Sailing Events Association San Diego
The Sailing Events Association San Diego has been created to promote major sailboat racing events in San Diego for the benefit of the local economy. Direct beneficiaries include the tourism and hospitality industries and the tenants of the Unified Port of San Diego. The Port, the San Diego Tourism Marketing District and the cities are very supportive of the initiative.
Sailing Events Association San Diego Board
Sailing Events Association San Diego has been formed as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. The Board of SEA SD is comprised of leading San Diegans. The officers of Sailing Events Association San Diego are:
Chuck Nichols, Chairman of the Board
Staff Commodore of the San Diego Yacht Club and past President of both the America’s Cup ’95 and the San Diego Super Bowl Host Committee in 1998.
Tom Fetter, Vice Chairman of the Board
Emeritus Trustee of the Zoological Society of San Diego, Emeritus Director of the San Diego Port Tenants Association, Trustee and Past President of the San Diego Space and Science Foundation, Staff Commodore of San Diego Yacht Club, past Trustee of of the Stanford University Athletic Board. Tom is Chairman of T. Fetter & Co., Inc., and related companies engaged primarily is retail gasoline, convenience stores and car washing. Also develops, owns and manages commercial real estate.
John Laun, President and CEO and Board member
Lifelong sailboat racer, a long time member and a current Director of the San Diego Yacht Club. In his business career, he led large divisions in sales, marketing, and product development at major corporations and also provided leadership at entrepreneurial enterprises.
Mike McDowell, CFO and Board member
Executive Vice President/CEO of the San Diego Lodging Industry Association.
Dr. Ray Ashley Ph.D., Secretary and Board member
President of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
Troy Sears, Vice President Regatta Development and Board member
Owner of Next Level Sailing, which provides sailing experiences on the San Diego waterfront for visitors on board a replica of the yacht America and also on two recent America’s Cup racing yachts. Troy has been active in past America’s Cup regattas, including most recently as a part of the victorious BWM ORACLE team in San Diego and Spain.
David Bond, Board Member
Accomplished technology and program management strategist with a 25-year track record with a diverse range of organizations including SAIC, L-3 Communications/Linkabit Division, and Qualcomm. In addition, David is an avid sailor with a long history in San Diego racing and cruising coupled with volunteer activities for many non-profit/charitable organizations including Chairman of the Board of Directors for the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights, Staff Commodore of Silver Gate Yacht Club and the San Diego Association of Yacht Clubs and owner of San Diego Waterfront, a website devoted to San Diego Bay.
Jeff Brown, On Water and Airspace Coordinator/Liaison and Board member
President of JK3 Nautical Enterprises, boat dealers and brokers in the Southwestern United States. He is the owner of J/World Performance Sailing School, America’s top rated sailing school. Jeff has developed and led the building of several successful one design classes throughout Southern California and Hawaii. In addition to participating in offshore and local racing, he has been the chairman of multiple offshore and local regattas at San Diego Yacht Club. He has been active in past America’s Cup regattas, most recently in Valencia, Spain, and the recent America’s Cup World Series in Plymouth, England.
Ray Carpenter, Board member
President, RE Staite Engineering, Inc.
Sharon Cloward, Board Member
President of the San Diego Port Tenants Association. The Port Tenants Association represents over 300 businesses in the five cities that surround San Diego Bay and is an organization devoted to the best and highest use of a major public resource and to the responsible, fair and effective governance of that resource by the Port District. Sharon’s civic endeavors include volunteering numerous hours for America’s Cup ’92 and ’95 She was a Committee Member of the Superbowl Relations Committee, Past Chairman of Kona Kai International Yacht Clubs Annual Event (America’s Schooner Cup Races). Past President and current Board member of Fleet Week San Diego. Ms. Cloward is also the Founder of the SDPTA’s annual Bay clean up effort know as Operation Clean Sweep.
Bob Copeland, Board member
Partner – Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP.
JJ Fetter, Event Coordinator and Board member
JJ has won two Olympic medals in Sailing in the Women’s 470 class: Silver in the Sydney Olympics in 2000 with crew, Pease Glaser and Bronze in the Barcelona Olympics 1992 with crew Pamela Healy. JJ has also won two World Championships, numerous National and European titles and was a Collegiate All-American at Yale University. In 1995, she was the tactician and starting helmsman for America3 Women’s America’s Cup Team. JJ is a four-time recipient of the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award, was named to Sailing World Magazine’s Hall of Fame in 2005 and inducted into the San Diego Hall of Champions Hall of Fame in 2010. Fetter (formerly Isler) also co-authored Sailing for Dummies.
Alan Kidd, Board member
President, San Diego Sports Commission and San Diego Hall of Champions.
Andy La Dow, Board member
Staff Commodore, San Diego Yacht Club.
Dr. James Lonergan, PhD, Board member
Staff Commodore, Southwestern Yacht Club.
Geoff Longenecker, PhD, Board member
Rear Commodore, Southwestern Yacht Club.
Mike Morton, Board member
Has spent his career in the restaurant industry running the Brigantine Family of Restaurants; a company he and his wife Barbara founded in 1969. He has served on and chaired many boards in San Diego over the years including President San Diego Rotary Club, President San Diego Restaurant Association, Vice Chairman San Diego Trust Bank and the Board of the Maritime Museum. Mike served as Commodore of the San Diego Yacht Club when the America’s Cup was last sailed in San Diego in 1995. He presently serves on the San Diego Yacht Club Sailing Foundation Board of Directors.
Ed Plant, PhD, Board member
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce representative.
Tom Voss, Board member
President Manchester Grand Resorts, San Diego ConVis Board member.
