CHARLOTTE HARBOR YOUTH SAILING BOARD OF DIRECTORS, INSTRUCTORS AND ADVISERS
Meet the people that manage our organization
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Martin Holland President
Buttonmartinh@ldreeves.com
Martin performs all forms of entitlement research and due diligence for national chains from time of site identification throughout completion of construction for clients of LD Reeves.
Martin is a Past and Present (2024) Commodore of Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club. He is now Chair of the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club 2.4mR CanAm Regatta Series. He is a Charlotte Harbor Regatta Inc. Board member.
Martin is one of the founding fathers of Charlotte Harbor Youth Sailing, one of the past Presidents and now the current President.
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Jean Mastrangelo Vice President
Buttonjeanbarclay@gmail.com
Jean started sailing at 8 years old in Duck Boats at Bay Head Yacht Club on Barnegat Bay in New Jersey. With a little gap just after college, Jean returned to the bay, the yacht club and back to the sailing community she loves.
Like her father, sailing runs in her blood. Jean’s father, Charlie, grew up sailing on the Bay and she continues to race with him every summer weekend in Marshall Sanderlings and Sandpipers. When not sailing with her father Jean would join her mother, Nancy, who was an avid Race Committee member.
Over the years, Jean became more involved in the sailing community outside of a boat, working in many different areas of on the Race Committee, including Regatta Chair for some major events and serving as a Board member for Sailing Foundation of Barnegat Bay which supports sailing on Barnegat Bay.
Jean and her husband Mark recently moved to Charlotte Harbor and continue to be involved in the Sailing community both here in Charlotte Harbor as well as on Barnegat Bay NJ.
Jean is currently Director of Clinical Operations at a small Pharmaceutical company, but has made the time to pursue her most recent sailing community goal of becoming certified as a Principal Race Officer thru US Sailing.
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Christi Van Heek Treasurer
Buttonchristivanheek@gmail.com
Christi started crewing at age 6 and skippered throughout her teen years grew racing scows in the Inter-Lake Yachting Association in the mid-west. However, she took a long hiatus from sailing to work 30 plus years in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry. She held several positions in sales and marketing management leading worldwide commercial organizations ultimately as President of the Therapeutics Division of Genzyme Corporation.
Following retirement from her full-time job, Christi started sailing again with her husband on a J-46 cruising mostly, occasionally racing, in the northeast. They also spent two winters sailing her from St Thomas to Grenada and back exploring all the islands in between.
She re-entered the racing foray with the Precision 15s at the Isles Yacht Club ultimately leading to the purchase of a Harbor 20, Flying Cloud, and racing during the winters on Charlotte Harbor.
Here previous and current board positions consist of:
Affymax Inc: 2007-2014
National Hospice Regatta Alliance: 2018-2021
Visioneering Technologies Inc: 2006-present
Peabody Essex Museum Board of Advisors: 2007-present
Concert Pharmaceuticals: 2016-present
Brigham and Women’s Emergency Medicine Advisory Board: 2020-present
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Tina Barnes Secretary
Buttonteaweid@yahoo.com
Tina Barnes was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in Binghamton, New York. She started taking photographs at the age of 7 with a 110 camera which led her to taking four years of photography in high school, then continuing her photography studies in college. She received an associate degree in photography from SUNY Sullivan where she majored in advertising photography, minoring in fine arts photography.
After college she worked for Stickley Photo Corporation in the retail store doing portraits, custom framing, selling cameras and accessories. When company came to an end after 90 years in business, she went into dentistry working alongside her father in-law and brother in-law. During her twenty-six years in dentistry, she never lost her passion for taking photographs. While living in New York she photographed many NASCAR races, hockey games and several weddings.
In 1994 Tina moved to Clearwater Florida, where she worked for 13 years for the Chief Forensic Odontologist for five districts in Largo, Florida. She had completed a course in forensic photography qualifying her to assist the doctor on many forensic cases. Following this position, Tina managed the front office and scheduling for a general dentistry office for six years. Living in Clearwater provided her first experiences sailing. She enjoyed day-sailing on a friend’s boats.
Tina moved to Punta Gorda in 2014 where she lived on her boat for six years. Shortly after moving to Punta Gorda, she joined Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club and became the club’s photographer and editor of their monthly “Depth Sounder” publication, developing a passion for capturing the excitement of sailing regattas. She participates as an on-water support boat volunteer and photographer for the CHYC 2.4 Regatta Series.
