Meet the 2026 US Sailing Coach Award Winners

The American Yacht Club frostbiting program runs more than 30 sailors every weekend and the Learn to Laser sessions average over a dozen daily participants, requiring coordinated safety boats, ramp staging, and volunteer shifts to keep launch windows and tow logistics running smoothly.

Award Winners and Roles

Volunteer Coach: Giff Constable — American Yacht Club

Giff Constable’s work at American Yacht Club is a case study in club-level operations: scheduling shore crews, managing safety-boat rosters, and modernizing communications through newsletter and website updates so sailors know launch times, weather windows, and tow-back procedures. He sails regularly with the Orange Fleet (the Learn to Laser group), pairing hands-on demonstrations with on-the-ramp assistance and post-session video analysis to fast-track learning.

Impact and practical measures

• Expanded adult sailing offerings and frostbiting participation to 30+ regulars.
• Introduced video debriefs that reduce on-water time wasted during drills.
• Serves on the Board of Trustees and as Laser Fleet Captain, aligning governance with daily training needs.

Constable’s approach shows how volunteer coaching can directly affect scheduling and resource allocation at smaller clubs, which in turn influences local marina usage and the demand for training charters or rental boats during peak weekends.

National Coach: Erik Bowers — Elite Development

Erik Bowers brings Olympic-level logistics and a disciplined methodology to national singlehanded programs. Having campaigned through two Olympic quads in the Laser fleet, Bowers applies a reproducible starting methodology that improves race-day predictability for sailors and crews alike.

Notable results

• Coached Mateo Coates to a 2025 international gold, the first U.S. ILCA 6 podium-top in over two decades.
• Worked with athletes who represented the U.S. at Youth World Championships: Chapman Petersen, Peter Barnard, Katheryn Doble, Jake Homberger, and Mateo Coates.
• Coached Olympian Erika Reineke at the 2024 Olympic Games in Marseille.

Bowers’ routines emphasize precision and repeatability, which helps national programs plan travel logistics, equipment transport, and regatta timetables more efficiently — useful lessons for charter companies and sailing schools that rotate boats between destinations.

Development Coach: Jeff Bonanni — 73 Sailing

Jeff Bonanni founded 73 Sailing and the Raritan Bay High School Sailing Foundation with an operational mindset: annual training calendars, stage-appropriate objectives, and integrated coaching staffs that include Olympic medalists and collegiate standouts. His program’s emphasis on structure makes regatta transport, team housing, and equipment packing less chaotic and more scalable.

Program achievements

• Consistent top finishes: 10–12 of the top 15 spots at major C420 regattas over five years.
• 23 sailors won major events in 2025, including C420 and ILCA 6 national and regional championships.
• Built a pipeline that develops youth athletes into future coaches.

Bonanni’s model demonstrates how a development pathway can align coaching, travel, and asset management — lessons that can transfer to charter fleets managing youth camps or coaching clinics aboard rented vessels.

Why these awards matter to the wider sailing and rental community

Award-recognized coaches aren’t just about trophies; they shape how clubs schedule race days, allocate safety resources, and even influence the demand for charter boats and training rentals. When a club runs consistent weekend programs and grows participation, nearby marinas, charter operators, and boat rental platforms see ripple effects: increased berth bookings, demand for instructor-led charters, and larger fleets needed during peak seasons.

Practical takeaways for marinas and charter operators

• Coordinate with clubs hosting development programs to offer tailored mid-week charters for coaching sessions.
• Offer video-capable support boats for debriefs and on-water filming—valuable to modern coaching techniques.
• Plan staffing and ramp access for surge weekends; frostbiting and junior regattas drive local logistics.

Nominations for the 2026 Coach of the Year Awards remain open through December 1, 2026; clubs and members are encouraged to nominate outstanding coaches in volunteer, developmental, and national categories.

In short: Giff Constable’s hands-on, tech-forward coaching has strengthened club-level participation; Erik Bowers’ elite methods have driven podium success and refined race logistics; Jeff Bonanni’s structured development pipeline yields repeatable regatta results. Together, these leaders influence not only youth and elite performance but also the operational demands on marinas, charter fleets, and boat rental markets—bridging the gap between coaching excellence and practical boating logistics. Whether you’re booking a yacht charter, renting a training boat, or looking for captain-led activities at your local marina, these coaching models affect destinations, marinas, and on-water experiences across lakes, gulfs, and the open ocean—yacht to C420, superyacht to Sunseeker-style charters, it’s all connected to the health of the sport and the boating economy.