Fluent in English, Spanish and Basic Dutch | Born in Argentina | July 20, 1986
mY STORY
Hi, I’m Martin Manrique, a high-performance sailing coach with over 18 years of international experience. I was born and raised by the waters of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and began sailing at age 6. After competing internationally in Optimist, Cadet, Laser, and 420 classes—winning the Cadet World Championship in 1999—I turned my passion into a coaching career.
Since then, I’ve coached national teams and top athletes across more than 20 countries, including Argentina, the Netherlands, Mexico, New Zealand, the Bahamas, and Curaçao. I served as Argentina’s National Youth Coach, led multiple IODA Worlds and continental campaigns, and supported sailors at Youth Worlds, Pan Am qualifiers, and Olympic level.
Coaching Credentials
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IODA Level 1 & Level 2 Coach Trainer, certifying new generations of Optimist coaches internationally
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Head Coach for several national teams:
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6 IODA Worlds
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3 IODA Europeans
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10 IODA North Americans
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3 IODA Southamericans
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Athletes & Achievements
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Mateo Majdalani – 🥈 Silver Medal, Paris 2024 Olympics (Nacra 17)
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Roos Wind – 🏆 ILCA 6 Youth World Champion, 2023
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Klaus Lange – Olympic Diploma, Rio 2016 (49er); now US Sailing 49er Coach
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Dante Cittadini – 🥇 Youth Olympic Gold Medalist; South & North American Optimist Champion
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Ignacio Varisco – 🏆 Optimist South American Champion; 2nd at 29er Worlds; Founder of Capitanes de BarRIO
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Eliza Dennings – 🏆 North American Champion (Female), representing the Bahamas
Many of my former Optimist sailors now compete at the Olympic level or coach professionally—something I consider my proudest legacy.
Current Work
I’m currently based in Eleuthera, Bahamas, where I co-founded the Eleuthera Sailing Academy. There, I lead a program that blends high-performance youth development with inclusive, community-based access to sailing and watersports. Through the Make Them Sailors Foundation, we support grassroots sailing projects globally, providing training, gear, and mentorship to programs in The Bahamas, Tanzania, Argentina, and beyond.
cOACHING EXPERIENCE
2025
Optimus program Coach
IODA Certification Level 1, Level 2 Coach
2024 ioda worlds, Argentina
2021 IODA Northamericans, Puerto Rico
2023 ioda worlds, Spain
2023 IODA EUROPEANS, Greece
2022 ioda worlds, Turkey
2022 IODA EUROPEANS, Denmark
2021 IODA Northamericans, Mexico
2020-2025
Eleuthera sailing academy
Currently, I'm working on the island of Eleuthera, Bahamas, at The Eleuthera Sailing Academy. Here we created a spot in which we combine High-Performance Sailing with a Community Based Sailing Project, providing new life opportunities for children from the Outer Islands of the Bahamas.
2018
IODA Europeans | AHO OPTIMIST COACH
Scheveningen, The Netherlands
NACRA 17 | ARG Coach
Trofeo Princesa Sofía, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. 9th Place
World Sailing Cup, Hyeres, France. 12th Place
World Sailing Finals, Marseille, France. 6th Place
2015 - 2016
CURACAO YOUTH SAILING COACH
I worked with both Optimist and Laser teams. We trained locally and participated in different international events.
2016 SUNFISH YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
10th & 11th
DUTCH YOUTH REGATTA
Workum, The Netherlands
SEMANA DE BUENOS AIRES
Buenos Aires, Argentina
2015 IODA NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Antigua
4th place in North Americans Team Racing
2016 SUNFISH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
2011 - 2012
CLUB NAUTICO ALBATROS | argentina
Dinghy Sailing head coach
2011 Team Racing National Champions
2011 National male & female individual champions
2nd place Individual IODA South Americans and 1st place individual Female, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2012 optimist world championship
Boca Chica, Dominican Republic.
Team Leader of ARG TEAM.
2008-2014
industrial Engineering Degree
I finished my degree in Industrial Engineering on 2014. During my Studies I worked as a sailing coach and also for. I did an university exchange in New Zealand where I lived for almost a year.
