CAPTAIN FORREST
Forrest grew up sailing classic wooden boats on the Hudson River in his hometown of Cold Spring, NY. At age ten he was sailing and attending sleep away sailing camps during summer vacations. In highschool Forrest began building his very own wooden boat, a 16ft Cat Ketch sharpie. He attended Brandeis University sailing competitively for all four years, acting as team captain for two. During that time Forrest also taught keelboat sailing in Boston Harbor part time and during the summers. After graduating in 2013 with a degree in English Literature and Public Health, Forrest took time off to travel through Europe and India before finally ending up in Thailand. There he taught sailing on small boats and skippered a Freedom 40 while living on the small island of Koh Tao in the gulf of Thailand.
After discovering his passion for traveling and finding that traveling and sailing went hand in hand he has had the opportunity to sail and travel all over the world. Forrest spent a season racing a 76 foot superyacht all up and down the East coast. After racing he returned to Mystic Seaport, where he learned to sail as a child, to work for their community sailing program teaching children and adults. After spending a winter in the North East he decided that a move to warmer climates was in order. He was able to find a sailboat heading south to the US Virgin Islands and set off offshore.
Forrest spent several years in the Virgin Islands, working for the St. Thomas Yacht Club and helping to found the new St. Thomas Sailing center. There he was certified as a US Sailing Basic Keelboat, Basic Cruising, Bareboat Cruising and Coastal Navigation instructor. He also was able to attain a US Coast Guard 50 ton Captain’s license at the same time. Shortly thereafter the islands were struck by two of the most powerful hurricanes to come out of the Atlantic Ocean, hurricanes Irma and Maria. Forrest spent the next six months helping to repair and refit heavily storm damaged boats mostly without power, learning a lot about fiberglass and sailboat repair in the process.
Since returning from the Caribbean, Forrest spent several seasons working at various yacht clubs in Charleston, South Carolina and Melbourne, Australia teaching sailing and managing sailing programs. In 2019, Forrest first met Captain Paul and decided to move back to Boston to join the Black Rock Sailing Team. He became certified to teach ASA 101, 103, 104 and 105 and hasn’t looked back since! Forrest particularly enjoys the ability to sail in two of his favorite sailing areas, Boston in the summer and the Virgin Islands in the winter while being able to do some offshore sailing while delivering the boats back and forth in the Spring and Fall.
- As a student at Maine Maritime Academy, Brenton received extensive training on a variety of sail and commercial powerboats up to 600 feet in length. As a freshman, he was asked to develop and administer sailing curriculum to all underclassman to meet their physical education requirement. He became a certified skipper in the school’s cruising program and was chosen to be the alternate helmsman/main-trim for the school’s offshore racing team.While at the Academy, Brenton gained extensive local knowledge of waters from Maine to New York City and at age 19, he started his own private yacht delivery service between Cape Cod and Penobscot Bay; moving boats between these prime cruising grounds.
After school, Brenton continued his career as a US Sailing Instructor in Westport, CT, until taking an opportunity to move to the British Virgin Islands to sail year-round as a sailing instructor/school manager and freelance charter-boat captain in 1995.
In 1998, the Vice President of US Sailing asked Brenton to move up to Greenwich, CT to start a new community sailing program. Within the first week of operation, the school became the second largest junior sailing program on Long Island Sound, earning national recognition from US Sailing as the “Outstanding New Program, 1998.” Within a few years, this program would grow into one of the largest sailing programs in the North East.
During the off-season, Brenton delivered yachts of all makes, models, and sizes throughout New England, down the Eastern Seaboard, and offshore into the Caribbean. He taught boating safety courses most weekends and had a successful high school coaching career, helping a young team take top honors at the county and state level after a few seasons.
Brenton was asked to be featured in the US Sailing Small Boat Sailor online training videos and to be a guest speaker at US Sailing Symposiums. He has worked as a consultant to various community sailing programs throughout New England, and has been called upon by numerous yacht clubs to help create and administer special learn to sail/race programs. Brenton is also one of twelve coaches hired to help run the North U Race Week; a premier racing boot camp held annually down in Captiva Island, FL, whenever his schedule allows.
Over the years, Brenton has been mentored by industry leaders from around the country, given the opportunity to interact with world-class instructors from around the globe, and has held senior management/instructional positions at award winning programs within the United States and abroad.