Tina has six years of formal photography education and a lifetime of passion for photography. She has expanded her art skill set to computer graphic arts, acrylic painting, and resin art. She has shown and sold her artwork at Visual Art Center in Punta Gorda, Arts and Humanities Council of Charlotte County Arts in Public Places, Fine Art America and Charlotte County Arts and Humanities Gallery. Tina is currently the photographer for Gulfshore Opera, the Visual Art Center of Punta Gorda, and Punta Gorda Yacht Club.
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Patty McFeeley Board Member
Buttonpatricia.mcfeeley@ gmail.com
Patty has been boating nearly all her life. In the early days her family had a 14 ft fishing boat which quickly turned into a water ski boat. Patty learned to sail on a home-built Sail Fish.
Patty and her family began their sailing saga after her first year in college. As the leader of a Mariner Girl Scout Troop in Denver, she attended a Red Cross Small Craft Instructor course. This organization, with an associated Sea Scout Troup, had been given several sail boats. As a Certified Red Cross Sailing Instructor, Patty taught sailing for many years to the troop members and others. She was the leader/instructor on a training cruise aboard the 101 ft Sailing Ship “Adventurous” out of Seattle.
Patty and her husband Mark, who attended the Merchant Marine Academy, acquired their first sailboat, a 25 ft Hunter. Her children grew up on that boat, which looked like a floating play pen because of the netting on the rails. Her family transitioned to power boats from 35 to 42 feet cruising initially on inland lakes in New Mexico and later the Chesapeake Bay. During this period, the family chartered bare boats, cruising multiple times in the Caribbean. Often these sailing charters became “flotillas” with family members on accompanying boats. Two of these adventures included cruises that celebrated her mother’s 80th and 85th birthdays.
Since coming to Florida, Patty and her husband had a 45 ft powerboat which they lived aboard for several extended cruises, some 6 months at a time. She has sailed, raced, and crewed several small sailboats, most recently a Harbor 20. When not on the water competing, Patty volunteered as a member of the several race committees.
One of the activities she enjoys most is working with the Charlotte Harbor Youth Sailing program as a member of the Board of Directors and an on-the-water adult advisor for the Summer Sailing Camp program.
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Hank Killion - Board Member Liaison MAC
Buttons.killion@comcast.net
Hank Killion is a native of Boston Massachusetts. He received his BS degree in Chemistry from Buena Vista University, Stormy Lake. He has been a resident of Rotonda West for 11 years. Hank worked at Allied Chemical Corp Solvay NY from 1968 to 1996. He then became the Senior Chemist for Narragansett Electric in Providence, Rhode Island from 1996 to 2002. Hank then worked for Waters Corp Milford, Mass as a Chemical production Chemist from 2002 until 2007 when he retired to Florida.
He is a very active volunteer for the Rotonda West Owners Association:
Chairman Budget & Finance Committee 2011 – Present
Member of Aquatic & Canal Committee 2009 – Present
Member Administration & Personal Committee 2011 – Present
Treasurer 2011 – Present
President Board of Directors – 2018 – Present
Hank also volunteers for other organizations:
Board of Directors US Sailing 1988 – 1991
Chairman West Charlotte County Storm Water MSBU 2012 – Present
Member Board of Directors Charlotte Harbor Regatta Committee 2009 – Present
Member Charlotte Harbor Estuary Water Quality Network 2008 – Present
Hank is also a Certified US Sailing Judge 1988 - Present
Chair of the CHR Protest Committee 2009 - Present
Chair of the 2.4mR CanAm Series 2014 - Present
Hank routinely takes youthful sailors racing on his J24.
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Bob Knowles Board Member
Buttonbobknow@comcast.net
Bob took early retirement in 1996 after some 33 years in the defense electronics industry. Much of his free time since then has been dedicated and focused on sailing and sailboat racing. He has been an active member in the J-80 International Class for 23 years and served as a Class Officer. Since moving to Florida as a “snow bird” in 1999 he has actively participated in the local sailboat racing community both as a competitor with five different boats and as a volunteer doing race planning and management.
