Meet our Team
Our Instructors
Remarkable Instructors
- All instructors are ASA certified
- All are USCG captains
- They all have long sailing and boating experience
- Boat maintenance instructors are expert in their domain (Diesel, Marine Electrical, etc…) with year and years of experience
Meet The Owners
At our family-owned sailing school, we cultivate a refined passion for sailing, guiding you from your first experience on the water to the confidence of commanding your own vessel—while creating timeless memories along the way.
Philippe (Phil) runs and owns the school. Scheduling the classes, assigning the instructors, registering the students, paying the bills, and keeping up with the books is just PART of what Phil does. He also teaches ASA classes and likes Sunset Cruises and Discover Sailing classes. His passion for sailing and boating lead him create Coboaters.com, an online crew finder network and boating club that help boaters meet and sail together.
Certified to Teach:
ASA 101, 103, 104, 105, 118
Marine Electrical, Boat Systems
Emilie’s journey is guided by two enduring passions: travel and sailing.
Raised between continents, her early life unfolded across Southeast Asia and
Europe—most notably France and Italy—shaped by a deep curiosity for cultures and
places, and enriched by travels through Africa and South America.
Sailing entered her life later, not as a pursuit of performance, but as a way of life.
Driven by a desire for freedom, connection, and meaningful family experiences,
Emilie embarked on a sabbatical year aboard a catamaran with her partner and their
two children, aged 9 and 14—without prior sailing experience and no boat of her
own, guided instead by adaptability and a sense of adventure. Life at sea became a
full immersion, balancing sailing with daily rhythms: schooling, meals, maintenance,
and the art of living together on the water.
What began as a dream of togetherness evolved into a philosophy. From night
passages in the Caribbean to navigating fog off Martha’s Vineyard, these
experiences shaped a philosophy rooted in confidence, presence, and transmission.
Today, Emilie brings this vision to life through her sailing school, sharing her
knowledge and way of being on the water. This is the journey Emilie shares today,
whether you meet her at the sailing school, aboard a boat, or on the docks.
At the heart of her approach lies one final passion: cooking—a simple, generous
expression of hospitality that reflects her belief that the most meaningful journeys are
Our Team and Crew
Mary is a certified ASA instructor and USCG captain as well! She started sailing as a young adult on an Islander 36 with her husband. When she started with Narragansett Sailing 3 years ago she got serious about sailing and has so much to share!
Certified to Teach:
ASA 101, ASA 103, ASA 104, ASA 105, ASA 118
Sailing since childhood, Carol is committed to sharing her love of the outdoors and empowering people through sports. At 38, she left corporate life to pursue her passions. Carol’s sailing experience ranges from dinghies to big boats
She has lived aboard a big boat and has cruised throughout New England and in the Mediterranean. Carol has a 50 Ton Master Captain’s License with Auxiliary Sail Endorsement. She has a love of racing, and is a US Sailing Level 3 certified Race Coach. She has been a Director of Sailing at numerous yacht clubs and sailing facilities. She has run adaptive race programs as well as the largest women’s race program in the country and is still active as a race coach.
When not sailing, Carol can be found surfing, skiing, mountain biking, and having all sorts of outdoor adventures.
Certified to Teach:
ASA 101, 103, 104
Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Kristin has called Rhode Island her home since 2005 and has been sailing since 2011. As a former wedding planner and current Realtor, Kristin prides herself on her patience and easy-going spirit. Fun and confidence building are priorities in her classes. Drawing on her patchwork background, she has knowledge of canvas and sail repair, diesel engine maintenance, and passage planning. In her off time, for the experience and the adventure, Kristin has been assisting friends move their 45′ catamaran throughout the Caribbean and is always looking for the opportunity for a sailing adventure.
Certified to Teach:
ASA 101, ASA 103, ASA 104, Diesel Engine Course, Canvas
Don is a lifelong boater, power and sail. He is a graduate of Massachusetts Maritime Academy and spent many years working in the maritime industry. For three years he and his wife lived on a sailboat in New Orleans and in the summer of 88 sailed it to Massachusetts. Currently they own a catamaran, which Don sailed up from Florida, and cruise all over Narragansett and Buzzards Bay. In 2016 Don crewed a sailboat to St. Martin via Bermuda. During this trip he decided to get a Captains licence which he completed in 2019.
Don has been a home inspector for 25 years. In addition to teaching sailing, he teaches a diesel engine class in the winter and spent many years coaching softball teams. So he is very comfortable communicating techniques and lessons. He prefers the hands on, learn by doing method.
Certified to Teach:
ASA 101, Diesel Engine
Steve appreciates the professional approach yet family feel of Narragansett Sailing. He’s also enamored with the beauty of Narragansett Bay and Southern New England waters with its myriad ports and anchorages.
A former Head Sailing Instructor at one of the largest sailing clubs in North America, Steve holds a Masters Coast Guard License, an International Safety-at-Sea Certificate, and Instructor Certification for AS 101 through 106. His students not only go on to sail throughout New England, but the world over.
