On Watch

Julianna Barbieri and Hugh Piggin had beginnings with a wee taste of similarity, but not for long. Both grew up near the water, and that’s where their similarities ended…’til much later in their lives. Julianna grew up north of Boston on the water, but, she remembers, might have “spent maybe one day in a sailing boat.” Born in New Zealand, Hugh’s life was on a different trajectory, following the arc of many of us antipodeans in that…

Entrepreneur and circumnavigator Meg Reilly left a lucrative Madison Avenue career to race around the world aboard the Clipper 70 Henri Lloyd, and co-founded an international team and network that offers a gateway into offshore sailing and adventure. “I grew up in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, but didn’t start sailing until after I quit my job in advertising to race around the world,” says Meg. “I’d always dreamed of retiring and sailing around the world, but when…

As a leader of the MudRatz Offshore Team, Lindsay Gimple earned a prestigious victory – in the organization’s fledgling season – that most of us would be lucky to achieve in a lifetime. Recently signed on as a mentee with an organization dedicated to accelerating women to the top of sailing, this affable and ambitious sailor is taking flight. “I grew up all around the country,” says Lindsay, who lives in Stonington, CT. “My dad was in…

An enthusiastic sailor from a very young age, AJ Sorensen describes himself as “a serial entrepreneur inventor simplifying life in a complex world.” With a strong affinity for a certain singlehander, AJ is (among many other things!) the Laser Fleet Captain at Cedar Point Yacht Club in Westport, Connecticut, the creator of an excellent Laser website, and the owner of an online sailing gear store specializing in Laser parts and accessories. “I grew up in Easton, Connecticut…

As Program Director with a non-profit organization in Warren, Rhode Island called Eating with the Ecosystem, Kate Masury loves her work. “I grew up in Kittery Point, Maine and spent a lot of time in the summer on an island off the coast near Damariscotta,” says Kate, who lives in Newport. “I’ve been interested in the ocean my whole life. My favorite food from the time I was a toddler has always been lobster, and I spent…

An abiding love of sailing was Matt Duggan’s inspiration for a career change, and he hasn’t looked back. As the Regatta Manager at Sail Newport, Rhode Island’s Public Sailing Center, he’s a man who loves his work. “I grew up in Sandwich, a town on Cape Cod,” says Matt, who now resides in Newport. “I started sailing Beetlecats when I was 6 or 7 years old, and eventually moved into Optis. My first boat was a red…

Following her credo, “Work like a captain, wear your hair like a mermaid, keep your soul like a gypsy, and live like a pirate,” Breezy Grenier is a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, 100-ton Master captain, snowboarding instructor, scuba instructor, scientific and technical diver, and marine science educator. And probably the only Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society [FRGS] and member of The Explorers Club who’s snorkeled the Northwest Passage and worn a bikini at the North Pole….

Sailing brought Jan & Jonathan Harley together, and they’re among the nicest folks we know. “I grew up just north of New York City and moved to Rhode Island in 1980,” Jan recalls. “I started at the U.S. Yacht Racing Union (now US Sailing) that year as assistant to the executive director. While I probably got the job because I had strong administrative skills, I’ve always joked that Karen Vinbury hired me because I lived on Windward…

With a family tradition of maritime trades, a passion for small marine business and a dedication to Newport, Rhode Island’s working waterfront, Teak Ackman is the founder and president of Seven Star Marine Engineering. “I had the privilege of growing up in Newport and working in the family business, Oldport Marine Services,” Teak recalls. “When I was 7 or 8, my folks found a little fiberglass Skimmar dinghy that I could keep across the street from our…

The Transatlantic Race 2019, a 2,960 nautical mile dash from Newport, Rhode Island to Cowes, England, starts Tuesday, June 25. Chairing this quadrennial classic is one of the world’s finest Corinthian navigators, Patricia Young. “When I was 17 my dad bought our first boat, a Bristol 27,” Patti recalls. “Dad had talked about wanting a sailboat my whole life, and when he finally bought one he showed me you really can have what you want if you’re willing to persevere and work…