Instructors
Ben Bartels
Sr Instructor Middle Keys Sailing
Born and raised in the Florida Keys, I've been sailing since I was 9 years old and have spent the past five years sharing my passion for the sport as a sailing instructor for Middle Keys Sailing over the summer. Currently, I'm attending Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), but I always find my way back home to the Keys in my off time. My goal as a coach is to help sailors of all levels develop confidence, skill, and a love for sailing. Whether you're just starting or looking to refine your technique, I'm excited to be part of your journey on the water!
Jovanna Garcia
Jr Instructor Middle Keys Sailing
I have been sailing with Middle Keys Sailing for 10 years. I am currently working on my Junior US Sailing Level One Certification.
Betsy Lefler
MYC Educational Foundation Co-Chair
Betsy Lefler has been a avid, life-long sailor and shares that passion with Florida Keys youth as the 2018-2019 Chair of MYC Educational Foundation through their Middle Keys Sailing programs. Betsy learned to sail dinghies as a child in Deltaville, Virginia, and at Boston’s Community Boating on the Charles River. As a teen, she moved to keelboats in Marblehead, Massachusetts, where she crewed on and later skippered boats for over fifteen years, including numerous Marblehead to Halifax races. After moving to Annapolis, Maryland, Betsy enjoyed many more years racing and winning in keelboats. Betsy is a corporate and securities attorney. She is enjoying partial retirement cruising the eastern U.S., Canada and the Caribbean, and living in northern Maine while helping to Co-Chair the MYC Educational Foundation.
Sophia Hutchins
Instructor Middle Keys Sailing
I have been sailing with Middle Keys Sailing since I was eight, I graduated from Marathon High School this year and am currently getting my US Sailing Certification. I look forward to coaching this year and in the future.
Carol Shattuck
Director of Middle Keys Sailing
MYC Educational Foundation Co-Chair
I grew up learning to sail on an El Toro sailing dinghy also known as an American pram sailboat or a single handed one design racer. I also sailed lasers and sunfish. I moved up to keel boats, O’Day 25, and turned into a world cruiser on a Passport 42. I spent three years cruising around the world in the early 1980s. In 1997 my family moved to the Marshall Islands, Kwajalein Atoll, and spend 8 years living on a tropical island in the Pacific. There was a small fleet of Lasers, Sunfish and Cal 20 Sailboats. With our local yacht club support, I taught young island kids to sail. When I was not teaching, I may have been found crewing on a Cal 20 in a Friday evening race. My passion for sailing has never diminished. I moved to the Keys 5 years ago and discovered the Middle Keys Sailing group. I became a US Sailing Certified Instructor 4 years ago and I am now Co-Chair with Betsy Lefler of the Middle Keys Sailing program.