President and CEO
An electrical engineer by education, Leigh was working in Product Management for Bay Area telecommunications companies before he decided to make sailing a profession and purchased Modern Sailing in July 2014.
Originally from Canada, Leigh began his sailing education at a Canadian Yachting Association (CYA) school in Ontario. After moving to California in 2004, he quickly found two ASA schools to help take his skills to the next level. He completed his ASA 106 at Modern Sailing by taking the 7 day Heavy Weather Offshore Course with John Connolly. Leigh has been chartering regularly with Modern Sailing since 2006, and has participated in many sailing events like our first Napa flotilla. He later joined John Connolly on an Offshore Passage Making Course in the South Pacific.
In addition to chartering locally on San Francisco Bay, sailing destinations have been a big part of Leigh's vacationing. Leigh has done destination charters in the Caribbean, deliveries in the Greek Med, and an ocean voyage from San Francisco to Maui, Hawaii. From 2009 to 2014, he volunteered for a San Francisco Bay non-profit, the Bluewater Foundation. The mission of this foundation is to help at-risk youth by providing them with enriching experiences sailing on SF Bay. In 2013, he began serving on the executive committee, and in 2014 he was named the President of the foundation.
Leigh is at heart an avid sailor. In addition to leading Modern Sailing and partner club Inspire Sailing in Berkeley, he is a licensed captain and certified ASA instructor. He always makes time in his busy schedule to get on the water (as often as possible!) to share his skills and passion for sailing with students and staff members.