He is currently American Sailing Association (ASA) Instructor Certified up to the Advanced Coastal Cruising (106) Level, and a USCG licensed captain.
Brenton moved to Marblehead, MA in 2005 to work as a yacht broker while providing instruction and yacht delivery services aboard privately owned vessels. He decided to live aboard his 45 foot ketch out of Boston Harbor from 2007 through 2008, before returning to Marblehead to settle.
In 2008, Brenton founded Black Rock Sailing School. In it’s first five years of operation, BRSS was nationally recognized as ASA Outstanding School of the Year (every year that this award was offered), and Brenton was awarded ASA Outstanding Instructor in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015!
- As a student at Maine Maritime Academy, Brenton received extensive training on a variety of sail and commercial powerboats up to 600 feet in length. As a freshman, he was asked to develop and administer sailing curriculum to all underclassman to meet their physical education requirement. He became a certified skipper in the school’s cruising program and was chosen to be the alternate helmsman/main-trim for the school’s offshore racing team.While at the Academy, Brenton gained extensive local knowledge of waters from Maine to New York City and at age 19, he started his own private yacht delivery service between Cape Cod and Penobscot Bay; moving boats between these prime cruising grounds.
After school, Brenton continued his career as a US Sailing Instructor in Westport, CT, until taking an opportunity to move to the British Virgin Islands to sail year-round as a sailing instructor/school manager and freelance charter-boat captain in 1995.
In 1998, the Vice President of US Sailing asked Brenton to move up to Greenwich, CT to start a new community sailing program. Within the first week of operation, the school became the second largest junior sailing program on Long Island Sound, earning national recognition from US Sailing as the “Outstanding New Program, 1998.” Within a few years, this program would grow into one of the largest sailing programs in the North East.
During the off-season, Brenton delivered yachts of all makes, models, and sizes throughout New England, down the Eastern Seaboard, and offshore into the Caribbean. He taught boating safety courses most weekends and had a successful high school coaching career, helping a young team take top honors at the county and state level after a few seasons.
Brenton was asked to be featured in the US Sailing Small Boat Sailor online training videos and to be a guest speaker at US Sailing Symposiums. He has worked as a consultant to various community sailing programs throughout New England, and has been called upon by numerous yacht clubs to help create and administer special learn to sail/race programs. Brenton is also one of twelve coaches hired to help run the North U Race Week; a premier racing boot camp held annually down in Captiva Island, FL, whenever his schedule allows.
Over the years, Brenton has been mentored by industry leaders from around the country, given the opportunity to interact with world-class instructors from around the globe, and has held senior management/instructional positions at award winning programs within the United States and abroad.
He is currently American Sailing Association (ASA) Instructor Certified up to the Advanced Coastal Cruising (106) Level, and a USCG licensed captain.
Brenton moved to Marblehead, MA in 2005 to work as a yacht broker while providing instruction and yacht delivery services aboard privately owned vessels. He decided to live aboard his 45 foot ketch out of Boston Harbor from 2007 through 2008, before returning to Marblehead to settle.
In 2008, Brenton founded Black Rock Sailing School. In it’s first five years of operation, BRSS was nationally recognized as ASA Outstanding School of the Year (every year that this award was offered), and Brenton was awarded ASA Outstanding Instructor in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015!
- As a student at Maine Maritime Academy, Brenton received extensive training on a variety of sail and commercial powerboats up to 600 feet in length. As a freshman, he was asked to develop and administer sailing curriculum to all underclassman to meet their physical education requirement. He became a certified skipper in the school’s cruising program and was chosen to be the alternate helmsman/main-trim for the school’s offshore racing team.While at the Academy, Brenton gained extensive local knowledge of waters from Maine to New York City and at age 19, he started his own private yacht delivery service between Cape Cod and Penobscot Bay; moving boats between these prime cruising grounds.
After school, Brenton continued his career as a US Sailing Instructor in Westport, CT, until taking an opportunity to move to the British Virgin Islands to sail year-round as a sailing instructor/school manager and freelance charter-boat captain in 1995.
In 1998, the Vice President of US Sailing asked Brenton to move up to Greenwich, CT to start a new community sailing program. Within the first week of operation, the school became the second largest junior sailing program on Long Island Sound, earning national recognition from US Sailing as the “Outstanding New Program, 1998.” Within a few years, this program would grow into one of the largest sailing programs in the North East.
