August 25, 2025 Submitted by Liz West (Photos provided by Hingham Yacht Club)
On Wednesday, August 6, the Hingham Yacht Club made history by hosting its first-ever Girls Junior Regatta on Hingham Bay. The groundbreaking event drew 64 young sailors from seven clubs across the South Shore. They plan to now make it an annual event.
The regatta featured 24 sailors in 12 doublehanded 420s and 40 sailors in Optimist dinghies, split into both green and championship divisions. The competition was supported by more than 30 volunteers, 20 coaches, a fleet of safety boats, and scores of spectators—making it as much a community celebration as it was a test of sailing skill.
Race Results:
Opti Green: 1. Sloane Morris (Cottage Park YC), 2. Sami Zari (Hingham YC), 3. Delia Quinn (Hingham YC)
Opti Champ: 1. Emily Walsh (Hingham YC), 2. Elaina D’Ambrosio (Winthrop YC), 3. Emily Bunstein (Hingham YC)
420 Green: 1. Louise Fleck & Winnie Staples (Hingham YC), 2. Grace Newman & Eleanor Kiley (Hull YC), 3. Annabelle Sexton & Emma Goulding (Hingham YC)
420 Champ: 1. Madeleine Accettella & Audrey Smith (Hingham YC), 2. Nora Synnott & Kay Vazquez (Hingham MC), 3. Aisling Conley & Sylvia Thompson (HMC/Cohasset YC)
At the close of racing, the young sailors gathered to hear from women who have carved out their own paths in the sport of sailing. Collegiate athletes Ellie Smith (Georgetown University) and Sara Menesale (University of South Florida), both local coaches, spoke about their sailing journeys and the opportunities the sport has given them. Erin Devine, assistant coach of the Hingham High School Varsity Sailing Team, added her own perspective, noting that while sailing shaped her as an athlete, coaching has become her favorite role of all.
Their words resonated with the next generation. One young sailor, overheard on the docks, summed it up simply: “This was so much fun. I hope we get to do it next year.”
The regatta also shined a spotlight on women’s leadership within the Hingham Yacht Club. Rear Commodore Allie Koskinas, who chaired the event committee, is herself a standout sailor and role model. A two-time All-American Crew from Hobart & William Smith Colleges, Koskinas is a dedicated racer, mother of three young sailors, and—come 2029—the first woman in the club’s 130-year history to serve as Commodore.
Her achievement underscores why the Girls Junior Regatta feels so significant. Sailing, like many sports, has traditionally been dominated by men, but events like this show the tide is shifting. These young sailors are not only learning how to trim a sail or round a mark; they are seeing a vision of themselves in leadership, competition, and community.
The inaugural Girls Junior Regatta was more than a single day on the water. It was a statement that girls have a place at every level of sailing, from green fleet beginnings to championship races, from local docks to collegiate waters, and one day, perhaps, leading a club like the Hingham Yacht Club!
