INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF

Our Program Director supervises the entire program and hires the Instructional Staff. We like to hire Senior Instructors who have had experience coaching at the junior or senior level, have had some collegiate sailing experience and have at least the Level I US Sailing Certification. In addition to the Senior Instructors, we also hire a number of Junior Instructors to assistant the Senior Instructors.

2008 SENIOR INSTRUCTORS

Doug Nebel
This is my fifth year as Director of MSA. Originally from New Jersey, I grew up sailing Duckboats (basically a twelve-foot Sneakbox) and Lasers on the ultra-competitive Barnegat Bay. I graduated from the University of Vermont in 1991 with an Economics degree. After many years of sales and marketing, I went back to school at Lesley University to earn my Masters in education and, most recently, my Principal certification. Working as a teacher opened up the summers and, after directing the Bay Head Yacht Club's sailing program in 2000 and 2001, I landed at MSA in the summer of 2002. I am currently a 7th grade Science teacher in Stoneham, but am looking forward to a position as a middle school principal in the near future. MSA has been a great place to work and sail, 10-foot tides notwithstanding, and I feel that we are off to our best season yet.

Kristy Landsvik
This is my fourth year being an instructor at MSA, but it is my first summer being a senior instructor. I have grown up through the MSA program starting with Mates when I was eight years old and went on to race Optis and 420s. I was awarded Top Crew on the 420 team for the past two years. I have also been a part of the Manchester Essex High School sailing team since 7th grade and was a Captain this year. So far we have had a pretty good season beating teams such as Marblehead, Falmouth, and Sandwich, and winning the Mass Bay Team Racing Championships. I am currently a senior in high school and I am going to the University of Vermont next year to study business. I look forward to a great summer at MSA!

Alex Arntsen
Although this is my first year as a senior instructor at MSA, I have been part of the program for nearly 10 years now. Rising in the ranks from Mates to the Opti and then 420 race teams, I have fallen in love with sailing and can't seem to get enough. Last summer was my 5th summer on the 420 race team, and I received the Top Skipper award. I just recently completed my 6th high school sailing season with a first place finish at the Mass Bay League Team Racing Championship on the Charles River. I've been all around New England for junior sailing as well as various high school events, and next year I will be heading up to Burlington to attend the University of Vermont where I will be skiing, studying environmental science, and sailing for the Catamounts. I can't wait to return to Tuck's Point to begin what will be a great summer of sailing.

Chris Vetter
I am very excited to be joining the MSA staff this summer as the 420 coach. I am from St. Petersburg, Florida, and have just completed my sophomore year at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA, where I recently changed my major from computer science to psychology .I have been sailing competitively for eight years and am currently captain of the USC sailing team, which recently won the Pacific Coast Championships and is headed to Team Race Nationals for the second year in a row. In Optimists, I was a member of the US National Team and North American Team, and captain of my high school team. I also sailed for the St. Petersburg Yacht Club Junior Sailing Team in Lasers and Club 420's and instructed in Optimists, Lasers and 420's. I have skippered and crewed in a variety of other boats including 29ers, 49ers, Flying Scots, Lightnings, Sonars, Martin 243s, J-24s and many more. In addition to sailing I like snow sports, computers and film and graphic design. I am also an Eagle Scout.

Alex Felton
I am very excited that I will be returning to MSA this summer after am finishing my junior year at Roger Williams University. I am majoring in Marine Biology. I am also on the Roger Williams Rugby team. I grew up sailing at MSA, starting as a Mate, and also crewing on my family's Rhodes 19. I have worked as a sailing instructor for the past five summers, at both Manchester Sailing Association and Annisquam Yacht Club. I have also completed level 1 and 2 sailing certifications.

Billy McNamara
I am looking forward to my second summer as a Senior Instructor. I have spent every summer at MSA since I was a Sea Urchin ten years ago. I spent two years racing Optis and six years racing 420s all over New England and beyond, usually as crew, but occasionally as skipper, and I crew on my family's J24. I have been a Junior Instructor for two summers and when I was a Senior in High School, I did a year-long senior service project as an assistant gym teacher. I am finishing my freshman year at St. Lawrence University in NY and looking forward to some Massachusetts sunshine.