Oakcliff Sailing Staff
As CEO and captain of America True, Dawn Riley was the first woman to manage an America’s Cup sailing team. She has raced on four America’s Cup and two Whitbread (now The Ocean Race) teams. She is the former president of the Woman’s Sports Foundation, served on the board of US Sailing, and is an advisor to several public service organizations.
Dawn Riley
Executive Director
Ethan began racing at high school in Southern Maryland, gained skills quickly & began coaching the school's team, expanding STEM programs and racing keel-boats. Determined to follow his dream to race around the world, he left everything behind to train at Oakcliff. Arriving in 2015, Ethan has skippered & navigated successful offshore races, while cross training in Match Racing & Foiling Cats. Onshore, Ethan enjoys backpacking, photography, and fishing. Currently he is pursuing shorthanded racing and his love for fitness.
Ethan Johnson
Training Program Director
Wyz grew up locally sailing Blue Jays, Lasers, Fireballs, and Shields. She has an extensive resume. After high school, she worked at the New York Stock Exchange. In college she dabbled in college sailing. Post college, she taught and coached at the high school level before moving back to Oyster Bay to work at the Oyster Bay Boat Shop (ironically, this was located at 2 South St., now Oakcliff’s Clubhouse). Wyz also ran the repair loft at Banks Sails and throughout, raced inshore and offshore, and most recently frostbiting on Lasers.
Wyz Mooney
Bookkeeper
Patrice has volunteered at Oakcliff since 2014 and is the new Regatta Director. She is a US Sailing Certified Regional Race Officer working towards Judge Certification. Patrice joined the sailing scene late in life and has developed an avid love for the sport and Oakcliff. Patrice has been boating on the south shore of Long Island since 1985. Patrice has been a PTA advocate since 1995. Patrice is active nationally, in the state, regionally, and locally. Patrice is also on the BOD for BCADA and Treasurer/Scholarship Chair for AOB Alumnae.
Patrice Rachlin
Regatta Director
Mamadou originally worked in the Shellfish industry in Oyster Bay but after the downsizing he walked down the street and began working at Oakcliff. He has brought many things to the table including a great work ethic and French lessons. Added to this he is a musician from a small island, Somone, in Senegal and later moved to Oyster Bay.
Mamadou Yade
Shore
Allie is from San Diego, California. She has been sailing for as long as she can remember. She started racing her favorite boat, lasers, when she was twelve and she grew to be very competitive in the fleet. Her first time here was at the WMRT Acorn Program in 2022 and she developed into a sapling, intern, and is now on staff. She races lasers, offshore, and match racing. While at Oakcliff, she is enrolled in college full-time and wants to do an olympic campaign in her future.
Allie Shand
Public Relations and Media
Matt is a Long Island local that has experience in the public and private sectors in the financial, Emergency Management, and personnel fields. He is also an accomplished sailor, who began sailing at age 7 in the Knickerbocker YC and JYRA programs around Long Island. From there, he took up dinghy sailing in BlueJays and Lasers. After youth sailing, Matt got involved in the big boat scene, winning multiple YRA of LIS championships in the PHRF, IOR and IMS divisions. Joining Oakcliff, he Recently, he's interested in getting back into match racing.
Matt Temares
Operations
With over 20 years of competitive sailing and coaching experience, Sweta began her sailing career at age 11 with the Sea Cadets in India. Representing her country of India, She has earned more than 10 medals, including a historic silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games making her a part of the first female team from India to achieve this feat. Her experience spans diverse classes such as Optimist, Laser Radial, 420, 470, and 29er, including elite campaigns for the Olympics in the 49erFX, 470, and Nacra 17 classes.
Sweta Shervegar
High Performance Director & Coach
Joe started sailing in 3rd grade sailing sunfish on Canandaigua lake in Canandaigua, NY. Joe was a 2021 Sapling and after the program has now began working at Oakcliff. In 2022 he successfully ran the Mid-west program and plans to do the same in 2023. Joe sails various boats but thoroughly enjoys sailing his Laser at a highly competitive level.
Joe Seiffert
Staff Specialist
Luke grew up sailing in Ireland’s Dún Laoghaire Harbor on everything from dingys to yachts. He realized sailing was quickly becoming something he felt passionate about, dedicating all his free time outside of school to being a sailing instructor. He has held unusual marine jobs such as marine operative for tv shows and filming sets in Ireland, a hub, or water filming. After moving to New York City in late 2021, he joined Oakcliff to prepare the fleet for the sailing season after which he became Farr 40 Fleet Captain.
