Sophia Josenhans - Head Instructor
Sophia is a CanSail certified instructor of all levels, but loves racing most of all. This is her second year coaching here at LYC, it will be her 6 th year as an instructor. Sophia grew up sailing and racing out of LYC where she competed in the opti, 420, and laser classes, as well as racing keelboats with her family. She attends the University of Kings College in Halifax where she plays on their varsity volleyball team, she believes being an athlete helps a person grow and makes them a better learner.
Known for being punctual and prepared she hopes to teach her sailors useful skills and push their limits.
Hometown: Lunenburg
Best Sailing Story: Competing in ARK as a first time laser sailor and winning a race, the support from my coach and teammates gave me confidence and reminded me all the reasons I love sailing, even during stressful competitions.
Favourite Aspect of Sailing: How it combines both physical and mental challenges.
Favourite Ice Cream: Mint Chocolate Chip
Nickname: Sophie or Soph
Sophia is a CanSail certified instructor of all levels, but loves racing most of all. This is her second year coaching here at LYC, it will be her 6 th year as an instructor. Sophia grew up sailing and racing out of LYC where she competed in the opti, 420, and laser classes, as well as racing keelboats with her family. She attends the University of Kings College in Halifax where she plays on their varsity volleyball team, she believes being an athlete helps a person grow and makes them a better learner.
Known for being punctual and prepared she hopes to teach her sailors useful skills and push their limits.
Hometown: Lunenburg
Best Sailing Story: Competing in ARK as a first time laser sailor and winning a race, the support from my coach and teammates gave me confidence and reminded me all the reasons I love sailing, even during stressful competitions.
Favourite Aspect of Sailing: How it combines both physical and mental challenges.
Favourite Ice Cream: Mint Chocolate Chip
Nickname: Sophie or Soph
Ben Halverson
Ben is talented sailor who will be guiding our advanced Optis, for his first year of instructing at LYC. Expect to hear plenty of calls to “roll tack,” followed by “great work, guys!” Sailing, he says, “is not all about winning, it's about getting better!” And, Ben says, if you want to get better at something, you need to put the time in, and have plenty of fun while doing it.
Hometown: Lunenburg
Best Sailing Story: One of my most memorable sailing stories was attending my first regatta 2010 Opti Jam. I learned so much, had a great experience, and from then on was absolutely hooked.
Favorite Ice Cream: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Nickname: Ben
Ben is talented sailor who will be guiding our advanced Optis, for his first year of instructing at LYC. Expect to hear plenty of calls to “roll tack,” followed by “great work, guys!” Sailing, he says, “is not all about winning, it's about getting better!” And, Ben says, if you want to get better at something, you need to put the time in, and have plenty of fun while doing it.
Hometown: Lunenburg
Best Sailing Story: One of my most memorable sailing stories was attending my first regatta 2010 Opti Jam. I learned so much, had a great experience, and from then on was absolutely hooked.
Favorite Ice Cream: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Nickname: Ben
Bailey Fenton
Bailey is excited to begin her first year coaching at LYC. She has sailed everyday all summer for the past 5 years and has been on the race team for the past two years, finishing off last season with competing at C420 youth nationals. Bailey attends Dalhousie University studying ocean science and is on the Dal sailing team executive for next year. The most important lesson she wants to teach her students is to never give up, because although learning the basics may be frustrating at first, it is so rewarding to finally understand sailing and you’ll be hooked forever.
Hometown: Oakville, Ontario
Best sailing story: Last year, the first day of the Bay Wind Regatta was very windy, as St. Margaret’s Bay usually is. I just remember seeing the waves and the huge gusts moving across the water and being so sure that my skipper and I weren’t able to handle it, as we were a smaller 420 team. But as tough as it was, we made it through the races with good results. The feeling of accomplishment I had after that was beyond incredible, as I had realized that all of my hard work had paid off.
Nickname: Bails
Bailey is excited to begin her first year coaching at LYC. She has sailed everyday all summer for the past 5 years and has been on the race team for the past two years, finishing off last season with competing at C420 youth nationals. Bailey attends Dalhousie University studying ocean science and is on the Dal sailing team executive for next year. The most important lesson she wants to teach her students is to never give up, because although learning the basics may be frustrating at first, it is so rewarding to finally understand sailing and you’ll be hooked forever.
Hometown: Oakville, Ontario
Best sailing story: Last year, the first day of the Bay Wind Regatta was very windy, as St. Margaret’s Bay usually is. I just remember seeing the waves and the huge gusts moving across the water and being so sure that my skipper and I weren’t able to handle it, as we were a smaller 420 team. But as tough as it was, we made it through the races with good results. The feeling of accomplishment I had after that was beyond incredible, as I had realized that all of my hard work had paid off.
Nickname: Bails
Evan Burns
Evan has spent every summer on the waters of Mahone Bay. He began his sailing training at age 8 and has raced both Opti and laser radial.
Evan has been a member of the NS provincial prospect team for the past 3 years. Evans a qualified Cansail 3-4 instructor and is looking forward to his first year coaching at LYC
HOMETOWN: Halifax
FAVOURITE SAILING MEMORY: training in Pwhelli, Wales for Opti European regatta. Only the Canadian and German team braved the exteme winds one day to train. Most wind I’ve ever sailed in
Evan has spent every summer on the waters of Mahone Bay. He began his sailing training at age 8 and has raced both Opti and laser radial.
