John Sezer
Hi, my name is John. I was born and raised in Turkey and have lived in the US for nearly two decades. I started sailing in Seattle, after being inspired by the boats on Lake Union in what I now know to be the Duck Dodge series. As luck would have it, some of my friends from the gym were in the sailing community and secured me a place on an incredible boat with an incredible captain during the annual Grand Prix race. After three days of racing, I was simply hooked! Five years later, we won our class in that same race on my sailboat, the J/80 Reckless. In 2021, Reckless won the J/80 annual series, was 3rd in the 48° North’s top 25 boats list and was nominated for the CYC’s Boat of the Year award.
I am a US Coast Guard Licensed Captain and a US Sailing Basic Keelboat Instructor with Kirkland Sailing Club. Collaborating with the other instructors, I put this class together to combine my passion for racing sailboats with my love of teaching. Perhaps it is because my dad is a professor, but I have always enjoyed mentoring and teaching. It is why, after leaving my job as a software engineer at Microsoft, I joined Kirkland Sailing Club to teach sailing. I learned a lot about racing and building a racing team in the past five years and I’m eager to share my knowledge with you.
Mario Laky
Hello, My Name is Mario. I am a northwest native who developed a passion for sailing after seeing America’s Cup on TV as a little kid. My first taste of racing was in the San Juan Islands, and after two days, I was cold, wet, and completely hooked on the idea! I couldn’t get enough and quickly got a job in high school working for a local charter company that raced their boats in the fall and winter. I have raced small keel boats and large ocean racing yachts over the last 25 years, and I love them all. I have been a part of race teams for one design and mixed fleets, and I look forward to sharing my knowledge with you.
I have been with Kirkland Sailing Club since its inception, and I am a US Coast Guard Licensed Captain and US Sailing instructor.
Caroline Lemmens
Hi there, my name is Caroline Lemmens. I started sailing when I was 10 years old back in Belgium.
In Belgium I was a Youth Sailing Instructor and guided some kiddos to the Olympics before moving to the States.
After moving to Seattle, I got my US Coast Guard Captain’s License and US Sailing Basic Keel Boat Instructor Certificate.
I love Racing and am very passionate about getting more ladies on the water!
L A
Hello! My name is Laurie Anna – feel free to shorten that to “LA”. I grew up day-sailing in New York harbor and extended cruising throughout New England and along the eastern seaboard where I caught an insatiable bug for the ocean and a lifelong passion for sailing. After a short stint inland, I missed the salt water and sailboats and moved to the PNW – hard to believe that was 25 years ago! Since then, I have owned several sailboats and race many others – many events and adventures that have ranged from small one-design racing to larger ocean/offshore regattas where I have deepened my love for this sport! Most recently, I am keen to share my passion through teaching and coaching adults interested in learning to sail – specifically interested in getting more women into the sport of sailing, and enjoying time on the water. I’m excited to learn about your goals and share my passion and knowledge with you.
I am a US Coast Guard Licensed Captain and a US Sailing Instructor. Looking forward to meeting you!
Margaret Pommert
Hello! A Pacific NW native, I learned to sail here as a teenager, and have been a sailing instructor for over 20 years. I’m a US Sailing certified instructor for all courses from Basic Keelboat through Coastal Passagemaking. The Performance Sailing and Spinnaker course is one of my favorites!
I actively support other women in sailing, and in 2020 was honored with the National Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award by BoatUS/National Women’s Sailing Association.
