SOCIAL ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR
Genevieve Lindsay
social@scow.org

Genevieve started sailing at 18 months old on the Elizabeth River, Willoughby Spit, the Lower Bay, and then ICW to the Bahamas. My brother and I built a mahogany sailing pram in our family’s dining room and our picture was in Wooden Boat Magazine, I was the first girl sea scout on “Skipjack Norfolk”, and sailed Flying Juniors at NYCC. My family sailed the ICW to the Bahamas to take our 40’ ketch, Nike, back to her Man O’ War birthplace. I was a marina rat at Rebel Marine and a dockmaster for the city of Norfolk. I’ve crewed on bigger boats to include the Steel Rebel, Skipjack Norfolk, and a Hatteras yacht between 70-80’ and a Buddy Davis. I was away from sailing after a lapse in judgement and am so glad I found my people through SCOW.  Professionally, I work for George Mason in Admissions but I taught elementary school for 15 years and I worked in Membership Marketing for BOAT/U.S. for 7 years (hello, boat shows and new retail openings). I foisted my sailing addiction onto my son, who is almost 16, owner of HayMaker FS 4354.

TRAINING DIRECTOR
Allen Flanigan

training@scow.org
Allen Flanigan grew up in Connecticut and got his first exposure to sailboats (Sunfish) on the Connecticut shoreline at a family picnic. While studying Physics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute from 1978-1982, he learned to sail lasers on Indian Lake in Worcester MA, and also spent 7 weeks doing a college project at Mystic Seaport Museum, surrounded by classic wooden sailboats, some of which he actually got to sail. A career at the US Patent and Trademark Office brought him to Alexandria, VA and the Potomac River. Occasional boat rentals at WSM and while on vacation at Cape Cod led to his first boat purchase. Shortly after joining Hobie fleet 196 and becoming active in the fleet, long time SCOW member Bennett Ackerman and his wife Jean enlisted Allen's help with their Montgomery County Special Olympic sailing program.. In 1999 Allen sailed with Virginia athlete Kirsten Stone in the Special Olympics World Games and went on to start a Virginia Special Olympic sailing program in Alexandria. His Patent Office career gave him the flexibility to pursue his sailing passion and other hobbies while raising a family. He joined SCOW in 2017 and lives a busy retired life. He can often be seen out on the Potomac on various sailboats, or at the marina working on his own boats or helping other people with theirs.

RIVER/BAY ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR
Marie Brennan
river@scow.org

Marie was first introduced to sailing on Martha’s Vineyard as a child and then had the opportunity to work on a 72’ schooner in Newport, RI while in college. She joined SCOW in 2013 and became a Scot Skipper in 2014 and is currently working on becoming a cruiser skipper. When she is not playing on the water, she works as a mental health therapist to low income families and veterans in DC. She enjoys life on a houseboat and gets to enjoy the water 24/7. 

MAINTENANCE DIRECTOR FLYING SCOTS
Dana Howe
scotmaint@scow.org

Dana first started sailing Flying Scots at the Pensacola Navy Yacht Club while attending Navy Photo School in the 1980’s. He joined SCOW in 2017 and adopted Sunset Song as his favorite club boat until he bought his own boat “Double D” (named after himself and his sailing partner Dick Kerr) in the Fall of 2019. He participates in the Flying Scot Wednesday Night Racing program and goes on the road occasionally to enter local area regattas.

MAINTENANCE DIRECTOR CRUISERS
Barry Yatt
cruisermaint@scow.org

With a last name of Yatt (pronounced like “Yacht”), growing up in Baltimore (but without access to sailing), and a lifelong interest in sailboats (mostly reading and dreaming), it was just a matter of time (far too much) before Barry found SCOW in 2014. He gained his first experiences race crewing for John and Elisabeth Graham and Bill Davenport, then bought and restored "Anchovy", a 1967 O'Day Javelin 14, became a Scot and cruiser skipper, served SCOW as Membership Director and, in 2021 became bosun for "Rebecca" and began restoring "Sun Daze", a 1987 Seaward 22.

Barry is now retired after a 4½ decade career as an architect, educator, author, and property manager (which partially informs his work as a bosun) He lives in Arlington with his non-sailor wife, Sandy, and DC-resident adult son, Ben.

RACING DIRECTOR
Bonnie Sylwester
racing@scow.org
Bonnie started sailing and racing in 2009 when she moved to Honolulu, Hawaii for graduate school. She stayed in Hawaii for eight years and raced as much as possible – participating in Friday and Wednesday night races, and weekend in-shore, off-shore, and inter-island races. She started by crewing on big boats, a Beneteau First 40.7, J-44, Humboldt 30, and worked her way down to smaller boats like Solings and I-14s. For five years, she owned a Cal 20 and skippered it in Wednesday night races. Since moving to Virginia five years ago, she’s been active in SCOW’s Wednesday night racing program and participated in local and regional Flying Scot regattas. When not sailing, she works at George Mason University and lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

Interim MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
Josh Morin
membership@scow.org

SKIPPER DIRECTOR
Eric Schmidt

skipper@scow.org
Eric learned sailing as a teenager on Saranac Lake, NY with summer camp friends; next, a two-week Chesapeake Bay passage learning basic seamanship, navigation, mooring, and safety at sea. In recent years Eric has crewed 19-47' sailboats, raced 19-37.5' sailboats, and crewed passages in the Caribbean Sea, North Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Chesapeake Bay. Eric joined SCOW in early 2019 after approaching SCOW Trainer Neil Shepherd at the WSM Cranes and requesting a sailing lesson; it was time to commit to the process of 'Becoming a Skipper.' Having the good fortune of many SCOW Skipper lessons at events such as WNR, Thursday Social Sail, & River and Bay Activities - Eric passed his Flying Scot Checkout in 2020 and received access to "Sail according to SCOW Standards" and continue learning boat handling, boat management and self-reliance on the tidal waters and gusty winds of the Potomac River. This process continues as a life-long challenge of continual learning, self-assessment, and improvement. In 2022, Eric became Skipper Director, as well as an active SCOW Cruiser Tutor, supporting members in their Cruiser Skipper certification process.