Luke Galvin
Shore Manager
Siri’s greatest passion is sailing. She grew up in Columbus, Ohio where she raced lasers and other dinghies and helped develop the Junior Racing program at Leatherlips Yacht Club from the ground up. She enjoys computer-aided design and studied Interior Architecture at Ohio University where she was the Sailing Club Commodore. Siri came to Oakcliff as a Sapling to pursue offshore racing and is excited to learn about more technical boats and associated shore skills.
Siri Schantz
RiggingMidwest 2024
Tone and Laura Martin have generously donated their Nelson Marek 68 for the programs this year. The NM 68′ is a bit larger than the Farr 400 we sailed on the Great Lakes in 2023, it allows us to offer a fifth summer of Midwest programming. The bonus of having a larger boat for summer 2024 is we can accommodate to teach even more trainees. While Oakcliff is on the Great Lakes we will also be able to spend some time doing outreach with local junior and community sailing programs.
*Note we highly recommend athletes participate in all sessions but can be somewhat flexible in start and finish times.
Trainees will learn:
- Project Management
- Provisioning for offshore
- Positions from driving to trimming to navigation
- Serving as a first mate or boat captain
- Leadership lessons and more
Email Training Director Ethan Johnson at training@oakcliffsailing.org for more information.
Midwest 1: Chicago Mackinac Race
July 7 – 19, 2024
Cost: $1,900
Regarded as Americas Offshore Challenge, the Chicago Mackinac begins in front of Chicago’s magnificent skyline and finishes 289 nautical miles north on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, at Michigan’s iconic Mackinac Island. 230 registered boat entries represent almost every U.S state, as well as 16 foreign countries. This prestigious competition celebrates its 114th Anniversary this year. Following the race, the program includes sailing the boat to Detroit.
Midwest 2: ugotta’ Regatta
July 15 – 25, 2024
Cost: $950
*This program is pending sponsorship, please contact race@oakcliffsailing.org.
Sailboats from across the U.S. head to Harbor Springs each summer for one of the nation’s best-known sailing traditions: the LTYC “Ugotta” Regatta. Hosted by the Little Traverse Yacht Club, the Ugotta brings some of the best sailboat racers in the country to sail in one of the world’s best sailing venues in Little Traverse Bay. This year we are celebrating the 61st running of the LTYC Regatta! 100th anniversary bayview mattrace gonna do the delivery from mack island to port huron and after the race deliver to chicago
Marlow a German Shorthaired Pointer, Poodle, Golden Retriever mix has roots in Louisiana. Marlow was rescued at age 6mo by Jasmine. He brings his southern hospitality on most adventures & shares a love for Dawn’s famous sandwiches. Marlow's short-term goal is to be the youngest racing pup at Oakcliff. He loves lounging as much as playing. Favorite activities include; morning runs, hugging friends, and using lightning fast speed patrolling beaches for seagulls. Marlow is really bringing the team together, and he can’t wait to meet you.
Marlow
Chief Morale OfficerOur on-site support network
Dobby is the pup that rules the office. He first came to us in May of 2021, along with his assistant Wyz. Dobby is notorious for his short yet muscular stature. He is calm, collected, and makes sure to make his food rounds during morning meetings. Although he is not much of a sailor, he did serve as admiral for the Saint Maarten Yacht Club Islands Challenge Team from 2011 to 2019. He believes it was his leadership that helped the team win the event. There is nothing he loves more than sunbathing and scratches.
Doby
The Admiral
Job opening - sail on fast boats, manage an energetic team, be the guiding force on building American Leaders through sailing. Email race@oakcliffsailing.org for more information.
OPEN POSITION
SailmakerJob opening - sail on fast boats, manage an energetic team, be the guiding force on building American Leaders through sailing. Email race@oakcliffsailing.org for more information.
OPEN POSITION
Staff SpecialistJob opening - sail on fast boats, manage an energetic team, be the guiding force on building American Leaders through sailing. Email race@oakcliffsailing.org for more information.
OPEN POSITION
Staff SpecialistJob opening - sail on fast boats, manage an energetic team, be the guiding force on building American Leaders through sailing. Email race@oakcliffsailing.org for more information.