Claire DeBlanc - Lead Instructor
Hello! My name is Claire and I love sailing! I have been sailing for about nine years on different boats throughout the years including optis, butterflies, c-scows, 420s, and lasers. In the past I raced in the annual Western Michigan Yachting Association race four times in various boats such as the opti, butterfly, c-scow, and MC-scows. Other racing experience includes the Spring Lake Yacht Club Season Series for roughly seven years and Butterfly Nationals for two years. I raced on the Spring Lake High School Sailing Team for five years mostly skippering but occasionally as crew. I have been a sailing instructor with the Spring Lake Junior Sailing Association since 2016. I have been a Level 1 Certified sailing instructor since 2019 and by the time the 2021 seasons starts, I plan to also be certified as a Level 2 sailing instructor. I am currently a freshman at CMU where I plan to study environmental science and political science. Unfortunately I cannot sail there so I have to catch up by sailing extra in the summer! We are delighted to have Claire serve as the SLJSA Lead instructor.
cLAIRE SKIPPERING A c-sCOW SAILBOAT
Braden Johnson - Race Director
Braden is a US sailing Level 1 & 2 certified instructor. He is currently attending Muskegon Community College. Braden has raced a variety of sailboats inlcuding Butterflys, E-Scows, Lasers, and Melges 17s. He has worked as a race instructor at White Lake for 4 years and has also worked as a swim coach and lifeguard at Lakeshore Fitness Center. Braden will head up our race team as our race director. We are very fortuante to have Braden join our top notch SLJSA instructors!! He will travel to the WMYSA Friday Regattas to help with rigging and coach our young racers!!
Braden sialing a laser at the westerns
Caroline Henry - Instructor
Hello. My name is Caroline Henry. I am completing my sophomore year at SLHS. I am a sailing instructor for the Spring Lake Junior Sailing Association at the Spring Lake Yacht Club. Many years ago, I started sailing on an Optimus Pram through the Spring Lake Junior Sailing Association and have grown to love it! I took several sessions of lessons and eventually worked my way up to racing my own Butterfly. In addition to racing my Butterfly on weekends, I also compete with the race team at Friday regattas at other clubs in West Michigan. Over the past few years, I have gained more crewing experience on bigger boats, and last summer I became a skipper in the C-Scow fleet. Finally, I am a three-year member of the Spring Lake High School Sailing Team which sails Club-420 boats. I am a passionate sailor who is eager to share that love with anyone willing to give it a try. Caroline is also a US Sailing Certified Level 1 instructor.