Bob has served as Race Captain of the Punta Gorda Sailing Club, Organizer of the Conquistador Cup Regatta, Board Member of the Charlotte Harbor Regatta, Inc. He has been a CHYS Board Member or Adviser since the initiation of the Program. As a current board member Bob has provided “what is needed” for Charlotte Harbor Youth Sailing, Inc.
He has long been involved with the Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association’s Youth Sailing program in NH where it has grown to be a major community asset.
Doug Shore Adviser
dshore@embarqmail.com
Doug Shore has been sailing since he was a pre-teen in New England. He graduated from a Merchant Marine Academy with a degree in Engineering.
Doug then served as an engineer on cargo ships delivering materials to SE Asia. He then worked as an engineer for General Electric, testing jet engines.
Following this career, he and his brother Bill founded Shore Sails International, a major sailmaking loft in Newport Rhode Island. Doug is a past Commodore of Ida Lewis Yacht Club. His brother Bill is now a US Sailing Olympic Sailing Coach.
After retiring Doug joined CHYC and served on the Board. He was one of the Founding Fathers and Treasurer of CHYS. He is now an Adult Advisor for CHYS. Doug manages boat and equipment refitting and repair.
More info about Doug Shore:
https://tinyurl.com/y5ljqcn7
Roger Strube, MD Advisor
wingsailorflorida@
yahoo.com
Dr Strube began to sail and race in Lightening one designs at South Shore Yacht Club in 1957. Following graduation from Marquette Medical School he raced an International 210. He participated in several 1,000 mile offshore Mexican Ocean Races (San Diego – Manzanillo & Los Angles - Mazatlán) in the early 1980’s.
Dr Strube was a board member of South Shore Yacht Club in Milwaukee, responsible for the Junior Program and Summer Sailing Lesson youth and adult programs.
After moving to Miami in 1992, he began racing on a 42’ open deck catamaran. Since 1992 he has chartered large cats in Belize, the Grenadines, and the British Virgin Islands.
He and his wife Kathy lived aboard for three years and spent many months cruising “Millennium Dragon”, an Ocean Catamaran, on the Intracostal waterway and the Bahamas.
After moving to Punta Gorda in 2003 his focus has been on Race Management and the CHYC based Charlotte Harbor Youth Sailing programs. Dr Strube now races a Harbor 20, “TAXI” on Charlotte Harbor, Florida.
Dr Strube is a US Sailing certified Power & Sail Instructor, Club Judge and National Classifier. He is also an ASA Sailing Instructor.
Anindita Carlsen Head Instructor
aninditacarlsen@
gmail.com
"Dita" Carlsen began her sailing career in 2019 when she started in beginner classes. She quickly moved onto becoming a volunteer with CHYS and helped assist with sailing camps. Dita took her passion a step further and became a level one certified sailing instructor in the spring of 2022.
Over the years, Dita has accumulated experience on the 420, Laser, and Harbor 20 sailboat. Dita hopes to continue her sailing career in college and continue coaching for the CHYS program. Her goal as an instructor is to help her students find the same passion for sailing that she has developed through the CHYS sailing camps.
In her high school career, Dita has maintained her ranking as top 5 in her graduating class with a 4.6 weighted GPA. She has been the captain of the Port Charlotte varsity cheer team for 2 years, the #1 player of the varsity tennis team Junior year, and part of both the varsity weightlifting team and girls’ soccer team.
She is also the president of the Junior class and vice-president of the National Honors Society. Dita has also been part of the Port Charlotte Model United Nations team for 5 years and has earned several first-place awards, competing around the nation.
Dita will graduate high school in 2024 and plans to continue her education in college, majoring in biology following the pre-med track toward her goal to become a physician.
Emma Stoltman Assistant Instructor
emmasailing24@gmail.com
Emma began sailing in 2021 at the CHYS Summer Sailing Camp program when she moved to Punta Gorda from Colorado. She found a love for sailing, stayed with the program, and started volunteering for summer sailing camps at CHYS. Emma will be working as an Assistant Instructor during the nine summer sailing camps scheduled for 2024.
Emma is enrolled at the Florida SouthWestern Collegiate High School where she will graduate in 2025 earning her high school diploma, and an Associates in Arts degree. In Emma’s first semester of full-time college classes, she was named to the Dean's list with a 4.0 GPA.
