Maggie Costikyan

Sailing Director

Maggie is returning for her 6th year with Team Pequot, and her first year as Sailing Director. She is graduating this spring from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education with a Master’s in Childhood Education and spent her final semester teaching in the Bronx. Maggie grew up sailing at Noroton Yacht Club.  Her favorite sailing memory was when she competed in the Match Racing Nationals for the first time in her college sailing team’s history and made it to the finals!  Did you know that Maggie was captain of the Fordham Sailing Team for 2 years?

Hannah Nightingale 

Head Coach

Hannah is returning for her 3rd year as an Instructor for Team Pequot and will be the Head Coach for 2023.  She will be a Junior at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and majoring in International Relations and Spanish.  Hannah grew up sailing at Norwalk Yacht Club, Roton Point and Noroton Yacht Club.  Her favorite sailing memory was when her St Andrews team won the Scottish National Team Racing Championship! Did you know that Hannah hiked for 10 days in Albania this summer to raise over £1,000 for charity? 

Danielle Wilklow

Assistant Head Coach

Danielle is returning for her 2nd year and previously taught for 2 years at a nearby program.  She will be a Junior at the University of San Diego and is majoring in Business Administration.  Danielle grew up sailing at Black Rock Yacht Club.  One of her favorite sailing memories was painting her laser sail for her last year in JSA!  Did you know that Danielle lived in a city where Brie was invented?

Alan Becker

This is Alan’s first year coaching at Pequot Yacht Club.  He has been sailing since he was 8 years old, starting at Longshore in Westport and later at Cedar Point Yacht Club.  He has participated in CPYC’s summer program for the past four years and has raced in regattas all over Long Island Sound, placing 2nd last year in Laser radials at JSA Champs.  He is currently Captain of the varsity sailing team at Staples High School.  Alan’s favorite sailing memory is from last summer when he went from 7th to 2nd during CPYC Race Week after trailing by 18 points on the first day.  Did you know Alan also loves road and mountain biking?

Isabel Brenner

William Greene

Will is starting his first year as an Instructor for Team Pequot. He is a senior at Collegiate School in NYC, where he loves his English classes, and he is doing cancer research with a lab at Duke. Will grew up sailing out of Cedar Point Yacht Club. Some of his favorite sailing memories are racing with his dad on his boat Loblolly. Did you know that Will and his wrestling team won their section title for the first time in their school’s history?

Will McGonagle

Will is returning for his 2nd Year with the Team Pequot for as an Instructor. He will be a senior at Greens Farms Academy where he concentrates in Computer Science and Digital Thinking. Will grew up sailing at Black Rock Yacht Club. One of his favorite sailing memories was racing in the Beach Point Overnight Race when he was the only sailor awake! Did you know that Will has been playing the Electric Bass since he was in 5th grade?

Cole Nightingale

Cole will be joining Team Pequot as an instructor for the first time this year. He will be graduating from Greens Farms Academy this spring. Cole grew up sailing at Roton Point and Noroton Yacht Club. His favorite sailing memory was competing in an Opti regatta on Lake Garda in Italy. Did you know that Cole once got lost when he was skiing and accidentally skied into another country?

Thomas Whidden

Thomas is joining Team Pequot as an Instructor for the first time in 2023. He will be a senior at Brunswick School where he enjoys racing with the Sailing Team and has led the team as captain since his sophomore year. Thomas grew up on the Sound sailing out of Stamford Yacht Club and Riverside Yacht Club, where he first started sailing optis and grew an affinity for the 420. He has enjoyed plenty of time both skippering and crewing 420s, but when he is not sailing he is an avid tennis and squash player. Did you know the Pequot Opti Rumble was Thomas’s first ever regatta?