Evan has been a member of the NS provincial prospect team for the past 3 years. Evans a qualified Cansail 3-4 instructor and is looking forward to his first year coaching at LYC
HOMETOWN: Halifax
FAVOURITE SAILING MEMORY: training in Pwhelli, Wales for Opti European regatta. Only the Canadian and German team braved the exteme winds one day to train. Most wind I’ve ever sailed in
Sawyer Bailly
Sawyer is looking forward to her first year as an instructor at LYC! She has spent the summers on Herman’s Island since for as long as she can remember, and participated in the LTS program from ages 8-15. Some of her favourite memories were made during her summers spent at sailing. She is very excited to give back to this great program as a Wetfoot instructor this summer . She want kids of all ages to feel happy and safe during their days at LYC and hopes to to help them grow to love the sport of sailing and enjoy their time on the water- because there's nothing better!
Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Favourite Sailing memory: There are so many! It is probably the LTS to Mahone Bay Race Day. I looked forward to the full day of sailing with my friends so much when I was a kid and loved spending the day in the sun and eating lunch on the Mahone Bay Dock. It was definitely one of my favourite days of the summer
Sawyer is looking forward to her first year as an instructor at LYC! She has spent the summers on Herman’s Island since for as long as she can remember, and participated in the LTS program from ages 8-15. Some of her favourite memories were made during her summers spent at sailing. She is very excited to give back to this great program as a Wetfoot instructor this summer . She want kids of all ages to feel happy and safe during their days at LYC and hopes to to help them grow to love the sport of sailing and enjoy their time on the water- because there's nothing better!
Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Favourite Sailing memory: There are so many! It is probably the LTS to Mahone Bay Race Day. I looked forward to the full day of sailing with my friends so much when I was a kid and loved spending the day in the sun and eating lunch on the Mahone Bay Dock. It was definitely one of my favourite days of the summer
Nora Livesey
Nora began her sailing journey in Australia at the age of 11 as a Canadian expat. After years of
sailing an Opti and successfully competing at the Australian Opti Nationals, she then moved into
sailing a Laser 4.7. In addition to sailing as an Optimist State Development Squad member in
Victoria, AU; Nora is an alumist of the both the Youth and the Women’s Keelboat Squads at
South of Perth YC in Western Australia ~ sailing the BW8 and Foundation 36 respectively. After
gaining several years of competitive sailing experience overseas, she moved back to Canada
with her family in 2016 and spent her first summer sailing out of LYC.
Hometown: Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Favorite Sailing Memory: Sailing as an invited Optimist class at the ISAF World Cup
Championship in Melbourne, Australia. It was a heart-pumping; mind-bending, body-testing
event where I got to hang out with olympic sailors, international sail team members, and
compete with some pretty talented Optimist sailors from across Australia and around the world.
Favorite Aspect of Sailing: I love the adrenaline rush of racing; hanging out with fellow
competitors; meeting new people; and pushing myself outside my comfort zone.
Nora began her sailing journey in Australia at the age of 11 as a Canadian expat. After years of
sailing an Opti and successfully competing at the Australian Opti Nationals, she then moved into
sailing a Laser 4.7. In addition to sailing as an Optimist State Development Squad member in
Victoria, AU; Nora is an alumist of the both the Youth and the Women’s Keelboat Squads at
South of Perth YC in Western Australia ~ sailing the BW8 and Foundation 36 respectively. After
gaining several years of competitive sailing experience overseas, she moved back to Canada
with her family in 2016 and spent her first summer sailing out of LYC.
Hometown: Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Favorite Sailing Memory: Sailing as an invited Optimist class at the ISAF World Cup
Championship in Melbourne, Australia. It was a heart-pumping; mind-bending, body-testing
event where I got to hang out with olympic sailors, international sail team members, and
compete with some pretty talented Optimist sailors from across Australia and around the world.
Favorite Aspect of Sailing: I love the adrenaline rush of racing; hanging out with fellow
competitors; meeting new people; and pushing myself outside my comfort zone.
Madelyn Chaisson
Madelyn, grew up racing keelboats and raced C420’s out of LYC. She has sailed in the LTS program for as long as she can remember, and is counting down the days until the sailing season starts again! Madelyn loves kids and is looking forward to meeting who she will be coaching this summer. She’s excited to able to give back to the LTS program, and to be given the chance to show her students how much fun sailing can be!
Hometown: Lunenburg, NS
Favourite Sailing Memory: I have so many memories from sailing at LYC! I think my favourite would have to be last summer at the Bay Wind regatta. My partner and I really came together as a team and our confidence in what we could accomplish together soared. Especially after seeing results we realized that the work we put in really did pay off.
Favourite Ice Cream: Coffee Mocha Fudge
Nickname: Maddie
Madelyn, grew up racing keelboats and raced C420’s out of LYC. She has sailed in the LTS program for as long as she can remember, and is counting down the days until the sailing season starts again! Madelyn loves kids and is looking forward to meeting who she will be coaching this summer. She’s excited to able to give back to the LTS program, and to be given the chance to show her students how much fun sailing can be!
Hometown: Lunenburg, NS
Favourite Sailing Memory: I have so many memories from sailing at LYC! I think my favourite would have to be last summer at the Bay Wind regatta. My partner and I really came together as a team and our confidence in what we could accomplish together soared. Especially after seeing results we realized that the work we put in really did pay off.
Favourite Ice Cream: Coffee Mocha Fudge
Nickname: Maddie
