Youth Sailing Initiative
This website is proudly sponsored by The Sailing Foundation as part of its Youth Sailing Initiative. The purpose of the Youth Sailing Initiative is to encourage and promote the growth of youth sailing in the Pacific Northwest. As a 501(c)3 we are here to augment the good work currently being done by local sailing programs and organizations. Focused on youth sailing at all levels, but with a special focus on racing, we believe sailing as an activity offers a unique medium for personal growth and enrichment. The joy of sailing and sailboat racing should be enjoyed by the many, not the few. Our Youth Sailing Initiative is centered around four key elements... Racing, Outreach, Organization, and Training.
Who We Are
Solvig Sayre, Youth Sailing Director
Solvig (pronounced Sol-vay) Sayre grew up in Massachusetts. There she developed her passion for sailing and windsurfing, eventually training with the US Olympic Team in the women's RS:X while competing for her high school and Eckerd College sailing teams. While pursuing her degree in International Relations and Global Affairs, she raced in two collegiate national championships as a skipper and placed second in the US Olympic trials for the 2012 games.
After sailing full time, Solvig returned to her love of coaching. She was involved in organizations on each of the four continental US coasts and worked with a wide range of programs that included learn-to-sail through high performance racing. Most recently, Solvig coached high school sailing, the C420 team, keelboats, and wingfoiling at St. Francis Yacht Club. She was also hired by US Sailing to coach various events, including the Olympia and Bellingham US Sailing Jr. Women's Clinics in 2021 and 2022.
Solvig is passionate about coaching and says, “I love watching kids’ eyes light up when their success is the direct result of their own effort and involvement. The chief lesson they learn, as I have, is that it takes many tries to achieve. They won’t learn to sail unless they fail many times. Later on, the kids will have the confidence to make life decisions; they’ll have faith in their own ability, and they’ll just keep on trying in the face of setbacks.”
Youth Advisory Board Members
Erin Timms (VP/Youth)
Erin Timms has experienced the overwhelmingly positive effects of junior sailing through her two boys Owen and Alan. Both are accomplished dinghy sailors who began their journey at Olympia Yacht Club before joining the Seattle Yacht Club Race Team. Owen is now sailing at George Washington University, while Alan still has a couple years left with the Olympia High School team. Erin has been an active parent volunteer with SYC, OYC, and now Olympia Community Sailing. She is well respected among her peers throughout the region for her dedication and ability to get things done! Need an example? Erin chaired our 50th Anniversary Auction and USODA Opti Nationals in back to back years! She is now serving as temporary co-chair of the Northwest Youth Racing Circuit along with fellow board member Haley Lhamon.
Burke Thomas, Director of Sail Orcas
Burke Thomas started racing El Toros on Green Lake at age 8 and has enjoyed sailing ever since. He has enjoyed coaching and serving on the board of Orcas High School Sailing Team and is a former director of Northwest high school sailing or NWISA. Burke is president of Woodsong Inc, a custom home building firm serving the San Juan Islands. Burke has a lot of experience with high school sailing and is always willing to help others get their team off the ground.
Andrew Nelson
Andrew Nelson was the previous Youth Sailing Director of The Sailing Foundation. He is a native of Tacoma and graduate of Western Washington University with a degree in Education. His father introduced him to sailing at a young age aboard the Cal 40 "White Squall" on Puget Sound. At WWU Andrew was Captain of the sailing team and awarded the Pete McKillop Sportsmanship Award and later the Student Leadership Award by the Northwest Intercollegiate Sailing Association.
In 2013, while serving as the Junior Sailing Director at Encinal Yacht Club, the program was the recipient of the Nimitz Award for the "Most Outstanding Junior Sailing Program in the San Francisco Bay Area." Andrew where's several hats with US Sailing, serving as a member on the Championship and Training committees. He is also a member of the US Sailing National Faculty, which pushes to improve training standards for smallboat sailing. Andrew and his wife, who he met through college sailing, are getting their feet wet in the local 505 fleet. He also enjoys offshore racing, cruising, and exploring the natural beauty of the Northwest with his family.
Ramesh Parameswaran
Ramesh Parameswaran discovered sailing in graduate school on lake Mendota in Wisconsin on 470s and M scows. More recently he enjoys cruising in the San Juan islands and on the Puget Sound with his wife Vidya and kids Advik and Aditri on their C&C. He has been part of the Northwest youth sailboat racing community for 7 years supporting his kids racing Optis, lasers, and FJs.
Tanya Starke
Tanya Starke joined our Board in Late 2022, and is a member of the Youth Committee. She was introduced to dinghy youth sailing through the robust Learn-to-Sail program in Gig Harbor. Her daughter, Reagan, is a young Opti sailor who loves to sail and meet new Opti friends wherever she travels! Reagan is part of the Narrows Race Team (NRT) which competes in the PNW and Puget Sound Sailing Team (PSST) which has traveled to San Francisco, Canada and Mexico. Tanya's daughter, Quinn, will begin Jellyfish Sailing Camp in Gig Harbor this summer, and is counting down the time until she can join her sister in an Opti! Tanya will be involved in youth sailing for many years to come and wants to ensure it remains inclusive and welcoming to all sailors, while expanding opportunities for PNW youth sailors (all classes) to gain advanced skills to be competitive at the highest levels if they wish.
Mike Visser
Mike Visser re-joined our board in late 2022. The Visser family has quite a legacy with youth sailing and The Sailing Foundation. Mike's mother Jan was a long time board member, US Sailing rep, and promoter of the sport. Together Mike, Jan and Wright (Sailing Foundation Members) organized, created and ran the first WIND Clinic in the Gorge. Mike had an impressive junior sailing career in the Laser before graduating to the Finn, rising to be one of the top US Finn sailors. Mike resides in the Olympia area and is now the parent of a junior sailor himself. It's common to see Mike out in the Olympia Community Sailing RIB coaching Lasers on Bud Inlet where he learned to sail.
Haley Lhamon
Haley Lhamon started sailing on a lake in Texas with her parents where she soon raced Optimists, Laser Radials, and Laser II's. She competed in national Jr. championships, instructed at Santa Cruz YC, and then sailed on the Stanford Sailing Team. In Michigan she and her husband Rusty coached a high school team, mentored a keelboat team of disadvantaged youth, and raced their J/35 in the Chicago-Mackinac. Haley later organized women's clinics on Lake WA with support from the Thistle and Snipe fleets. She and Rusty also co-chaired the first NW Opti Regionals in 2012 at Corinthian YC. Now on Bainbridge Island, she coaches the high school sailing team, serves as a PMYC Jr. Advisor, and coordinates Parks and Rec's sailing program. Her two sons agree that their favorite family vacations are cruising adventures! Another claim to fame is her victory in the Race2Alaska as part of Team Sail Like a Girl.
