Our Staff
 Joel Labuzetta: Junior Program Director
Joel is in his fourth year as Director at SSA. Joel grew up in Rochester, NY where he sailed for his high school team. He continued to sail at the College of Charleston, where he graduated in 2007 with a BS in Psychology. During his Junior and Senior year, while Joel was Captain of the team, the Cougars won five national championships as well as the Fowle Trophy, which is awarded yearly to the best overall team in college sailing. Joel has been both a head coach and program director for several yacht clubs in the northeast, with a focus on 420s and Optis. He has also worked in Switzerland for two years doing research and marketing work for the engineering firm Creaholic SA.
 Arthur Blodgett: 420 Travel Team
Arthur is excited to be coaching the 420 Race team for a third year at SSA! Arthur has been sailing and racing since the early nineties, first in Maine, and then at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg FL. He graduated from Eckerd in 2009 with a major in history and was an ICSA All American Honorable Mention skipper his senior year. In addition to SSA, Arthur has Coached at Northwestern University, and HB Plant High School, coaching his teams to ICSA Team Race and ISSA Mallory nationals with these teams respectively. He races actively in Snipes, J24s and V15s.
 Alicija Bulota: Harbor Rookies / Opti Beginner
Alicija is from Annapolis, where she sailed for Broadneck High School out of SSA. As a senior and starting A-Division crew, she helped her team go to both the Mallory Fleet Race Nationals and Baker Team Race Nationals and finish top 10 in both events. She is a rising junior at St. Mary's College of Maryland where she is a member of the varsity sailing team and earning a degree in Natural Science and a minor in Studio Art. This is Alicija's third summer at SSA.
 Max Elcik
Max grew up in Annapolis, first sailing Optis at the Annapolis Yacht Club and later moving to 420s at the Severn Sailing Association. While attending Archbishop Spalding High School he raced competitively on the school team. He is currently attending Old Dominion University where he is a rising sophomore earning a degree in Music Production.
 Sam Elcik: Harbor Rookies / 420 Mates
Sam has grown up sailing in Annapolis, starting in Optis at the Annapolis Yacht Club and moving to 420s at the Severn Sailing Association. He raced competitively throughout high school at SSA while attending Archbishop Spalding. He previously worked at the Annapolis Sailing School for four years teaching all levels of sailing. He is currently working on a biochemistry degree and going into his junior year at the College of Charleston. This is Sam's second summer with SSA.
 Mike Saldi: 420 Chesapeake team
Mike grew up in Annapolis and learned to sail Optis and 420s at SSA. He raced in local regattas on the Chesapeake and also travelled to larger events like the Buzzards Bay Regatta. Mike attended the Severn School where he sailed competitively in high school. He helped bring his team to three consecutive Mallory fleet race nationals ('09, '10, '11) where he skippered B division, and 2 consecutive Baker team race nationals. Mike has several years of coaching experience on the Bay. He is a rising sophomore at Boston University's School of Management where he is an active member of the sailing team.
 Matt Schoene
Matt is from Annapolis and has grown up sailing at SSA. He raced Optis competitively before moving up to Lasers and 420s as he continued through the Junior Program. He attended Broadneck High School where he was the captain of the varsity sailing team. Matt helped the Bruins to both High School National championships; the Mallory Fleet Race and Baker Team Race. Currently he is a rising Junior majoring in Marine Engineering and attaining his US Coast Guard 3rd Assistant Engineers License at SUNY Maritime where he is also on the varsity sailing team.
 Melissa Trost: Head Instructor
Melissa grew up sailing on Lake Erie. She learned to sail and race with her family at the Erie Yacht Club on dinghies and keel boats. She took sailing lessons and Jr. raced for the Reyburn Sailing School at the Erie Yacht Club in Optis, FJs and 420s. From there Melissa went on to be an instructor at the same program. After working at Erie, she was off to college at the University of Pittsburgh, where she did no sailing but was a founding member of the co-ed and the women's water polo team. In college Melissa spent her summers instructing at multiple places in New York and spent a few summers at the San Francisco Yacht Club. She graduated from college not knowing what to do so besides teaching sailing so she went back to school and earned a Masters in Education. Melissa now lives here in Maryland and teaches 9th grade world history.
 Kate Wysocki
Kate grew up in Annapolis and sailed competively both with the Annapolis Yacht Club 420 Race Team and as a member of the Nationally-competitive Severn School. She is a currently majoring in Human Development at Boston College where she is a member of their varsity sailing team.
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