Emma is currently the President of the FSWCHS Sailing Club. Living near Charlotte Harbor offers Emma the ability to sail and powerboat regularly out to the Gulf. Her love for being on the water ranges from sailing, boating, scalloping in Northern Florida, lobstering in the Florida Keys, and snorkeling in the Caribbean.
All of this experience has helped Emma create a vision of her future where she will pursue a career as a charter yacht Captain. As an instructor, she is looking forward to helping many students find the same passion that she has found for sailing.
Dan O'Leary, MD Adviser
doleary3@
embarqmail.com
Dan O’Leary learned to sail his Sunfish on Lake Michigan while growing up in Chicago. During high school, he switched to windsurfing.
He was a varsity sailor at Georgetown where he sailed 420s. His freshman team won the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (MAISA) championship.
Dr Dan is an ER Physician at Bayfront Hospital, Port Charlotte. He served as the Vice President of Charlotte Harbor Youth Sailing for a few years and functions as an adult advisor for the Saturday advanced sailing sessions. He holds US Sailing Level 1 Dinghy Instructor certification.
He and his wife Patricia have three sons who have each excelled at sailing thanks to CHYS. His sons have been at several past summer sailing camps and were members of the Saturday Adventure Sailing Program.
John F Zeigler Adviser
usrowboy@comcast.net
Education and Training:
HS Diploma 1967, bachelor’s degree (BA) 1976 (interrupted by 4 years US Navy) LIU, Southampton Campus, NY. Dale Carnegie Public Speaking Course 1979. Adult Continuing Ed., Teterboro, NJ. Stick, MIG & TIG welding 2012. USCG 100-ton Master’s Course: Certification for Sailing and Towing (Certifications pending).
Military Experience:
Fleet Sonar “A” School Key West, FL Feb 72- June 72, Naval Facility Bermuda: June 1972-July 1974 acoustic intelligence, Naval Facility Antigua: July 1974-Sept 1975 acoustic intelligence. Rate E-5 Oceanographic Technician/Acoustic Intelligence and Post Analysis. Achieved rate: E5 / Second Class petty officer with “Secret Clearance.” Honorable discharge/ Sailor of the Quarter (2x) Nav-Fac Antigua.
Business:
1976 to 1998 Route sales, wholesale food (self-employed). 1985-2010: Wholesale warehouse sales. (self-employed) 2010-2012 Laser cutting and engraving: (self-employed) Cutting and engraving services, model kit for Chesapeake Light Craft.
Public Speaking:
Coast Guard Auxiliary Qualified Instructor “Boating Safety Course” and “Basic Navigation” to Aux members & to public. Several presentations-Subject: “Row Hard: No Excuses” the documentary about the 2001 International Trans-Atlantic Rowing Race.
Achievements, Experiences & Memberships:
US Coast Guard 100-ton Master Course w/ towing and sailing endorsements: License pending. National Champion ’98 USCA marathon canoe C-1 Sprints 500m (master’s 40+). US Swan Boat Team 1993-2000 in Thailand. Competed in the 2001 Trans-Atlantic Rowing Race: Oct 7, 2001, to Dec 4, 2001, as the only US team in the event. US Dragon-boat Team in the “Worlds” in China 2004 & in Australia 2007. Philadelphia Dragon-boat Team 2003-2008. Hawaiian Outrigger racing Molokai Hoe 95 & 98. US Canoe Association, approx. 150-200 marathon canoe races 1982-2011. Blackburn Challenge, Gloucester, MA: 21+ mile canoe/rowing race around Cape Ann, MA - Class Winner 1997-98-99, 2007. Offshore Sailing Crew: Blue water experience from Bermuda to US coast. Block Island Race, Fastnet Race. US Power Squadron - Peace River Squadron member since April 2020. US CG Auxiliary. 2008-2023 (present). Qualified PE/Public Ed Instructor. Safety/Support Boat Crew for Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club Race Management Committee.
Boat builder:
1 fabric on frame kayak, 2 strip plank canoes, 1 rowing Whitehall, 1 ocean rowboat, 1 strip planked scull, 1 kit dory, 1 kit wherry, 1 pram/dingy, 1 touring/racing kayak under construction. Half models: Over 70 hand carved sailboat half models since 1984.
