Sailing Instructors
Sailing Program Director
Jody Sterling (she/her)
Jody has sailed since she was six years old, first on Long Island Sound, racing on a variety of centerboard and keel boats throughout her childhood. She taught sailing in high school and college. Moving to the Hudson Valley in her twenties introduced her to the beautiful Hudson River. Jody retired from a career as an English professor in 2017. She tries to make at least one long sailing trip each year, sailing the length of the Hudson from Kingston to New York Harbor and out East on Long Island Sound to various destinations, including Block Island and beyond. Jody is a US Sailing Certified Small Boat Level One Instructor, a US Sailing Certified Basic Keelboat Instructor, and a US Sailing Keelboat Performance Sailing Instructor. She also holds a US Coast Guard Captain's 25 Ton Masters License.
Jody Sterling (she/her)
Jody has sailed since she was six years old, first on Long Island Sound, racing on a variety of centerboard and keel boats throughout her childhood. She taught sailing in high school and college. Moving to the Hudson Valley in her twenties introduced her to the beautiful Hudson River. Jody retired from a career as an English professor in 2017. She tries to make at least one long sailing trip each year, sailing the length of the Hudson from Kingston to New York Harbor and out East on Long Island Sound to various destinations, including Block Island and beyond. Jody is a US Sailing Certified Small Boat Level One Instructor, a US Sailing Certified Basic Keelboat Instructor, and a US Sailing Keelboat Performance Sailing Instructor. She also holds a US Coast Guard Captain's 25 Ton Masters License.
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Assistant Sailing Program Director
Jeremy Moore (he/him) Jeremy is a licensed US Coast Guard Master Captain, US Sailing Certified Keelboat, Performance Sailing and Small Boat Instructor and Race Officer and passionate sailor. After a 30+ year career as an opera singer, he has changed gears and now focuses his time on his family and sailing. Jeremy began teaching as a teenager in Colorado, as a certified ski instructor and then the director of a children’s ski school. He and his wife moved to the Hudson Valley in 2005 and grew into accomplished sailors right here on the river. Jeremy served as the Fleet Captain and Director of Sailing Education for Chelsea Yacht Club, and most recently held the position of Sailing Director for the Block Island Club. With their boat, Persistence, Jeremy, his wife, Heather, and son, Damien, have won multiple overall titles in the Hudson River series and in regattas on Block Island. Jeremy and his family also continue to cruise, having sailed as far northeast as Castine, ME from their home on the Hudson River. A lifelong believer in outdoor education, Jeremy has a passion for connecting people to new experiences and wider horizons. |
M.J. Reiss (she/her)
M.J. grew up racing and coaching one-design racing on dinghies on Long Island Sound and learned how to race with a whisper of a breeze and strong currents. She then moved on to leading Outward Bound Courses in all sorts of weather, (standard 25 knots) at Hurricane Island Outward Bound off of Rockland Maine and in the Florida Keys as Course Director. Being a retired Earth Science teacher from Kingston High School fits in nicely with her experience on the water.
MJ is a US Sailing Certified Basic Keelboat Instructor, a US Sailing Performance Keelboat Instructor, and she holds a USCG Masters 25 ton Sailing License & Towing Assistance for Inland Waters. MJ has taught at our sailing school since 2017, and she is a valuable member of the team!
M.J. grew up racing and coaching one-design racing on dinghies on Long Island Sound and learned how to race with a whisper of a breeze and strong currents. She then moved on to leading Outward Bound Courses in all sorts of weather, (standard 25 knots) at Hurricane Island Outward Bound off of Rockland Maine and in the Florida Keys as Course Director. Being a retired Earth Science teacher from Kingston High School fits in nicely with her experience on the water.
MJ is a US Sailing Certified Basic Keelboat Instructor, a US Sailing Performance Keelboat Instructor, and she holds a USCG Masters 25 ton Sailing License & Towing Assistance for Inland Waters. MJ has taught at our sailing school since 2017, and she is a valuable member of the team!
Jon Hansen (he, him)
Jon learned to sail on the Hudson as a child and grew up living on a sailboat and cruising the East coast and West Indies. He has a USCG master 50 tons near coastal licensed with sailing endorsement. He is a US Sailing certified basic Keelboat instructor and a US Sailing Keelboat Performance Sailing Instructor. Jon has worked for many years running charters and youth sailing programs on the Hudson. Jon is a classic jack of all trades who loves to share a passion for sailing and the river.
