Meet Paul Hansen, CYCF’s New Program Manager

September 29, 2025

by Annie Thompson

The Chicago Yacht Club Foundation is excited to welcome Paul Hansen on board as our new program manager. After spending the summer as a CYCF sailing instructor, Hansen now steps into this leadership role, bringing a rare mix of classroom teaching experience and years on the water—along with a clear passion for making sailing accessible to more young people across Chicago.

Finding a Home on the Water
Hansen first learned to sail after college at Community Boating in Boston, where small boats weave back and forth in the shadow of skyscrapers. Not long after, he moved to Madison, Wisconsin, to pursue a PhD in English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. While graduate school kept him busy, the Hoofer Sailing Club quickly became his second home. He not only developed as a sailor himself at Hoofer, but also taught there for six years. After earning his doctorate, Hansen joined the faculty at Bard High School Early College (BHSEC) in Cleveland, a dual-enrollment public high school where students take tuition-free college courses. He kept sailing on a J/105 and often found himself wishing he could connect his high school students with the sport. 

Drawn to CYCF’s Mission
“Providing access to boating for students from all neighborhoods is what attracted me to CYCF,” Hansen says. “It was an opportunity to do what I had always wanted to try in Cleveland, but on an even bigger scale.” He’s eager to support the existing programs at the Foundation, while also building new partnerships and leading the academic tutoring / afterschool sailing program for high schoolers.

More Than Just Sailing Skills
For Hansen, sailing is as much about community as it is about skill. “Obviously, I want students in CYCF programs to become confident skippers and reliable crew members,” he says. “But more than anything, I want them to feel that the boating community is inclusive and welcoming, and that there are exciting, rewarding pathways ahead of them once they learn how to tie a cleat hitch.” He points to CYCF’s fleet of J/100s as an ideal place to start. “They have large cockpit benches and their traditional layout will help students feel at home on whatever boats they sail in the future,” he notes. 

Off the Water
When asked about his favorite type of boat, Hansen replied: “The best kind of boat is the one that’s going sailing soon and has space for you on it.” Hansen spends much of his time off the water with his toddler, who is currently fascinated with anything that has wheels. “I will keep advocating for boats,” Hansen says with a smile.