Testimonials

Thanks for all you did to make our time with Newport Beach Sailing School so memorable and enjoyable for our family. You will definitely see us again, and we will be delighted to recommend your school to the ASA and to any potential clients you wish to refer to us. Please feel free to share our contact information as often as you wish. We had a terrific time during the entire 7-day sailing school. We were very impressed with the professionalism of all of your staff, the quick responses to our initial inquiries and questions following our sign-up, the quality of the materials you sent our way and the recommendations for what to bring and how to prepare for our trip. The instruction was excellent and the mooring ideal, so that we could enjoy all the best of the sailing experience with easy access to anything we needed in Newport Beach. We would tell any prospective student about your excellent facilities, equipment and class organization, very competent and effective instructors, and how you were able to teach us a great deal while at the same time making us aware that we have to be able to think through different sailing situations and conditions. Your school placed a clear emphasis on planning, preparation and safety. We will give the ASA the highest possible recommendation for your school.
As for Captain Roger, he was very cordial and professional. We enjoyed an excellent introduction to the boat and the check-in procedures and daily maintenance, and maneuverability of the boat in tight spaces and mooring. He taught us how to maneuver safely and effectively in busy weekend harbor traffic.
Captain Mike was also easy-going and very professional, with a gift for teaching and explaining so that we could work together as a team and really understand and learn our sailing skills. He has the breadth and depth of experience to also convey a contagious love of sailing. He was a good listener, responsive to our family’s needs and goals, and was a discreet and easy presence onboard for the Catalina trip. It’s not necessarily easy to sail in close quarters with a teenager new to sailing but Mike handled it with grace and humor. We could not have wished for a better captain for our family’s trip. We will highly recommend him to our friends and any of your clients." Pierre & Theresa V.- Washington DC

“Chris, Captain Steve's obvious passion for sailing made for a very enjoyable morning. I appreciated his very quickly putting the tiller into my son's hands, and putting him through his paces. The weather was terrific as well, which made for a very nice day.” Mark M. - Utah

“Captain David is a really nice guy who was gentle with us and very informative. Got Sue and me to work together! I recommend him.” Don H. – Prescott Valley, AZ

"Capt Mike, by the way, was great. He is really knowledgeable in a sort of street-savvy way and committed to teaching throughout the experience. He has a laid-back, organic style, but he takes it much more seriously than one might expect from his surface-level persona. I'm really thankful to have been able to learn from him, and I think you should consider him a great asset for your team. Actually, it has been really good to be able to learn from Gordon, Roger and Mike, all of whom have different styles and approaches." Mike & Angie H.- Huntington Beach, CA

“Roger- I wanted to thank you for the lesson this past Saturday. You clearly exceeded our expectations. I greatly appreciated you going over issues specific to my boat that I needed to be aware of, such as short-lived water impellers. Your approach to various issues was well received, and you truly got Lisa fired up and wanting to go practice the maneuvers. The highlight of the lesson was getting the Gennaker flying. We will be practicing that a lot! We intend to make an exhaustive list of our needs, focusing on the safety items. We intend to go out a few times and practice all that you went over and then look for a good weekend for the next lesson. Again, thank you very much. I learned a lot more than I expected to, and you got me thinking in a different light about how to handle various issues and tragedies.” Bob M. – Newport Beach, CA

“The lesson was terrific. Captain Steve started with a detailed run through on the engine and other key elements of safety and operation. We then had a great session on maneuvering and anchoring. He gave me detailed instructions on going in reverse and how the boat functions in close quarters. Thanks for your help.” Eric H. – Sacramento, CA

”Captain David was a great host and very fun and instructive for my family. We all had a great time. The sailboat was the perfect size--big enough for comfort and a sense of the possibilities sailing has to offer, but manageable. Both girls enjoyed a long time at the tiller. All in all a great time! Thanks very much, and regards.” Frank P. – Alaska

