, and a couple of times
up the coast to New York Harbor. I’ve always loved spending time on
or around the water. I fell out of
sailing for many years, but returned to it here in New York with the
Manhattan Sailing Club. To be on the water and under sail is a way
to get a little bit closer to nature, relax in the sun and wind, and
hone my own skills as a sailor. With the club it’s a real blast to
meet and spend time with people of similar mind and spirit.
The sail patrol
gives me a great incentive to keep my own sailing skills sharp, and
also provides me the privilege of helping out people who are new to
the sport.
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6. Patty Bryan
(since 2010)
I learned to swim not much after I learned to walk and have been drawn
to water ever since. I sailed many years ago on in Texas, crewing for a
bunch of crazy med school students who raced out of Galveston. It was
lots of fun but I didn't really learn to sail. I also taught a sailing
course at a college where I worked but admittedly I barely knew enough
to keep ahead of my students. I had always wanted to get back to
sailing and really learn to sail. In 2005, I took the refresher course
and then joined the club. I became a skipper two years later and now am
on the race committee and a Mentor as well. I try to sail as much as I
can because being out on the water is the best to be in this city.
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7.
Lori Ruderman
(since 2010)
I was fortunate to get my feet wet in sailing at an early age. At
eleven, I went to summer camp and discovered a love for swimming and
boating. I participated in a small boat certification program, in which
I learned, on a Sunfish, the fundamentals of sailing.
Several years passed, but I never lost my love for the water.
Seeing all the sailboats along the Hudson reignited my interest in
sailing. In 2000, I took the Basic Keelboat course with MSC, and
subsequently, I joined the club. I have continued to further my formal
sailing education with Coastal Cruising, Bareboat Chartering, and
Coastal Navigation courses, and I have put my technical sailing know-how
to the test by chartering in the BVIs and earning my Skipper privileges
with MSC. My recent participation in the
Sail Patrol program is a continuation of my growth as a sailor. I truly
enjoy sharing my passion and knowledge of sailing with others, and I
hope to make your sailing experience with me fun, educational and safe!
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9.
Evan Eustace (since 2010)
The first time I sailed at age 7, our boat capsized and I became
trapped under the upturned hull. I decided then that sailing wasn't
for me. However, in spite of this early experience I always felt
attracted to the sea. As a teen I went to stay with a family in
Brittany on the west coast of France. It was a small harbour town
and we would walk the docks every day and chat with the
ragged-looking cruisers on beautiful boats who'd just blown in from
the four corners of the earth. It became a dream of mine to follow
in their footsteps one day. Many
years later, in 2001, I signed up for basic sailing at MSC, and I
have been hooked ever since. I have sailed the NY & LI Sound area,
and had the great pleasure of skippering 3 bareboat charters in the
British Virgins Islands with friends and family. A couple of years
ago I bought a 33' cutter, and am preparing it for a cruise to the
Caribbean and hopefully beyond. From 2006-2009 I was a skipper at
MSC and still marvel at what a different perspective you get on New
York City from the deck of a J24 in the harbour. I'm looking forward
to having more good times out on the water this summer!
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