2024 SEASON
Come sail with us!
Director of Sails
Rob Rackliff
Meet our Director of Sails, Rob Rackliff.
Rob has been with our program for over fifteen years. He came to us with a boatload of experience and credentials. His sail log began in the local waters of Long Island sound expanding and then ranging out to Montauk Block Island, the Vineyard, Buzzards Bay and up through Portland ME. Eventually he had the opportunity to sail both coasts of Florida from Fort Myers to Tampa, including bareboat chartering the East Coast to include Hawks Channel cruising in and around some of the many Florida Keys. Lastly, he skippered and explored a small patch of tropical waters in the Caribbean, namely the warm waters of the USVI’s and the BVI’s.
After 2002, retired from UConn, he approached SailCTAccess to join their terrific sail program. He was tasked to teach sailing and work with individuals with special needs. He presented the SailCtAccess board with some solid boating potential. Successfully completing the coursework for Captain’s license at the Northeast Maritime institute he was awarded his USCG merchant Marines officer potential‘s in 12/2002 being sworn in at the Coast Guard station in New Haven. This is a 100 ton offshore credential. He followed up at the Vineyard Maritime Company 04/2003 to receive a USCG sail and towing endorsement. Lastly he passed the requirements to receive his FCC Marine Radio Operators Permit in 05/2003.
Today Rob is the President of SailCtAccess and keeps the program going. Managing all the requests from organizational groups and private parties, ensuring that
each person has completed their required forms, required registration forms, and daily sailing logs while ensuring that all of the SailCtAccess boats are in full working order and prepared for all safety, weather and passenger conditions, you will also find Rob constantly looking for, or training new staff. a Its a tough job, thankfully, Rob's on it!
Do you share Rob's passion for sailing and helping others experience the best of Connecticut. Please contact Rob at the phone or email below.
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We trust you’re in good hands with our Sail Program Director. So come sail with Rob and our members to include our great staff a dedicated skippers, mates and volunteers.
Bob Franco, Skipper
Robert (Bob) Franco, Skipper
Bob's passion is to make all his sailing trips fun and enjoyable. He often employs humor and will even resort to 'pirate quotes' to give his passengers an extra show of fun, and release any tension or apprehension for newbies. Of course, non of his humor stands in the way of safety first, comfort and concern for all his passengers, from dock to disembark.
Jerry Butler, 1st Mate
Jerry Butler
Jerry is one of SailCTAccess first 1st Mates. Age is meaningless to Jerry, as you watch him climb around the boats, starting the engines, raising sails, embarking and disembarking procedures and generally performing all the tasks asked of him by the captain,
Anthony Benoit, 1st Mate
Officer Anthony Benoit, US COAST GUARD
We are thrilled to have Anthony as part of our team. Young, energetic and a very knowledgeable in all the aspects of sailing. Anthony makes a perfect first mate. Anthony's desire is to become a skipper, so watch his career grow!