Jon taught youth and adults at our school in 2023 and 2024. Jon is also our skilled Fleet Captain, in charge of maintaining all our sailboats.
Jon learned to sail on the Hudson as a child and grew up living on a sailboat and cruising the East coast and West Indies. He has a USCG master 50 tons near coastal licensed with sailing endorsement. He is a US Sailing certified basic Keelboat instructor and a US Sailing Keelboat Performance Sailing Instructor. Jon has worked for many years running charters and youth sailing programs on the Hudson. Jon is a classic jack of all trades who loves to share a passion for sailing and the river.
Jon taught youth and adults at our school in 2023 and 2024. Jon is also our skilled Fleet Captain, in charge of maintaining all our sailboats.
Max Smith (he/him)
Max learned to sail in a scout summer camp program when he was a teenager. He found every excuse he could to get out on the water and sail the camp Sunfish. He rediscovered his passion for sailing with the Beacon Sloop Club in 2017, helping to sail the 31’ gaff-rigged WOODY GUTHRIE. During the pandemic, he built a 15 foot plywood and epoxy Goat Island Skiff, which has become his main sailing boat. With this skiff, he has explored the Hudson river from Coldspring to Kingston, and occasionally trailered it to the Connecticut River, the Norwalk Islands, and Mystic, Connecticut. Through building, rigging, and sailing his own small boat, Max has gained a keen sense of the effects of wind, current, and weather conditions in a variety of situations. He completed his US Sailing Basic Keelboat Instructor certification in 2024.
Max learned to sail in a scout summer camp program when he was a teenager. He found every excuse he could to get out on the water and sail the camp Sunfish. He rediscovered his passion for sailing with the Beacon Sloop Club in 2017, helping to sail the 31’ gaff-rigged WOODY GUTHRIE. During the pandemic, he built a 15 foot plywood and epoxy Goat Island Skiff, which has become his main sailing boat. With this skiff, he has explored the Hudson river from Coldspring to Kingston, and occasionally trailered it to the Connecticut River, the Norwalk Islands, and Mystic, Connecticut. Through building, rigging, and sailing his own small boat, Max has gained a keen sense of the effects of wind, current, and weather conditions in a variety of situations. He completed his US Sailing Basic Keelboat Instructor certification in 2024.
Tom Macom (he/him)
Tommy Macom first learned his love of sailing on Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans. Leaving the sweaty city summers and getting into a fresh breeze on the water was exhilarating. Several years later he crewed on the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and fell in love with his Hudson River home waters. After a few years with the sloop and a brief stint sailing a schooner in Maine, he decided to buy his own liveaboard sailboat and delve into the intimate particulars of full time boat life on the Rondout. Tommy holds a 100 Ton USCG Masters credential with sail endorsement and a US Sailing Basic Keelboat Instructor certification. He captains the museum's solar vessel Solaris, the Hudson Ferry Company's ferryboat Haendel, and crews on the cargo schooner Apollonia. He is also a consultant captain for Riverkeeper. Mostly, though, he's happiest sailing his own little boat and introducing new folks to the river and the joys of living by the tide and the wind.
Tommy Macom first learned his love of sailing on Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans. Leaving the sweaty city summers and getting into a fresh breeze on the water was exhilarating. Several years later he crewed on the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and fell in love with his Hudson River home waters. After a few years with the sloop and a brief stint sailing a schooner in Maine, he decided to buy his own liveaboard sailboat and delve into the intimate particulars of full time boat life on the Rondout. Tommy holds a 100 Ton USCG Masters credential with sail endorsement and a US Sailing Basic Keelboat Instructor certification. He captains the museum's solar vessel Solaris, the Hudson Ferry Company's ferryboat Haendel, and crews on the cargo schooner Apollonia. He is also a consultant captain for Riverkeeper. Mostly, though, he's happiest sailing his own little boat and introducing new folks to the river and the joys of living by the tide and the wind.
Christina Cerroni (she/her)
Christina grew up on Long Island Sound but did not start sailing until adulthood. The spark to sail was ignited by watching races in New York Harbor. After taking an introduction to sailing class, she couldn't stay away, navigating under sail as often as she could. She learned to sail on J24s and has been a crew member of the 12 Meter America II 42 and 46.
Moving upstate, Christina became a US Sailing Certified Basic Keelboat Instructor in 2024. She is excited to share her love of sailing with others and hopes more people discover the magic of sailing.