Universidad Católica Argentina
Universidad de Buenos Aires
Otago University, New Zealand
2007 - 2010
CLUB NAUTICO SAN ISIDRO | ARGENTINA
Optimist coach
Team Racing National Champions 2008 & 2009
1st Place IODA South Americans 2008
National Champion 2008
1st, 5th & 6th place Individual IODA South Americans 2010.
2021-2025
BAHAMAS OPTIMIST NATIONAL TEAM
Head Coach
Achieving the best results in Bahamian history, with the highlight of North American Champion, Eliza Dennings, in Antigua 2023, and 35th in Spain 2023 World Championships, Finley McKinney Lambert
2019
Optimist coach selection team kwvl
Loosdrecht, The Netherlands
Laser team radial & 4.7 team kwvl
Loosdrecht, The Netherlands
1st, 2nd, and 3rd in all UNITED 4 Regatta
1st, 2nd and 3rd in Europacup Hoorn 2019
2nd, 3rd in Europacup Warnemunde, 2019
2017
ORANGE BOWL REGATTA | AHO OPTIMIST COACH
NACRA 17 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP | ARG Coach
La Grande Motte, France
Olympic Campaign for Tokio 2020
Majdalani-Bosco Team ARG 372. Final Result: 14th.
World Sailing EMERGING NATIONS PROGRAM
Boca Chica, Dominican Republic for Laser Radial Youth Class. Attended Clinic as CURACAO Coach.
IODA NORTHAMERICANS TORONTO 2018 | MEX COACH
(Main results: 5th. Sebastián Riquelme, 11th. Mateo Cortes)
2016-
MAKE THEM SAILORS PROJECt
While living on a boat, we began this social project to raise money and supplies to help children from remote islands to learn how to sail. We connect different sailing communities (Competitors, Cruisers, Charter Companies and fishermen) to recycle gear, provide knowledge and tools to create opportunities through Sailing.
2013 - 2014
FEDERACION ARGENTINA DE YACHTING
Youth Sailing Head Coach
2014 IODA SOUTH AMERICANS
Punta del Este, Uruguay
1st, 2nd, 5th Individual Championship
2014 IODA NORTH AMERICANS
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
7th & 10th Open Regatta
2013 IODA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
RIVA DEL GARDA, ITALY
2013 IODA SOUTH AMERICANS
Puerto Alegre, Brasil.
1st & 2nd Team Racing Championship.
2nd, 3rd & 5th Individual Championship
1st, 2nd South American Female Champion
1st Junior
2010 - 2011
timaru yacht club | new zealand
During university exchange in New Zealand I worked as Dinghy Sailing head coach of a club in the South Island, coaching mainly optimist team but weekly coaching of 420 and Laser.
‘Eastern Beach Clinic 2011’ (Auckland)
Optimist International Clinic. (NZL top 30)
sAILING EXPERIENCE
1997
First steps in yachting practice in Optimist Class.
Club Náutico San Isidro, Argentina.
1999–2001
International Optimist Class, Argentina National Team
IODA 2000 South American Championship, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil (71st)
IODA 2000 Team Race South American Championship, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil (1st)
‘Copa Aaron Saenz’, Acapulco 2000, Méjico, (3rd)
IODA 2000 North American Championship, Acapulco, Méjico (24th)
IODA 2000 Team Racing North American Championship, Acapulco, Mexico (1st)
IODA 2001 North American Championship, Kingston, Canada (16th)
2003-2004
International 420 Class.
Team with sailor Mario Segers (Optimist TR World Champion 2001, Quindao, China).
2004 National Championship (Bronze)
2020
5.5 m Class Europeans in San Remo (4th.)
1998-1999
International Cadet Class National Team
Argentina National Champion, Cadet Class
World Champion Cadet; Melbourne, Australia 1999
2002
International Laser Class (4.7, Radial)
South American Championship, Laser 4.7, Buenos Aires, Argentina (6th)
South American Championship, Laser Radial, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2017
Sunfish Worlds, Cartagena.