Coaches

The Annapolis Yacht Club maintains a staff of professional sailing instructors. Each instructor employed by the club is certified by the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing) for either level 1, or level 2 dinghy instruction.  Level 1 instructors are taught techniques for teaching basic sailing including safety boat operation, instructional sailing drills and lecture topics. Level 2 instructors are taught similar skills but with an emphasis on racing. In order to be eligible for certification by US Sailing, instructor candidates must be certified by the American Red Cross in first aid and CPR. As an added measure of safety most of our instructors also have Red Cross Lifeguard Certificates.Coaching Staff

Waterfront Director Jay Kehoe

Jay Kehoe comes to the Annapolis Yacht Club after seven years as head coach of Stanford University’s varsity sailing team. At Stanford, he had over 20 Intercollegiate Sailing Association national championship appearances, secured one singlehanded men’s national title and produced 14 All Americans.

Jay’s sailing career began in Perth Amboy, N.J. He sailed Prams, Blue Jays and Lasers at the age of eight. Kehoe raced all classes of boats all over the east coast throughout his youth.

Jay began his coaching career during his four years in the U.S. Coast Guard, he was transferred to the Coast Guard Academy where he served as both a dinghy and keelboat program coach. After USCGA, He worked for North Sails, eventually settling in Florida where his coaching skills landed him the head coach position at St. Petersburg Yacht Club. While heading up the St. Pete program, Jay’s sailors took numerous national titles, from high school sailing to Opti, 420 and Laser II champs.

Since 1992, Jay has been selected as head coach for over 15 international Optimist events; coaching the U.S. teams to podium finishes at events across the globe. He has also coached the U.S. team to podium finishes at two Radial World Championships. In 2007, Jay coached Bermuda at the Pan Am Games.

From Florida to Rhode Island, Jay took over as Educational Program Director for Sunfish Laser, managing a staff of top-notch coaches who traveled the U.S. supporting youth events. His marketing plan brought Lasers Lange Opti from fourth to first in national market share.  His coaching experience led him to found and lead the coaching company Race One in 1996, where he led coaching clinics around the nation for two years.

In 1997, Jay shelved Race One to take over as head coach at Yale, where in three years he built their club program into an Ivy League champion. He spent one year at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 2000-2001.

Jay has a broad base of knowledge in the world’s most competitive sailing classes. He has numerous top finishes on his coaching resume, including two world championships; 2004 505 Worlds, and 2005 29er Worlds. He has also guided sailors to top finishes in the Melges 24 Worlds, and Etchells Circuit.

As a sailor, he placed fourth in the 1988 Olympic trials, since then Jay has coached numerous Olympic contenders to top finishes in the Yngling Worlds, 470 Australian Nationals, and Star Worlds.

Jay also co-wrote The Winners Guide to Optimist Sailing with Gary Jobson, "a comprehensive guide for kids learning to sail and race Optis," according to Sailing World. He currently serves on numerous ICSA Committees and the Board of Directors of USODA.

Harry Legum - Annapolis Sailing Fitness

About Harry Legum and Annapolis Sailing Fitness