Meet Our Captains

Chris is the Managing Director for Newport Beach Sailing Charters. He is also the Managing Director for the Newport Beach Sailing School, the Base Manager for SailTime Orange County and a sailboat dealer for South Coast Yachts. Chris has an MBA from UC Irvine and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of San Diego. He grew up in Orange County and learned to sail as a teenager. He is married, with two children, and enjoys sailing, skiing and traveling with his family.

Tom is the Vice President for Newport Beach Sailing Charters. He is also the Vice President for the Newport Beach Sailing School, Base Manager for SailTime Orange County and a sailboat sales agent for South Coast Yachts. Tom has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Carroll College in Helena, MT. He grew up in Orange County and learned to sail as a young child. Tom has been actively sailing throughout his entire life. He is married and enjoys sailing with his family.

Captain Roger Philips has earned the esteemed recognition of “Outstanding Instructor” by the American Sailing Association for multiple years.

Captain Roger Philips is a US Coast Guard Captain and ASA Sailing Instructor. He is also a former Vessel Assist rescue boat captain. For over thirty years, Captain Roger has been dedicated to the pursuit of sailing, while owning several sailboats. Roger has done extensive sailing in the Pacific Northwest, West Coast, and the East Coast, as well as in the Caribbean and Bermuda. He also teaches part time at Concordia University in Irvine, CA. He and his wife, Antoinette, enjoy sailing locally in Southern California and hosting flotillas in the San Juan Islands.

“We had a wonderful time and enjoyed our time with Capt. Rogers. He was very nice and was very knowledgeable. He provided us information that helped set our expectations and even went out of his way to record our proposal on my behalf. All around I’d give him two thumbs up.”

- Lance K. charter with Capt. Roger

“We had an amazing time on the sailboat! Captain Roger was an absolute pleasure to sail with. He gave us many tips on sailing and provided us with a perfect tour. Thanks for everything!”

- Anthony M. charter with Captain Roger

“We had the BEST time on the sailboat trip. The winds were CRAZY, the sunset was the best, and we had Roger laughing and carrying on with us most of the trip. We could not have asked for a better trip, the winds were fast and the boat was heeling way over. It was the BEST!!!! We have not stopped laughing and talking about it since we left. What a thrill.”

- Marge H. charter with Captain Roger

“We had a fantastic time onboard the sailboat on Saturday. Great weather, good food and nice music. Captain Roger was great and we looking forward to repeating the trip soon. He knew when to get involved and when to lay back and give us some space. Fantastic personality, very knowledgeable about sailing and pleasant for conversation. We will recommend both the Sailing Charter and Captain Roger to our friends.”

- Alvaro G. charter with Roger

Captain Rick is a US Coast Guard Captain and ASA Sailing Instructor. Captain Rick is a Southern California Local, who has outstanding professional customer service. His goal is to make sure that the time you spend sailing will be fun, entertaining, educational, relaxing and overall a great experience. Rick has experience sailing in various countries all over the world. Rick’s passions include being a father of two kids, sailing, ocean wildlife, big wave surfing, free diving, great white cage diving and bringing new people out on the water to enjoy the magnificent Southern California waters.

“Everything was wonderful!! And, Captain Rick was absolutely the very best! Thank you for everything.

- India R. charter with Rick Lapan

“Our Experience with captain Rick was incredible, and we had the best time ever…definitely want to come back and sail away on a mini vacation with your company. Thank you a very awesome experience!”

- Jael T. charter with Captain Rick

“Rick was really a great captain. I already recommended you guys to someone else.”

- James J. Charter with Captain Rick

“We had a great day!! I will definitely recommend your company to anyone that is looking for an adventure while in Southern California. My family and I would highly recommend Captain Rick, he was very knowledgeable and attentive(not to mention a really nice guy! We will definitely be repeat customers!”

– Vince W. with Captain Rick

Great boat, great captain and the weather and wind could not have been better. See you for the next one.

- John T.

We had a great time, everything was punctual and as expected. Rick was phenomenal.

- Raffaele C.

Rick was amazing! Very professional and really knowledgeable. My dad had a great time –as did we all-we were all so happy with the boat-my parents were especially pleased!

- Stephanie M.

As part of a week long trip in Newport, we did a sunset cruise with Captain Rick!! We had a wonderful time as he took as out on a 38 foot sailboat. He shared with us his knowledge of the area and even allowed me to sail the boat!

Our family visits the Newport Coast Area every summer. We always try to do something new and this year we purchased a 3 hour sunset cruise with Newport Beach Sailing Charters. We could not have been happier with our decision. Captain Rick was awesome. He is very knowledgeable and friendly in addition to being a great captain. The boat was absolutely beautiful, clean, and well maintained. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who is ready to graduate from the electric boats in the harbor.

Had a great time. We did the 3 hr sunset cruise. Captain Rick was fantastic and the boat was beautiful, we choose the Hunter 40. A perfect evening!

Capt. Alan has been an avid boater and sailor since a young boy and grew up in Newport Harbor. He is a USCG Certified 100 Ton Master, with Advanced Radar, Towing, and Sailing endorsements, as well as a certified American Sailing Assoc. and NauticEd Sailing Instructor, American Power Boating Assoc. certified Powerboat Instructor, 10+ year decorated AUXOP member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and is also a retired Chiropractor, with specialties in sports injuries. He has sailed nearly the entire California coastline and part of Europe, and was a stand-by crew member/ crew physician for the 1997 Transpacific Yacht Race (TRANSPAC) to Honolulu from Long Beach. Capt. Alan is a long-time certified SCUBA diver and avid surfer, and loves to share his passion of the sea on his hosted Adventure Charters – with a flock of repeat business from year to year, and has devised many clever techniques in making learning to sail fun and easier to grasp, and is extremely proud to be a part of this group of elite professionals with our state of the art sailing vessels in one of So. California’s most prestigious small boat harbors and it’s beautiful coastline.