Advisor:
CHYS Support/Safety Boat Operator and repair of Youth Program Sailboats. John presently volunteers as Safety Boat Crew for Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club 2.4mR regattas.
Melissa Guido Adviser
mjguido@comcast.net
Melissa Guido is a Johnson & Wales University graduate (Providence, Rhode Island) who after several years in the corporate world decided to start her own business after 9/11. Her first business was a massage therapy practice started in June of 2002. This business, with over 6000 active clients and 10 therapists, was sold in 2009. After purchasing her Punta Gorda home in 2009, she and her family spent time in Southwest Florida (traveling from New York) until they moved here permanently in June of 2017. Since then, Melissa has become a licensed real estate agent in Florida and she and her husband started a wheelchair-stretcher transportation company. The company was named AllyRides after their 10 year old daughter, Alexandria, who they call Ally! The idea for the business came about when visiting a friend in Englewood whose mom, from a local nursing home, was visiting her. When they arrived, there was a truck in the driveway with a man preparing to take her friend’s mom back to the nursing home. Melissa and her husband researched the industry and found there to be a huge need in the Southwest Florida area. They started the company with one new Ford E350 in December of 2017. AllyRides is currently operating 4 vans and Melissa is looking forward to continuing to service the wheelchair/stretcher industry here in Southwest Florida! Melissa's daughter Ally started sailing in the CHYS Summer Sailing Camps and is now a member of the Saturday Adventure/Advanced Sailing Program.
More info about Melissa & AllyRides:
https://allyrides.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AllyRides/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissaguido/
Fran Burstein Photographer
franburst@gmail.com
Fran Burstein is originally from West Hartford, Connecticut where she lived until she finished college. Summers were spent in Old Saybrook, Connecticut at Chalker Beach where she swam a lot, built castles in the sand, and rode the waves atop a tire innertube, the first hint that boating was in her future. At the age of 10, she started taking pictures with a Brownie Camera. She continues to take photos and especially loves capturing the excitement of racing sailboats.
Fran received her BS in 1967 from Boston University and her MA in 1991 from Norwich University. In addition, from 1976-’77 she took an undergraduate sequence of accounting courses at the University of Vermont and in 1999 she began taking courses in Boater Safety, Sailing and Navigation offered by the Power Squadron.
Fran moved to Vermont in 1972 where she developed her career and raised her family. She worked at Dartmouth College and produced an alumni newsletter. She then took a position in the Registrar’s Office at Vermont Law School and after three years she accepted a position at Norwich University where she became the University Registrar. She retired in the summer of 2007 after a 30-year career in higher education.
In 1999 she started crewing on a Tartan 34 during the weekly club races in Shelburne Bay, Lake Champlain. She took an on the water sailing course in Punta Gorda during a vacation and by the end of the week, she had a sailing certificate and had purchased a condominium. In the year 2000 she bought a 26ft C & C and joined the Lake Champlain Yacht Club.
Now, in retirement Fran spends her winters taking photos of the Regattas on Charlotte Harbor. Many of her pictures are of the 2.4M boats that race from the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club. She is also the President of the Board of Directors of the Islander Point Condominium Association. Summers will find Fran in Vermont, where she spends much of her time sailing on Lake Champlain with her companion Larry Benedini, on their Catalina 34.
In Memoriam Robert Driscoll CHYS Founding Board Member
Robert was born and grew up in and around New York City. From there he became the victim of an Ivy League education (Princeton). Right after graduation the Army drafted Robert. Two years later the Army discharged him as a Buck Sergeant with a firm background in knife fighting, shooting a number of weapons, and other anti- social activities.
Next was the United States Foreign Service as an officer for the next 30 years serving in nine different countries becoming a Consul General and a Deputy Chief of Mission. The highlight of highlight of Robert’s career was finding and marrying his beautiful Margarita in Bogota, Colombia.
After the Foreign Service he worked for several companies sorting out their labor problems and costs in Latin America. Robert and Margarita moved to Punta Gorda on December 31, 1990. He worked for a short time, then retired to a life of tennis, messing about in boats (sail), and flying gliders.
Robert was a Guardian ad Litem, an advocate for neglected and abused children in the judicial system. He considered one of his major accomplishments in Punta Gorda helping to found Charlotte Harbor Youth Sailing. He will be missed by all who knew him.
