Tabor Names New Director of Waterfront and Head Coach for Sailing

Tabor is proud to welcome Andy Cornah as the new Director of Waterfront and Head Coach for Sailing starting in the 2023-2024 school year. A talented sailor himself, Cornah has been sailing his entire life, and began sailing for GBR at the age of 15. After high school, he went to Southampton University where he won the British University Team Racing Championships three times and the British University Match Racing Championships twice. In addition to his own collegiate medals, Cornah has also led high school programs and worked with the Great Britain Olympic team in his career. 

Since 2009, Cornah has served as the Head of Sailing at Sevenoaks School, where he nurtured his commitment to working with young people and fostering their personal growth through sailing. There he established a successful sailing program, with 130 sailors and a coaching staff of 8, helping sailors to develop a passion for the sport and to reach their full potential. In recent years, Sevenoaks School has won the UK U19 Co-ed Team Racing Championships in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019 along with the U19 Ladies Team Racing Championship in 2018 and 2019. His role also involved organizing national events and promoting sailing for students.

According to Kelly Walker, Tabor’s Director of Co-Curricular and Athletic Programs, “This is a new and exciting era for Tabor Sailing. Andy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience as a coach and a sailor in his own right.” Walker notes that the program will expand to include a fall season for a group of Tabor sailors, extending their time on the water, which is an important component of striving for excellence in the sport and the program. “In the meantime, I am thrilled to have Matt Voci step in as our Interim Head Coach this spring. He will champion our current sailors and be a strong leader for the program,” adds Walker.

“On behalf of the sailing coaches, we are incredibly excited to welcome Andy to Tabor Academy,” says Interim Head Coach Matt Voci. “His exceptional resume, as a sailor and coach, makes him uniquely positioned to lead our program, form the next generation of sailors, and continue our long tradition of excellence. We look forward to partnering with him over the next few months in discussing how to best lay a foundation for his leadership.” Voci adds that he is honored to lead the sailing program this spring. “I look forward to working with our five other coaches and fifty-eight sailors to build a team capable of competing for a national championship.”

Outside of Sevenoaks, Cornah has also had a successful competitive sailing and coaching career. As part of the West Kirby Hawks team, he is a 6-time UK Dinghy Team Racing Champion, 5-time winner of the British Open Team Racing Championship for the Wilson Trophy and ISAF Team Racing World Champion. In keelboat sailing, Cornah is a 10-time UK Keelboat Team Racing Champion, European Team Racing Champion, 2-time UK Match Racing National Champion, and winner of the inaugural Global Team Race Regatta.

Cornah has also been involved with the highly successful British Olympic Sailing Team as a match race training partner 2009-2012 and more recently as medal race coach for Hannah Mills and Eilidh Mcintyre in the Women’s 470 class. Mills and McIntyre took home Gold in Tokyo, securing Mill’s legacy as the most successful female Olympic sailor of all time.

Head of School Tony Jaccaci adds, “Tabor has a long tradition of excellence in sailing, and I believe that Andy will help us maintain this tradition and build it even stronger in the months and years to follow. Perhaps just as important, I know that Andy will focus on the character and culture of the team and sailors – another great strength with Tabor sailing that is crucial to preserve and foster.” Tabor looks forward to Cornah’s continued success on the shores of Sippican Harbor.