Arn Manella
WATERFRONT COORDINATOR

Arn came from a family of non-sailors, but during his twenty-three years of service in the US Marines, he sailed the world over. Fifty-foot fishing sloops in Viet Nam, Larks and Tomtits in Pakistan and assorted boats at US Naval facilities: Widgens, El Toros, Cal 20’s, Rhodes 19’s, etc.  Following retirement in 1988, he followed the advice of a friend “If you can make what you love to do your job. . . you never have to go to work!” That philosophy brought him to be the head sailing instructor at SAIL TO PREVAIL from 1993-1995.

Arn has also worked as the director for the youth sailing program at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and the Southern Cross Adaptive Maritime Program, for sailors with special needs. He was awarded US Sailing Community Sailing Director of the Year in 1994 for Outreach and Inclusion.

Arn brings his years of devotion and experience back to SAIL TO PREVAIL Newport. His philosophy is that instructors bring sailing to the clients, therefore he makes sure instructors are capable of teaching participants how to sail, and not just to take them for a ride! Each sailor that comes down to the SAL-Newport docks is prepared from day one to begin the journey that, we hope, will match their most ardent and personally satisfying desires. Sailing provides each member an opportunity to find their niche, develop self-confidence, knowledge of how things work, and how interdependent they can be. They begin to establish social networks, thus broadening their appreciation for what they can do, by observing the abilities and interests of others. Lastly, they demonstrate to their family, friends and significant others that they are capable of living in a world of endless opportunity.