Yan Vengerovskiy

Boys High Performance Coach
Co-Founder

Yan is a former member of the Ukrainian National Rowing Team, and a graduate from their top sports institute.

From 1973-1991, he coached the Soviet Union Junior Women’s National Team. In 1991, Yan and his family immigrated to the United States.

He has coached at the Norwalk River Rowing Club, Fairfield University, and the Saugatuck Rowing Association.

In 1996, Yan and his wife, Olga, founded the Maritime Rowing Club of Norwalk, Connecticut.

Yan coaches all levels and is most recognized for his work with the high competitive teams and their numerous achievements on the junior national level.

In December 2011, US Rowing recognized Yan and Olga with the John J. Carlin Service award. Chosen by the USRowing Board of Directors, the award honors an individuals, who have made significant and outstanding commitments in support of rowing.

Olga Vengerovskaya

JV/Novice Boys Coach
Co-Founder

Olga is a former Open World Champion and Russian National Champion. She has extensive experience as a rowing coach. From 1980-1991, she coached at the Specialized School of Olympic Reserves in the Ukraine. After coming to the United States, Olga coached at the Saugatuck Rowing Association, and, together with Yan, founded the Maritime Rowing Club of Norwalk, Connecticut. In December 2011, US Rowing recognized Olga and Yan with the John J. Carlin Service award. Chosen by the USRowing Board of Directors, the award honors an individual, or individuals, who has made significant and outstanding commitments in support of rowing.

Roman Vengerovskiy

Director of Operations and Boys High Performance

Yulia Chagina

Girls High Performance, JV, Masters and Learn-to-Row Development Coach

Yuliya Chagina graduated from Lesgaft National University of Physical Education with a degree in Sports and Health. Yuliya worked as a consultant at the Strela boathouse and the Dinamo Rowing Club in St. Petersburg prior to her position here at Maritime Rowing Club. She is a Russian National Champion with 1st places in both the Women’s senior 4x, and the Women’s Senior 2x.  As a member of the Russian Senior National Team, she earned 6th place in the Women’s Senior 4x at the World Championships in Poznan held in 2009. Yulia has competed with the U23 Russian National Rowing team, and as a member of the Coastal Rowing Russian National team she placed 2nd in the Women’s Senior 2x at the World Championship in Coastal Rowing in Bari.

Steve Quagliano

Girls High Performance Co-Head Coach

Steve started his rowing career as both a student athlete and student coach on the Manhattan College rowing team. He joined the New York Athletic Club rowing team where he won 28 U.S. National Championship titles (18 individual titles and 10 team titles) over ten years. During this time, he competed on our U.S. National Team at the World Championships . After retiring from competition, he coached on our U.S. Junior National Team, our Men’s Senior Lightweight and Open Weight National Teams and our Pan American Games Team. He served as a skulling coach on the United States Olympic Team. During his tenure as a National Team Coach, Steve guided his crewspp to medals at the World Championships.

Steve comes to Maritime Rowing Club after serving as the Head Coach at Norwalk River Rowing for the past 3 years, guiding Norwalk to numerous medals at the Regional Championships and it’s first medals ever at the U.S. Youth National Championships.

Bob Florio

Boys High Performance

Bob Florio joins us after spending the last two and half years coaching the varsity boys race team across the river at NRR. Prior to coaching, Bob worked in finance as an International Equities Sales Trader. He continues to operate a restoration and fabrication business when not coaching.

Bob comes to Maritime with an extensive rowing resume. He grew up as the oldest in a rowing family at New York Athletic Club and cut his teeth training against National and Olympic athletes. As a junior athlete, he rowed with his brother in the double scull and competed successfully in scholastic championships and regattas all over the country. Bob attended Northeastern University and graduated from Columbia. As a sweep oarsman at NU, he was a Silver medalist at the IRA regatta and a finalist in the Eastern Sprints in the Columbia Lightweight eight. During his collegiate summers, Bob competed for NYAC in Eights and Fours and won multiple national championships at the Intermediate, senior and elite levels. When not competing as an oarsman Bob trained as a cyclist and Ironman triathlete.

Bob is married to Leslie and has four children, three girls and a boy, the youngest of whom is a D1 pitcher for Lafayette college.

