Program Director
Our Program Director oversees the daily sailing programs and manages the instructors. Our Senior Instructors typically have had prior coaching experience, some collegiate sailing experience, and have Level I US Sailing Certification or higher. In addition to our senior instructors, the program also has a number of Junior Instructors who assist Senior Instructors and fill in where applicable.
Doug Nebel This is my seventh 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 an Assistant Principal at the Joyce Middle School in Woburn. 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.
2009 Senior Instructors
Alex Arntsen (420 Race Coach) While this is my first summer coaching the 420 Race Team, it will be my fourth summer as an instructor at MSA. I started sailing here in Manchester when I was 8, and continued in the program on the MSA Opti and 420 teams. I was also Captain of the Manchester-Essex High School Sailing Team that I was part of for 6 seasons. As a skipper on that team, I won the Mass Bay High School Team Race Championship. I have just finished my Freshman year at the University of Vermont, where I am studying Ecological Design, Natural Resources and Political Science. I spend most of my free time in Vermont skiing and sailing. This past year I skippered for the Catamounts on both the women's' and the coed teams, and just completed my Level II US Sailing Certification. I am extremely excited to begin the season and looking forward to a fun and successful summer.
Jamie Altrueter (Opti Race Coach) I grew up in Marblehead learning to sail at Pleon YC, starting in Optis, moving up to 420s, and then Lasers. As a junior sailor I raced in all the major regattas in New England and the East Coast, and helped start the Pingree High School Sailing Team. After graduating as a student from Pleon, I stuck around for two years as a senior instructor teaching Optis, while still managing to sail a few Laser regattas on weekends. Now I'm a rising junior at Tufts University with a major in Computer Science, and also a member of the Tufts Sailing Team, competing in Larks, 420s and FJs. With summer quickly approaching I greatly look forward to my first year at MSA, as Head Opti Coach. I hope to see you all on the water!
Kristy Landsvik (Opti Green Coach) This is my second year being a senior instructor at MSA and my first as the Opti Green Race Team coach! I am currently a freshman at the University of Vermont where I am studying business. I love the school but I am looking forward to warmer weather! I am a member of the Vermont Sailing Team where we sail FJs and compete against top colleges. I traveled to several different regattas in the fall, mostly close to Boston. My knowledge in sailing began with the MSA program where I started in Mates and I ended up competing for several years on the Opti and 420 race teams and on the Manchester Essex Regional High School Sailing Team. I was a skipper on the MERHS team when we won the Mass High School Team Race Championship in 2008. Last summer, I had the opportunity to sail on a Norwegian Tall Ship for two weeks in a race from Norway to Denmark. While being on the three masted, 321 foot ship, I was expected to participate and act as a crew member. I completed various tasks including pulling ropes, buoy watch, fire watch, and climbing the rigging and bow sprit. This sailing experience was one I will never forget! Feel free to ask me questions about my trip, and how to get information on participating in the Tall Ships' Races! I am getting my US Sailing Level 2 (coaching) certification this year and look forward to coaching the beginning racers.
Billy McNamara (420 Green Coach) I am looking forward to my third summer as a Senior Instructor. I have spent every summer at MSA since I was a Sea Urchin eleven years ago. I spent two years racing Optis and six years racing 420s all over New England and beyond, usually as crew on the 420, but occasionally as skipper, and I race on my family's J24. I was 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. This year I finished my sophomore year at St. Lawrence University in NY where I am majoring in environmental studies. In my free time I do a lot of skiing, became certified in scuba diving, and tutor reading at the local elementary school. Both this year and last I worked at Crocker's Boatyard for a month between when college ended and MSA began, helping commission boats for the summer. I also just took my Level II coaching certification class, and now am looking forward to another summer on the water.
Matt Sweeney I am currently in my second year at Penn State University where I am studying Kinesiology with the hopes of becoming a personal trainer. Outside of school, I enjoy snowboarding, traveling, lifting weights, and of course any activity by the ocean. This upcoming summer will be my fourth year as an instructor at MSA and I am looking forward to my second summer teaching as a senior instructor. I started sailing when I was ten at Sandy Bay Yacht Club in Rockport, MA and immediately it became one of my greatest passions. After 5 years of lessons, I joined the MSA team as a Junior Instructor and started off my stay there with a great first summer. Teaching sailing is the favorite part of my summer and I am once again looking forward to sharing my love of sailing and having a great time with my students.
Mary Golden I grew up sailing at MSA, starting out in the learn-to -sail classes at the age of eight and working my way up to the Opti race team and then to the 420 race team. I also participated in the Manchester High School 420 race team for six years and was a Junior Instructor at MSA. While in High School I taught snowboarding in the children's ski school at Sunday River. I just finished my sophomore year at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where I race J24's in a weekly series.
Shannon Walker This is my first year as a senior instructor and my fourth working at MSA. I grew up sailing in the MSA program and spent eight summers on the race team, four in Optis and four in 420s. My family owns a Rhodes 19 that I sail on often. I graduated from Beverly High School this spring and will be attending Dickinson College in the fall. I look forward to another eventful summer at MSA.
2009 Junior Instructors
Monica Adler
Scott Barger
Addie Davis
Kyle Davis
Potter Hodgson
Nate Jermain
Annalee Leggett
Michaela Rosmarin
Nicole Rosmarin
