Our Staff
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Valerie Robichaud Head Instructor |
I am a CANSail 5&6 instructor from Shediac, NB. I have been coaching sailing for five summers. I competed in 29er sailboat at the 2013 Canada Summer Games and for the passed two summers I raced on a J29 every Wednesday night in Shediac. I am currently in third year at the University of Ottawa, where I race 420’s on the University sailing team! I love being on the water and am very excited for this summer! |
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Emma Smith LTS Administrator |
I am excited to be back with the NSC team as the school administrator for a third year! Prior to working with the NSC team, I spent a few summers taking my beginner sailing levels at a young age, and completing all of my Windsurf Levels as a teenager. During the winters, I spent several years competing and coaching as a rhythmic gymnast, and I am now going into my third year of University. I have always had a love for being out on the water, and can’t wait to be surrounded once again by people who share the same passion! |
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Paul Place Single Handed Race Coach |
I have been teaching sailing for the last 6 summers at the Gatineau River Yacht Club where I was the Head Instructor and Race Coach. As a member of the GRYC and Aylmer race teams, I raced for several years in Lasers and 420’s at national and provincial events. Recently, I have been racing on the Canadian Intercollegiate Sailing Circuit as a member of the University of Ottawa Sailing Team. For the last two years, I have been working for the Quebec Sailing Federation as a Learning Facilitator teaching instructor courses. I am now the proud new owner of a 505 double handed dinghy and look forward to sailing it on Wednesday evenings this summer at NSC. I am thrilled to be joining the instructor team at NSC and look forward to coaching the Race Team this summer on the Ottawa River and beyond! |
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Camden Sutherland Double-Handed Race Coach |
This will be my third summer teaching on the Ottawa River out of the Nepean Sailing Club. I’ve been sailing at Nepean for nine years, starting at this Sailing School when I was 11 years old. I was a member of Nepean’s Youth High Performance Race Team for three and a half years, competing in both CORK Youth Nationals and various regattas across Ontario and Quebec. I’m currently a second year student at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick which sadly does not have a sailing team, so I’m super excited to get back out on the water! |
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Spencer Klymyshyn
CANSail 3/4 Instructor |
I started in the learn to sail program at the Nepean Sailing Club when I was eight years old. I sailed every summer with the club and joined the Youth Race Team when I was 14, first helming a C420 and then sailing a Laser Radial. Throughout my years on the race team I developed my skills by competing at many regattas in Ontario and Quebec including CORK. I’m currently a student at McGill University studying piano performance in the Faculty of Music. This summer, I’m excited become part of the coaching staff at NSC as a CANSail 3/4 instructor. My summers at the club have been the best times of my life and I can’t wait to be back at the school sharing my love of sailing! |
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David Schramm CANSail 3/4 Instructor |
I’m very excited to start my first year of instructing at Nepean Sailing Club! I started sailing at NSC nine years ago, and have enjoyed coming back here every summer since. For the past four years, I raced Laser Radial with the NSC Race Team, and competed in events across Canada—from CORK Laser Canadian Championships in Kingston to Youth Nationals in St. Margaret’s Bay, Nova Scotia. In the off-season, I study Biochemistry at Oxford University, and enjoy alpine skiing, cycling, and playing piano. I can’t wait to be a part of this year’s instructor team and to get out on the water this summer!
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Ellena Damini CANSail 2 Instructor |
This is my first summer instructing CANSail 2! I inherited my passion for sailing from my grandfather, who raced dinghies and encouraged me to take up the sport. At NSC, I’ve worked as an IIT, as well as raced on the youth race team. Recently, I’ve taken up the 29er sailboat which I hope to race this summer. As well, I did competitive synchronized swimming for 6 years, where I also coached. I love the water and I can’t wait to get out on it this summer! |
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Nic Dolcetti-Koros CANSail 2 Instructor |
This will be my fourth summer returning to the Nepean Sailing Club and my first summer teaching CANSail 2! I couldn’t be more excited. This past year I’ve been traveling the globe, from Australia to Europe. It has been the adventure of a lifetime and I look forward to sharing some worldly knowledge with my future sailors. In the fall, I’ll be going to Toronto to study Culinary Arts of George Brown College. I can’t wait to see everyone on the water this summer! |
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David Mincoff Adventure Sail Instructor
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I started sailing five years ago at Nepean sailing Club and loved it from the beginning. I started working as an After Sail facilitator at NSC three summers ago and last year I was the Get Up to Speed Instructor. Before that I was on the race team at NSC and learned a great deal and really enjoyed it. I am very excited to be a part of the instructor team and I am looking forward to being out on the water this summer. |
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Cameron Macdonald Get Up To Speed Instructor
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This is my second year instructing at the sailing school, but I have been at Nepean for years as a part of the race team and as a graduate of the sailing program. I have competed several times at the Fruit Bowl Regatta in Hudson and I am excited to continue racing as part of Nepean’s Wednesday night races. I love the Ottawa River and the atmosphere at Nepean Sailing Club. I can’t wait for the summer! |
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Emma Heller CANSail 1 Instructor |
I’ve been sailing since before I could walk! Ever since then I fell in love with the sport. Nepean Sailing Club has helped me develop both my skills and passion for sailing through their sailing school, which I started at 11 years ago. Throughout my sailing career I have progressed from just cruising to racing a variety of boats. I’ve competed at the local and provincial level, and gained valuable insight into the tactical world of sailing. Whether it’s dinghy racing on Wednesday, keelboat racing on Thursday or bareboating in the Caribbean, I feel a sailboat is my second home. I am beyond excited to be back on the water this summer and to be sharing my love and knowledge of sailing with my students. |
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Jade Dufour Tackers/CANSail 1 Instructor |
This will be my first summer as an instructor and I am super excited. I have sailed at NSC for 7 years and did all my training here. I was on the Nepean race team for 3 years. I have participated in the instructor in training program and really enjoyed my experience, which is why I decided to become an instructor this summer. I cannot imagine a better way to spend my summer. Sailing is my passion and cannot wait to share it! |
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Alex Wittman Tackers/CANSail 1 Instructor |
I am currently majoring in history at Carleton University. I sailed in the learn to sail program at Britannia Yacht Club for 7 years and it was a blast! After years of being a sailing student I knew I wanted to become an instructor. This summer will be my third year teaching Tackers / CANSail 1 at Nepean Sailing Club. I’m looking forward to getting back out onto the water and teaching this summer! |
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Alex Gumley Instructor In Training |
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Neal Parti Instructor In Training |
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Ellie McCann Instructor In Training |
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Able Sail |
To learn more about our Able Sail staff, and volunteers, please click here. |
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