During the off-season, Brenton delivered yachts of all makes, models, and sizes throughout New England, down the Eastern Seaboard, and offshore into the Caribbean. He taught boating safety courses most weekends and had a successful high school coaching career, helping a young team take top honors at the county and state level after a few seasons.
Brenton was asked to be featured in the US Sailing Small Boat Sailor online training videos and to be a guest speaker at US Sailing Symposiums. He has worked as a consultant to various community sailing programs throughout New England, and has been called upon by numerous yacht clubs to help create and administer special learn to sail/race programs. Brenton is also one of twelve coaches hired to help run the North U Race Week; a premier racing boot camp held annually down in Captiva Island, FL, whenever his schedule allows.
Over the years, Brenton has been mentored by industry leaders from around the country, given the opportunity to interact with world-class instructors from around the globe, and has held senior management/instructional positions at award winning programs within the United States and abroad.
He is currently American Sailing Association (ASA) Instructor Certified up to the Advanced Coastal Cruising (106) Level, and a USCG licensed captain.
Brenton moved to Marblehead, MA in 2005 to work as a yacht broker while providing instruction and yacht delivery services aboard privately owned vessels. He decided to live aboard his 45 foot ketch out of Boston Harbor from 2007 through 2008, before returning to Marblehead to settle.
In 2008, Brenton founded Black Rock Sailing School. In it’s first five years of operation, BRSS was nationally recognized as ASA Outstanding School of the Year (every year that this award was offered), and Brenton was awarded ASA Outstanding Instructor in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015!
- As a student at Maine Maritime Academy, Brenton received extensive training on a variety of sail and commercial powerboats up to 600 feet in length. As a freshman, he was asked to develop and administer sailing curriculum to all underclassman to meet their physical education requirement. He became a certified skipper in the school’s cruising program and was chosen to be the alternate helmsman/main-trim for the school’s offshore racing team.While at the Academy, Brenton gained extensive local knowledge of waters from Maine to New York City and at age 19, he started his own private yacht delivery service between Cape Cod and Penobscot Bay; moving boats between these prime cruising grounds.
After school, Brenton continued his career as a US Sailing Instructor in Westport, CT, until taking an opportunity to move to the British Virgin Islands to sail year-round as a sailing instructor/school manager and freelance charter-boat captain in 1995.
In 1998, the Vice President of US Sailing asked Brenton to move up to Greenwich, CT to start a new community sailing program. Within the first week of operation, the school became the second largest junior sailing program on Long Island Sound, earning national recognition from US Sailing as the “Outstanding New Program, 1998.” Within a few years, this program would grow into one of the largest sailing programs in the North East.
During the off-season, Brenton delivered yachts of all makes, models, and sizes throughout New England, down the Eastern Seaboard, and offshore into the Caribbean. He taught boating safety courses most weekends and had a successful high school coaching career, helping a young team take top honors at the county and state level after a few seasons.
Brenton was asked to be featured in the US Sailing Small Boat Sailor online training videos and to be a guest speaker at US Sailing Symposiums. He has worked as a consultant to various community sailing programs throughout New England, and has been called upon by numerous yacht clubs to help create and administer special learn to sail/race programs. Brenton is also one of twelve coaches hired to help run the North U Race Week; a premier racing boot camp held annually down in Captiva Island, FL, whenever his schedule allows.
Over the years, Brenton has been mentored by industry leaders from around the country, given the opportunity to interact with world-class instructors from around the globe, and has held senior management/instructional positions at award winning programs within the United States and abroad.
He is currently American Sailing Association (ASA) Instructor Certified up to the Advanced Coastal Cruising (106) Level, and a USCG licensed captain.
Brenton moved to Marblehead, MA in 2005 to work as a yacht broker while providing instruction and yacht delivery services aboard privately owned vessels. He decided to live aboard his 45 foot ketch out of Boston Harbor from 2007 through 2008, before returning to Marblehead to settle.
In 2008, Brenton founded Black Rock Sailing School. In it’s first five years of operation, BRSS was nationally recognized as ASA Outstanding School of the Year (every year that this award was offered), and Brenton was awarded ASA Outstanding Instructor in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015!