Staff Overview
Chris Jester
ASA Affiliate School Managing Director, ASA Sailing Instructor
Chris is the Managing Director for the Newport Beach Sailing School. He is also the Base Manager for SailTime Orange County and a sailboat dealer for Cruising Yacht Sales. Chris has an MBA from UC Irvine and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of San Diego. He grew up in Orange County and learned to sail as a teenager. He is married, with two children, and enjoys sailing with his family. You can contact Chris at Chris@NewportBeachSail.com
Roger Philips
US Coast Guard Captain and ASA Sailing Instructor
Captain Roger Philips earned the esteemed recognition of "Outstanding Instructor for 2008 & 2009" by the American Sailing Association.
Captain Roger Philips is a US Coast Guard Captain and ASA Sailing Instructor. He is also a former Vessel Assist rescue boat captain. For over thirty years, Captain Roger has been dedicated to the pursuit of sailing, while owning several sailboats. Roger has done extensive sailing in the Pacific Northwest, West Coast, and the East Coast, as well as in the Caribbean and Bermuda. He also teaches part time at Concordia University in Irvine, CA. He and his wife, Antoinette, enjoy sailing locally in Southern California and hosting flotillas in the San Juan Islands.
Mike Kohl
US Coast Guard Captain and ASA Sailing Instructor
Captain Mike Kohl is a US Coast Guard Captain and ASA Sailing Instructor. He earned the esteemed recognition of "Outstanding Instructor for 2010 by the American Sailing Association." Mike has logged thousands of hours on the water, cruising extensively throughout Southern California, the Panama Canal, and the Caribbean. He is also a former Sea Tow rescue boat captain as well as an experienced charter captain. Mike’s passion for and enjoyment of sailing is evident, as attested to by the hundreds of happy students he has taught.
Steve Woodruff
US Coast Guard Captain and ASA Sailing Instructor
Captain Steve is a US Coast Guard Captain and ASA Sailing Instructor. Steve has been involved in sailing for the past 30 years and enjoys sharing his passion for the sport with others. After selling his tax accounting practice, Steve purchased an Oyster Lightwave 48 and spent the better part of 5 years cruising the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the West Indies. In addition to the Oyster, Steve has owned several racing sailboats, including his most recent, a Harbor 20, aboard which we teach our ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Certification. Steve is a competitive racer and delights in teaching students the sport of sailboat racing.
David Carlson
US Coast Guard Captain and ASA Sailing Instructor
Captain David Carlson is a US Coast Guard Captain and ASA Sailing Instructor. He has taught sailing for the past 15 years. David has an extensive racing and cruising background. He has raced in multiple world championships and offshore races. He has also taught cruising through out the Northeast and the Caribbean. David has appeared on the Travel Channel and Northeast Programming to teach sailing. He continues to find immense joy in showing the ropes to new sailors. David relocated from Boston to Newport Beach in 2010 and we are thrilled to have him on our sailing team.