Christina grew up on Long Island Sound but did not start sailing until adulthood. The spark to sail was ignited by watching races in New York Harbor. After taking an introduction to sailing class, she couldn't stay away, navigating under sail as often as she could. She learned to sail on J24s and has been a crew member of the 12 Meter America II 42 and 46.
Moving upstate, Christina became a US Sailing Certified Basic Keelboat Instructor in 2024. She is excited to share her love of sailing with others and hopes more people discover the magic of sailing.
Gray Lobell (he/him)
Gray is from New Paltz, NY and graduated from New Paltz High School. He sailed for six years with the HRMM and moved up to being a student mentor in 2021 before joining the staff as an assistant instructor in 2022.
He earned a US Sailing Small Boat Level One Assistant Instructor certificate in 2022, has taught with our youth sailing program since then. Gray earned his US Sailing Basic Keelboat Instructor certification in 2024.
Gray is from New Paltz, NY and graduated from New Paltz High School. He sailed for six years with the HRMM and moved up to being a student mentor in 2021 before joining the staff as an assistant instructor in 2022.
He earned a US Sailing Small Boat Level One Assistant Instructor certificate in 2022, has taught with our youth sailing program since then. Gray earned his US Sailing Basic Keelboat Instructor certification in 2024.
Ethan Bates (he/him)
Ethan has participated with The Sailing School at HRMM since 2017, he was raised on the water. and he has lots of experience with a variety of boats. Ethan was a mentor with our program in 2021 and 2022, and he earned his US Sailing Small Boat Level One Assistant Instructor Certificate in 2023.
Ethan has taught with our school since 2023.
Ethan has participated with The Sailing School at HRMM since 2017, he was raised on the water. and he has lots of experience with a variety of boats. Ethan was a mentor with our program in 2021 and 2022, and he earned his US Sailing Small Boat Level One Assistant Instructor Certificate in 2023.
Ethan has taught with our school since 2023.
Henry Shannon (he/him)
Henry started sailing in 2017 with the HRMM, and is happy to be an instructor here too. He graduated from Kingston High School, where he was on the swim team, rowing team and in the band.
Henry earned his US Sailing Small Boat Level One Assistant Instructor Certificate in 2023. He has taught with our school since 2023.
Henry started sailing in 2017 with the HRMM, and is happy to be an instructor here too. He graduated from Kingston High School, where he was on the swim team, rowing team and in the band.
Henry earned his US Sailing Small Boat Level One Assistant Instructor Certificate in 2023. He has taught with our school since 2023.
Isabel Czech (she/her)
Isabel Czech is from Salt Point, New York. She has been sailing for years on a variety of small centerboard boats and keel boats. She sailed with our youth program as a student for seven years.
Isabel earned the US Sailing Level One Small Boat Assistant Instructor certification in 2022 and taught for us in that year. Currently, Isabel is working on her EMT certification.
Isabel was an assistant instructor at the Riverport Women's Sailing Conference in March, 2024. She has been an assistant instructor in the Youth Sailing Program since 2022.
Isabel Czech is from Salt Point, New York. She has been sailing for years on a variety of small centerboard boats and keel boats. She sailed with our youth program as a student for seven years.
Isabel earned the US Sailing Level One Small Boat Assistant Instructor certification in 2022 and taught for us in that year. Currently, Isabel is working on her EMT certification.
Isabel was an assistant instructor at the Riverport Women's Sailing Conference in March, 2024. She has been an assistant instructor in the Youth Sailing Program since 2022.
Sam Yaffe (she/her)
Sam recently graduated from Hunter College High School. She learned to sail with the HRMM Sailing School, and has been part of the program for several years. She was a Youth Sailing Program mentor in 2022 and 2023, and she earned her US Sailing Small Boat Level One Assistant Instructor Certificate for the 2024 season.
Sam recently graduated from Hunter College High School. She learned to sail with the HRMM Sailing School, and has been part of the program for several years. She was a Youth Sailing Program mentor in 2022 and 2023, and she earned her US Sailing Small Boat Level One Assistant Instructor Certificate for the 2024 season.
Lia Huszti (she/her)
Lia is from New York City, and attended Laguardia High School. Lia learned to sail at our Sailing School over six seasons. She was a sailing school student mentor in 2023.
Lia recently earned her US Sailing Small Boat Level One Assistant Instructor Certificate, and she has taught with us since 2024.
Lia is from New York City, and attended Laguardia High School. Lia learned to sail at our Sailing School over six seasons. She was a sailing school student mentor in 2023.
Lia recently earned her US Sailing Small Boat Level One Assistant Instructor Certificate, and she has taught with us since 2024.