When not at Narragansett Sailing, you’ll find Steve anywhere from Maine to Sint Maarten. A delivery Captain and member of several successful racing programs, competing in club racing to world championships, Steve also enjoys Caribbean frostbiting and cruising!
Certified to Teach:
ASA 101, ASA 103, ASA 104, ASA 105, ASA 106, ASA 114, ASA 118, Diesel, Boat Systems, Marine Electrical
Mike learned to sail in Summer Camp, sailing Hobie Cats off the coast of San Juan Puerto Rico. Dodging Bommies while on board and Sea Urchins, when not. All through his teens and 20’s Mike sailed and raced dinghies (Lasers and Buccaneers), but as he aged, so did his taste in sailboats. Mike’s love of historic vessels brought him to a Herreshoff Marlin daysailer. Mike took his ASA 104 at Narragansett Sailing School and instantly fell in love with the water, the area, and, most importantly, the community He and his wife downsized their house and bought a Freedom 30, as a “summer home” on Narragansett Bay.
Mike truly loves teaching ASA 101 so he can share his passion for sailing with those just getting started. In the off-season, Mike is the Director of the Ski Patrol at Bousquet Mountain in Western Massachusetts.
ASA Instructor of the Year 2011 and 2013. A sailor of 40 years, Rob was the owner of the Narragansett Sailing companies, including the school, charter, and brokerage. Rob has cruised extensively, both coastal and offshore, along the Eastern Seaboard and beyond. Rob is an ASA Instructor Evaluator and ASA site evaluator, and as such instructs and qualifies experienced sailors to be ASA instructors as well as evaluates schools for ASA accreditation. ABYC certified in Boat systems, Standards, and Diesel Engines; he holds a Coast Guard 50-ton Masters License. Rob lives aboard his Tanzer 35 sailboat year round at Cove Haven Marina. He loves his commute to work which is just a walk down the dock!
Certified to Teach:
ASA 101, ASA 103, ASA 104, ASA 105, ASA 106, ASA 114, ASA 118, Diesel, Boat Systems, Marine Electrical
Francois has been a sailmaker and sailing instructor for over 30 years. He is the founder of Fast Sailmaker in Weymouth, MA. He has taught sailing in New England and the Caribbean and was named ASA instructor of the year in 2017 and 2018. In addition, he holds a USCG 50-ton Master license. In the summer he races 12 meter, the old America’s Cup class boat. He is a five-time 12 meter North American champion and a one-time 12 meter world champion. In the winter he races a DN iceboat that he built.
Certified to Teach:
ASA 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, Sail Making
Rich Munson is the owner of Narragansett Sailing Charters and a lifelong sailor. He first owned a boat at the age of 12 (more of a skiff). He continued to own various boats until his present boat – a Beneteau 37. He enjoys helping others experience a common love of the ocean, which draws us all together. His vast experience with charterers makes him a great instructor with many real life stories.
Certified to Teach:
ASA 101, ABYC certified Diesel and he teaches Marine Electrical.
Greg Allen is an ASA Professional Instructor (201, 203, 204, 205, 214, 218) with additional certifications in World Cruising Survival at Sea and First Aid/CPR/AED, bringing over 25 years of sailing experience to his work as an instructor and captain. He has logged approximately 6,000 offshore nautical miles, including the Transpac return from Hawaii to Los Angeles, the Marion–Bermuda Race, Bermuda–Halifax, Charleston–Norfolk, and multiple Caribbean passages throughout Antigua, Grenada, the British Virgin Islands, Martinique, and St. Lucia. Greg has served as a charter captain, sailing instructor, and regatta skipper, with extensive experience on both monohulls and catamarans ranging from 30–52 feet, including J/24s, Solings, and the BVI Spring Regatta. In an instructional setting, he is known for clear communication, teaching-level patience, and an easygoing, professional presence, with strong strengths in facilitating collaborative experiential learning experiences, onboard safety, heavy-weather tactics, reefing and MOB drills, passage planning and navigation, galley operations, and fostering confident, cohesive crews through calm leadership and humor. When not on a sailboat, Greg is a professor in the Department of Theatre at Northeastern University in Boston.
George Bertholet grew up sailing and enjoying many activities on the waters around Narragansett Bay. Infected with some wanderlust by his father's sea stories, he went to sea as an engineer on many sizes and types of vessels. A large part of a chief engineer's responsibility consists in training junior crew and cadets, with safe practice as job one.
Now retired, he and his wife spend summers on their Hanse 348 sloop, cruising the nearby areas. Winters are good for travel and teaching. Conveying content to highly motivated students is always a pleasure. Anyone who has the incentive can gain a useful grasp of boat systems in several days of hands-on experience at a well-equipped facility.
Holds USCG licenses as National Master 100 Tons, and Unlimited Chief Engineer.
Teaches Diesel and Electrical at The Narragansett Sailing School.