“Have had two certification classes with Mike and find him to be personable, professional, safe, and an effective instructor. As far as instructors of sailing, he ranks at the top. He was able to transition between different levels of skill in the class and address all concerns and questions. Mike is good with children as well as adults and made us all laugh.” Anne B. – Huntington Beach, CA

“Hi Chris and Roger, I want to thank you again for a wonderful first-time school experience. From the first day forward, we felt like we were in the hands of a top-level sailing school and a brilliant instructor. It was an intense three days, and a bit overwhelming for me, but I've ‘ caught the bug’ and there's no turning back.” Constance F. – Calgary, Canada

“Class was great! Steve was a fantastic instructor and I would like to continue with him if possible. Thanks!” Casey H. – Corona, CA

“Thank you very much for this great vacation experience! This was both an interesting (ASA and sailing skills) and recreational (great boat, beautiful area) week. Also Captain David is a great captain and fun company to be with.” Gregor S. - Luxembourg

"We got our ASA 101 and 103 Certifications as part of the 5-day Learn to Sail Vacation. The staff at the Newport Beach Sailing School was friendly and helpful and Captain Mike Kohl was very knowledgeable, a great teacher, and tons of fun." Dan D. & Audrey M. - San Diego, CA

“The entire experience was great. We enjoyed it and Roger is an excellent and very patient instructor- especially with non- A merican natives!” Nicolas Z. – Corona del Mar, CA and France.

“Connie and I wanted to say thanks for the course. We very much appreciated the great instruction and the first rate manner in which you run your operation.” Jeff E. – Calgary, Canada

“Both the boat and our instructor exceeded our expectations. It was very fun and we learned a lot.” Jeff R. – Kansas City, MO

“Mike was outstanding and we can’t say enough positive things about his help, assistance and helpfulness. He made for a truly wonderful experience and can play ‘ Apples to Apples’ fairly well, although he is no longer undefeated. Our family really enjoyed his calmness and easy going agenda which made for a great family experience.” Ken T. – Scottsdale, AZ

“I had a pretty good afternoon of sailing yesterday on the boat Adrenaline. Captain Steve was a good teacher. He gave very clear and understandable instructions, and did a good job quickly figuring out what I already knew, so that we could move forward rapidly from there. It was a pretty good example of the individualized instruction I had thought had been lacking from my sailing so far, and I was very pleased with his teaching. (Of course the boat was very nice as well.) I look forward to the rest of the sessions in this course, and I should think some more courses with your school as well.” Mike C. – Newport Beach, CA

“Chris, As I attempted to convey to you in person, I want to thank you very much for helping my son Alex and me have such a spectacular experience a couple of weekends ago as we took the ASA 106 course through the Newport Beach Sailing School. The trip was arranged on short notice and you displayed remarkable flexibility in working with us to lock in our plans. Going into the weekend, you told me that Captain Mike Kohl would be ideal for us and I wholeheartedly agree. He was able to assess our past sailing experience and adapt to our needs in order to deliver a successful and beneficial learning encounter. His maritime knowledge and winning personality allowed us to have the trip of a lifetime. Thanks also for the hospitality displayed as we were met at and delivered to the Orange County Airport. We have now had two very positive experiences with the Newport Beach Sailing School and we look forward to many more. Until the next time!” Steve M. – St. Louis, MO

“106 was an excellent experience.” Charlie P. – Corona del Mar, CA

“Both the boat and our instructor exceeded our expectations. It was very fun and we learned a lot.” Jeff R. – Kansas City, MO

“Just wanted to report that our first ASA 103 lesson with Captain Mike went very well. And want to reiterate that Mike is a great instructor. Aside from learning about the pre-sailing ritual and the boat characteristics, we practiced tacking and jibing, anchoring maneuvers and most importantly docking; we practiced docking a lot until he was sure we were comfortable with docking.
Next time, it’s going to be up to us to leave and approach the dock on our own, and I'm confident now that we can do it.” Andy D. – Riverside, CA

“The water instruction was great – we had 3 very pleasant sessions. Gave me the necessary confidence, and I at last mastered the mysteries of a bowline knot.” Iain C. – Orange County, CA