Laura Rauchfuss

Boys High Performance

Laura began rowing in college at Johns Hopkins University and was the team captain for her junior and senior years. She won the Dad Vail Regatta her senior year. After college, Laura continued training at the U.S National Team Training Center in Augusta, GA under Igor Grinko and the Princeton Training Center under Kris Korzeniowski and Tom Terhaar.

She earnedberths on the next 4 U.S. National Teams, including as alternate on the 2004 Olympic Team. She has 12 National Championships medals, 5 World Cup medals, and a bronze World Championship medal during this tenure. In 2001, she was named USRowing’s Athlete of the Year.

After retiring from competition, Laura continued her love for the sport, coaching all ages from 8 to 80 years old. Previously, Laura was the Director of Rowing at the Greenwich Water Cluband Director of Rowing at RowAmerica Rye.
Laura is a Certified Level III USRowing coach.

Kevin Long

Boys JV/Novice Coach

Kevin Long is a dedicated rowing coach and lifelong athlete with a deep passion for endurance sports. He began rowing in middle school and competed for nine years, representing FDR High School and the Rutgers Lightweight Crew. In high school, he won several medals in the Empire State Games, and at Rutgers, he was a three-year varsity letter winner, competing in multiple EARC Sprints finals and earning a silver medal in 1988.

Beyond rowing, Kevin has pushed his limits in endurance sports, completing the Lake Placid Ironman and embracing cycling and mountain biking as key aspects of his athletic journey. His diverse experience and commitment to training fuel his approach to coaching, helping athletes develop both strength and resilience on and off the water.

Will Valdez

Learn to Row Development Coach

Catharine Labine

Girls High Performance, JV and Learn-to-Row Development Coach

Irina Skobreva

Novice/JV Boys and Learn-to-Row Development Coach

Sorcha O’Donnell

Girls High Performance/JV Novice

Sorcha started her rowing career in Ireland with NUI Galway BC as a novice walk-on, and she later joined the high-performance varsity team. During her 3 years on the program, Sorcha competed at many events across Europe such as the Irish National Championships, London Metropolitan Regatta, Women’s Henley, Homes International Regatta, Heineken Roeivierkamp and International Rowing Regatta Sveti Duje. While an athlete, Sorcha also undertook the role as novice recruiter and coach to help usher in a new wave of talent into the club.

In 2019, Sorcha was a member of the Galway/Castleconnell Senior Women’s 8+ that claimed gold at Irish National Championships. Later that year she accepted an offer from Rutgers University in New Jersey to row at the Division 1 level in the Big Ten conference.

Within her Junior year as a Scarlet Knight, she raced as part of the Second Varsity 8 and claimed wins against No.6 Michigan, No.18 Washington State, No.9 Syracuse and Princeton at the Big Ten Invitationals. She holds a bronze medal from the Big Ten Championships and finished fourth in the petite final at the NCAA Championships, placing 10th overall in the nation.

As a senior, Sorcha raced within the 1V8, claiming silver at Eastern Sprints, fourth at the Big Ten Championships and claimed first in the C final at the NCAA championships placing 13th overall in the nation.

After completing her degree in Galway, and taking up part-time coaching, Sorcha has returned to the US to help coach other young athletes to achieve their full potential.

Hope Crotty

Director of Outreach/Learn to Row Development

Hope Crotty came to work at Maritime in the Spring of 2023.  She is a long-time high school educator and coach, holds an undergraduate degree in communications and a master’s degree in education. Hope is a lifelong high level athlete, including Four years as a division I soccer player, ultimately as a professional player for the Millwall Lady Lionesses under the tutelage of legendary and current Sr. Executive Head of Coaching of PFA, James Hicks.

Two of Hope’s five sons are involved with Maritime Rowing, each winning their respective events at 2023 Youth Nationals in the 4x.

Hope’s positive, contagious energy, dedication to service for others and conviction that everyone has something valuable to contribute to the greater good of the team, fits perfectly into Maritime’s mission to help kids grow, if not excel, both on and off the water.

Hope lives in Fairfield, CT with her husband Brendan and five teenage sons.

Karnes McCarrick

High Performance Boys and Masters Coach