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What makes a team, a group, or a club special? At Coconut Grove Sailing Club, it’s definitely the people. For 80 years, CGSC has been the place where kids learn to love the water, families spend their weekends, and seafarers of all levels find their crew. It’s not too fancy or stuffy, it’s just real sailors doing what they love.
Want to know what CGSC all about? Meet three people who make the club what it is.
The Vice Commodore Who Started with a Dusty Old Sunfish
When William Sancho and his wife Janet got married in 1996, their first apartment came with a quirky perk: a neglected 1972 Sunfish collecting dust in the garage. The owners told them, “Fix it up, and it’s yours.”
Best deal ever.
That little boat kicked off a sailing obsession that took over Sancho’s life in the best way possible. He upgraded from the Sunfish to a Laser, then a Javelin, then an O’Day. Before long, his kids were spending their summers at CGSC’s sailing camps, gaining skills and self-assurance out on the bay. “We watched our children grow into capable, resilient young sailors,” he says.
Fast forward nearly 15 years, and Sancho is now CGSC’s Vice Commodore. What does he love most about the club? It’s not about who you know or your financial status. “The common thread that unites us is simply a love for the magical, ancient sport of sailing,” he explains. In a world that never slows down, CGSC is where people reconnect with the water, their families, and what really matters. His mission? Keep honoring the club’s 80-year legacy while making sure it stays welcoming, world-class, and open to everyone who wants to sail.
A Sailing Coach With Championship Pedigree
Where Sancho represents the family vibe, Coach Raul Ramos brings serious sailing chops. Originally from Cuba, where he was on the National Team, Ramos earned a Sports Science degree before heading to Mexico. At Puerto Aventuras Sailing Club, he built an incredible youth program and coached multiple national and international champions. We’re talking two World Championships in ILCA and Windsurfing, plus seven trips leading the Mexican National Optimist Team.
When Ramos moved to Miami in 2022, CGSC snagged him for the Instructional Center. He started with Summer Camp, quickly moved up to the Green Fleet, and now leads the Championship Fleet: Red, White, and Blue. He’s already taken our team to elite regattas in Garda, Valencia, and the Optimist World Championships in Slovenia. Oh, and both his kids race on CGSC’s team, so he’s all in.
Ramos doesn’t just teach kids how to trim a sail. He mentors them, inspires them, and shows them what’s possible when you put in the work. With him around, CGSC isn’t just teaching kids to sail, we’re teaching them how to win.
The Dock Master Who Found His Home Here
If Sancho has the vision and Ramos brings the competitive edge, Yoni Montano is pure CGSC heart. A Miami local who’s always loved the water, Montano spent years doing watersports, flyboard instruction, jet ski rentals, kayak tours, you name it. But in 2016, he decided to try something different and signed up for CGSC’s two-day beginner sailing course on a Sunfish. That decision proved to be a life changer.
A few months later, he applied for a dockhand gig. And a few years after that? Dock Master.
For Montano, CGSC isn’t just work, it’s family. “Our members trust the staff to run this great club properly, and they’re always there with support and new ideas,” he says. His days are all about managing 175 mooring balls, keeping the docks running smoothly, and making sure boats are on the water where they belong. More boats sailing means more life, more fun, more community.
He’s also quick to point out that CGSC is a sailing club and not a yacht club. We only use motorboats for safety and race committee stuff, everything else is wind powered. Looking ahead, Montano’s excited about what’s next. “In the next 25 to 50 years, I know we’ll find ways to be even more active. And I plan on being a big part of that success.”
One Club, Countless Stories
A Vice Commodore who restored a dusty old Sunfish and never looked back. A coach who brought world-class expertise from Cuba and Mexico and to our kids. A Dock Master who took one beginner class and basically never left.
That’s CGSC in a nutshell — no pretense, just passionate people who love their community and, of course, being on the water.
ABOUT COCONUT GROVE SAILING CLUB
The CGSC is Located at 2990 South Bayshore Drive, Miami, FL 33133. For more information, visit www.cgsc.org or email icdirector@cgsc.org.
