Mark Showalter | Modern Sailing

Mark Showalter

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Mark has been sailing on San Francisco Bay for decades, cruising with friends and racing in beer can regattas. His sailing adventures have taken him beyond the Bay to Catalina, the British Virgin Islands, Croatia, St. Lucia and Thailand — and he's always planning his next international sailing trip.

Mark's path to Modern Sailing started through a prior career in tech, where he met Leigh Hunt — now Modern Sailing's owner and CEO. When the opportunity arose to bring his sailing passion into his professional life, Mark joined Modern Sailing as Fleet Service Manager at the newly opened Berkeley location. From there, he became Fleet Service Director, overseeing the Fleet Service team across both locations, then General Manager of the Berkeley location. In 2025, he stepped into the role of Chief Operating Officer.

Today, Mark oversees operations across all three Modern Sailing locations. He holds advanced ASA and US Sailing credentials. During his tenure as COO, Modern Sailing has grown into the largest sailing school on San Francisco Bay — three locations, a fleet of 50 boats, and an unmatched team.

"My passion is building strong teams and empowering them to succeed." Mark says. "We offer the broadest sailing curriculum on the Bay, and every day, our team is focused on one thing: making our members' sailing dreams come true.”

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  • Esther C

    I took ASA 101 with them recently. They have the best customer service I've ever seen! I mistyped my address when I signed up online so didn't receive the textbook. I called and the lady immediately sent me another copy! Everyone at the club is super friendly.

  • Warren Leiden, Member

    I try to get out on the water every week: out the Gate, around Angel, up Raccoon - I love it all. After 18 years as a member of OCSC in Berkeley, I learned to sail the bigger boats at Modern by taking ASA 103 and 104. My ASA 104 instructor Dave Russell was terrific. Also, Captain Bill Moreland has been very generous in giving informal advice whenever I’ve asked him. Thanks to Bill, I no longer have any anxiety about docking!

  • Lisa Butzer Wilde

    Thumbs up to (Club Skipper) Geoff (Love) and his wife Laura. I went on my first Club Sail on Sunday, January 18, 2026. They were terrific!

  • Trudy Flores

    Captain Jeff Cathers is really cool. I had such a great time on the Farallones Day Trip. It was actually my very best day of 2020. Thank you so much for coordinating the trip.

  • Alisa Driscoll, Dual Site Member

    Here are some snaps of Our Saturday, August 20, 2022 Modern Sailing Expedition with Captain Robert Bivin, who was outstanding. Please convey photos and thanks to him. He is an outstanding individual, leader and sailing instructor. His knowledge and experience made us all feel safe and our Farallones Day Trip educational and just amazing. 

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