NSW Coaches 2026

Brady Lowe - Head Coach 

Brady Lowe is a multiple World Championships, World Cup and Australian Champion Medal winning Coach, with success across the 49er (which he currently works with as Australian Sailing’s Futures Squad coach) Foiling Moth, ILCA 6, 29er, IQ Foil, 29er and Nacra 15.  When he’s not in the coach boat he brings his coaching focus on Race Strategy to the Navigators chair, or his love of open learning to playing on the Wing Foil.

Zac West - ILCA

After finishing his Laser (ILCA) campaign in 2020 after 3 world championship top 10s and a silver, Zac moved into the Match Racing scene as a sailor and into the coach boat. In addition to maintaining a top 10 world ranking in Match Racing, Zac has coached the ILCA & Opti class consistently over the past 4 years. Zac  moved from the club scene with sailors achieving national titles into the performance space with Australian Sailing, namely the ILCA 6 & 7 Pre-emerging, Emerging and NSWIS Squads, as well as the ILCA 6 Youth Squad. Outside of ILCA class, he also coaches Match Racing at RSYS.

Daniel Costandi - ILCA 

Throughout my time in the sport, I have been lucky enough to compete at 8 world championships and also work closely with sailors of all ages and abilities across different classes around the country. I bring a strong foundation in racing principles and place a significant emphasis on tailoring my coaching to each athlete’s individual needs. I am passionate about passing on my experiences and learnings to the next generation of sailors coming through the ranks supporting them in achieving their personal standards of success, whether focused on performance outcomes or long-term development. As a former high-performance sailor, I understand where time and energy must be invested to achieve meaningful results, both on and off the water. I incorporate this into my sessions by creating an engaging and fun environment where sailors are challenged to learn, develop and improve without the process ever feeling like a chore. 

Zander Bijkirk - ILCA

Lachie Brewer - Optimist

Lachie Brewer brings over eight years of coaching experience across a wide range of sailing classes, with a specialist focus on Optimists and 29ers. As a highly accomplished sailor, Lachie represented Australia at the 2015 and 2016 Optimist World Championships before achieving outstanding success in the 29er class, including 6th place at the 2017 29er World Championships and 2nd place at the 2018 29er World Championships, where he was also the top Youth team. A four-time 29er National Championship medallist and 2018 National Champion, Lachie was nominated for NSWIS Junior Athlete of the Year in 2018. His extensive racing background and passion for athlete development make him a knowledgeable and inspiring coach for sailors looking to take their skills to the next level. 

Natasha Nisbet - Optimist 

Hi, I’m Natasha. I began sailing in the Optimist class at 10 years old before progressing through a range of boats, including Pacers, Lasers and International 420s. Over the past five years, I have worked as both a sailing instructor and coach, supporting young sailors to develop their skills, confidence and enjoyment of the sport. My coaching experience includes delivering school sailing programs and coaching Green Fleet and Intermediate Fleet sailors across Optimist, Pacer and 420 classes. I currently coach at Woollahra Sailing Club, where I continue to work with young sailors across a range of ages and abilities. In 2025, I became a Senior Sailing Instructor and Senior Coach with Australian Sailing, expanding my experience into running instructor and coach courses. 

Isabella Holdsworth - Optimist

Lachlan Wallace - Optimist

Hi I'm Lachie, I have been sailing since the age of 8 with experience in Optis, Open Skiffs, Skiffs and Keelboat Match Racing. I have been coaching/ instructing at RPAYC for four years now working with sailors of all ages and skill levels in optis, skiffs and keelboats. I have been lucky enough to represent Australia at the Youth Match Racing World Championships for the past two years coming away with a silver medal in 2026 after winning the Australian Youth Match Racing Championship in 2025. I look forward to sharing my experience and passion for sailing and helping young sailors to develop their skills and confidence on the water. 

Lucy Copeland - O'pen Skiff

Lucy grew up sailing in the Manly Junior and Flying 11 classes and then transitioned into the catamaran class competing at two youth worlds before qualifying for the Australian Sailing Squad where she competed in the Nacra 17 for many years. Lucy sailed in the Australian SailGP team during 2023 and was a part of the training squad for the Women’s America's Cup in 2024. Recently Lucy has coached the Nacra 15 Youth Squad in 2025 and will be Head Junior Coach at Manly Yacht Club for the upcoming season.  

Dante Olivieri - O'pen Skiff

Dante Olivieri is a passionate performance windsurf and foiling coach with a decade of experience coaching youth sailors in Australia and Europe. He has worked across a wide range of classes, including Match Racing, 420's, 29ers, 49ers, skiffs, Optis, ILCAs, and now specialises in the Wing Foil Racing and iQ Foil Class. Dedicated to helping youth athletes grow on and off the water, Dante is excited to be part of NSW Youth Sail and inspire the next generation of sailors.

India Gilbert  - O'pen Skiff

India has coached Optis, F11s, 29ers, Elliot 7s and 420s at a range of levels from learn to sail to high performance. India is one of the favourite returning coaches at Zhik Youth Sail in 2026!

Rohan Nosworthy - Flying 11

Rohan has been sailing and racing since 1980, starting at age 6. He has 46 seasons of racing experience on a broad variety of boats and sailing disciplines including dinghies, skiffs, sportsboats, trailerables, multihulls, yachts and windsurfers. Rohan is also an active cruising sailor, on the family 40ft catamaran, and has more than 10 thousand miles on his log - along with the experience and all that goes with big boat ownership and life on the water. Coaching since 1998, Rohan has spent the past 15 years focussing mainly on his sailmaking business and coaching the traditional Australian Youth and Family classes such as Sabots, F11s, Flying Ants, Herons, NS14s and MGs. 

Peter Vaiciurgis - Flying 11

Sophie McIntosh - Sabot

Jervis Tilly - WASZP

Jervis ran and coached events around the world with SailGP Inspire and delivers WASZP clinics with awesome people like Team Australia Challenge, the Australian SailGP team and the Magenta Project. He has been part of America’s Cup campaigns, competed in World Match Racing Tour events, and finished top 10 in an Etchells World Championship.

Brin Liddell - WASZP

Brin Liddell represented Australia in the Nacra 17 class at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and is currently campaigning towards the LA 2028 Olympic Games. Growing up sailing on both Sydney Harbour and Lake Macquarie, Brin progressed through the Sabot, Flying 11 and Nacra 15 classes before transitioning into Olympic sailing. Competing full-time on the international circuit, he races against the world's best sailors at World Championships and World Cup events. As a current Australian Sailing Team athlete, Brin brings firsthand insight into the demands of high-performance sailing, including race strategy, boat handling, preparation and the mindset required to compete at the highest level. He is passionate about sharing the lessons, experiences and techniques from his Olympic campaign to help inspire and develop the next generation of sailors. 

Rob Brewer - 420

Ellis Merrit - 29er & 13ft Skiff

Ellis is a National champion in the 29er class, and has extensive experience sailing the 49er and the Skiffs. After graduating from the youth classes Ellis transitioned to the Mixed 470 Dinghy class where he is one of the leading sailors in Australia, currently campaigning for the 2028 Olympic Games.  He has 5 years of high level coaching experience across multiple classes and works as the head coach for a school teams racing program. 

David French - Nikki

Jeremy Bacon - Nikki

Dave Sorensen - Wing Foil