Capt. Toby Breland is an avid and enthusiastic sailor. Toby caught the sailing bug in San Diego back in 2005 and never looked back. Starting from humble beginnings as a yacht maintenance worker, Toby now holds a USCG Master 100 Ton Capt. License with Sailing and Towing endorsements. As a perk of Toby’s first boating job he was sailing five days a week for several years. Eventually Toby was taken under the wing of an Australian Captain making deliveries and logging thousands of miles on various yachts up and down the Pacific West Coast. Toby has sailed the entirety of the American Pacific West Coast several times over. Toby has just scratched the surface and plans to sail for destinations around the globe. The sailing bug only continues to get bigger for this one! In addition, Toby has been regular crew for the past 5 years on a J105 racing boat out of the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club here in Newport. Other activities Toby is passionate about include Surfing, Free diving/Spearfishing, nature, wildlife, travel, music, good food, good humor, and good company.

Capt. Greg is US Coast Guard captain and ASA instructor. He grew up in Poland where he has begun sailing with sea scouts after reading books about pirates of the Caribbean. He moved to So Cal in 2001 and fell in love with sailing in local waters. He enjoy taking people to Catalina Island and other Channel Islands. He also likes to teach and pass his sailing skills and knowledge.

Capt. Greg is also USPTA tennis professional and a huge soccer fan.

Captain Chris has been an avid sailor for over forty years. He holds a USCG 100-ton masters license, ASA Sailing instructor and RPBA power instructor credentials. Captain Chris enjoys working with groups, individuals and couples to understand their goals and make every day on the water a successful one! Starting with junior sailing Sabots and Catalina trips with his family, Captain Chris has logged thousands of miles up and down the entire eastern and western seaboards of the US. As an EMT-trained boat medic he competed in numerous coastal and offshore events including 6x Newport-Bermuda, Pacific Cup and others in the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe. Captain Chris has an MBA from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College. When not on the water, Captain Chris enjoys spending time with his three children, struggling to learn the ukulele, coaching youth football and guiding friends and family in the backcountry of our national parks.

Captain Craig is a seasoned sailor with 20 years of experience navigating the Southern California coasts of Dana Point and Newport Beach. He holds a USCG Master Captain’s license with a Sailing Endorsement, American Sailing Association, and American Boating Instructor certifications.

As Captain and Instructor, Craig’s paramount concern is the safety of his passengers, crew, and vessel. He consistently strives to provide exceptional service to his clients, offering an array of enjoyable, adventurous, and educational experiences that will create lasting memories for all who sail with him and his awesome spirit.

Craig’s teaching style is super engaging. He gets his students involved by letting them take control of the boat and feel the effects of their actions on the water. Instead of just listening to theory, he emphasizes “learning by doing” on the boat itself.

We chartered the Beneteau 38 with Captain Craig; the experience could not have been better. Captain Craig is so friendly and feels like a part of the group. He also is an excellent navigator and is able to answer any question about the water, boat, or California in general. He was able to spot Dolphins swimming and steered us over for a close look. This experience was worth every dollar. Be sure to request Captain Craig when you book a charter with Newport Beach Sailing. 

- Christian S.

We had the most amazing chartered sunset sail with 10 of our employees recently and at Newport Beach Sailing Charters, everyone had a blast. The dolphins were a huge highlight. Craig is an amazing captain and the staff is great too! Newport Sailing Charters have an amazing fleet of charter boats to choose from. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to get out in the water with a professional, knowledgeable and amazing organization! 

- Mathew K.

Captain Craig is a great instructor, what started out as a 3-hour introduction to sailing, turned into me getting certified in ASA 101 Keel Boat Sailing and ASA 103 Coastal Cruising. I now feel confident that I can sail the 30ft sailboat that my wife and I just purchased last year but haven’t had a chance to sail yet. It was my very first sail, I fell in love with it, I wish I could have started 30+ years sooner. Thanks Captain Craig! 

- Bob P.

We went on an introductory lesson with Craig as our captain. He made us feel welcome on his boat and made the whole experience fun and engaging. We had a chance to steer the boat, operate the sails and practice basic maneuvers such as tacking and jibing, as well as getting to know different parts of the boat. We walked away feeling inspired to try to learn sailing in-depth and can’t wait to take our next class with Craig! 

- Jeff R.

Newport Beach Sailing School is a great place to learn to sail or see the harbor. Captain Craig took excellent care of our son’s safety and ensured he had the knowledge to become certified. An amazing experience! 

- Ann G.

With over 21 years as a boat captain and a 100-ton Master Mariner’s License, I also received my Masters in Emergency Management and Homeland Security from ASU. I’ve spent my life on the water, navigating both local and international waters. Working in the San Diego sportfishing fleet, I’ve guided countless anglers on offshore adventures, combining my expertise in seamanship, safety, and marine operations.

My passion for the sea and education has taken me across the globe, from the crystal-clear waters of Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Western Samoa, and Tahiti to the historic coastlines of France, Portugal, and Spain. I’ve also explored the rich fisheries of Costa Rica and Peru, gaining a deep appreciation for the ocean’s diversity and the cultures that thrive along its shores.

Beyond my maritime career, I’ve dedicated 26 years as a paramedic engineer, bringing critical emergency response skills and leadership to high-pressure situations. Whether at sea or on land, my commitment to safety, teamwork, and problem-solving remains at the core of everything I do.

At the heart of it all, I’m a devoted husband to my wife, Kristina, and a proud father to our two children, Trevor and Taylor. When I’m not on the water, I’m enjoying time with my family, sharing my passion for the ocean, and continuing to explore new horizons.