Chris and Angele Jester love sailing so much that they have made it their life’s work. “We are a local Newport Beach family,” Angele says. “Our two kids, now 20 and 17, grew up on the water.”
The couple operates SailTime/PowerTime Newport Beach with 34 boats docked at Balboa Marina. The vessels range from Beneteau and Jeanneau sailboats to Lagoon catamarans, powerboats, Duffys and ElectraCraft, which they describe as floating living rooms.
The Jesters’ fleet is available for charters (through Newport Beach Sailing Charters), sailing lessons (from Newport Beach Sailing School) and rentals for day trips or longer excursions around the harbor. The nautical duo also owns Sailtime Newport Beach, an innovative lease-share service for those who want the pleasure of sailing without the expense and time commitment of owning a yacht. “It’s a perfect try-before-you-buy scenario,” Chris says. “Like boat ownership on training wheels.” For those who go on to buy, the couple has that covered, too, via their Newport Beach Yacht Sales company, also at Balboa Marina.
The Jesters have docked boats at CRC Marinas since 2007. In 2019, they consolidated their various boating businesses at the Balboa Marina on Coast Highway and Bayside Drive. “It’s such a great one-stop location for our customers,” Angele says, citing the ease of access and ample free parking.
“For us, CRC Marinas are the best on Newport Harbor,” Chris says. “We’ve had customers learn to sail, share a lease on a yacht and then buy their own boat from us and dock it at a CRC marina.”
