June 4, 2025 Submitted by Hingham Maritime Center
For many Hingham High School Harbormen, their days of sailing and rowing began at Hingham Maritime Center (HMC), a nonprofit with classes open to anyone who would like to get on the water. Summers spent out on Hingham Harbor and the HMC wharf ignited a passion in these athletes and prepared them to compete on the highly successful HHS Crew and Sailing teams, and at the collegiate level.
The HHS Crew and Sailing teams both wrapped up unprecedented spring seasons, with the HHS Crew girls team winning states at the Massachusetts Public Schools Rowing Association Championship, and HHS Sailing taking first at the Mass Bay Sailing League Championship and placing second in the Massachusetts State Championship.
HHS sailors Parker Bradl and Chris Hoppe started sailing at HMC in elementary school and now both coach. They sailed in Optis, Rhode-19s, and 420s over summers at HMC.
“I love the HMC sailing program because of the great instruction and even greater people who work so hard to make every day fun,” says Parker, who will attend Boston College in the fall. “The emphasis on universal sailing skills that transcend fleet or team racing, like good sail point and trim, as well as starts throughout our practices, made me a more competent sailor and one who had the inkling of an interest and grounding in team racing fundamentals necessary to compete at the high school level.”
“HMC gave me a great opportunity to get on the water,” adds Chris, who plans to sail for the club team at the University of Maryland. “Sailing at HMC definitely prepared me to sail in high school. The skills HMC taught me allowed me to hit the ground running in the spring and played a big role in my being elected captain my junior year.”
HHS Crew team captain Maeve Schnorr, recruited to row Division 1 for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, learned to row and sail at HMC. “It’s really where I first got comfortable on the water. Rowing and sailing on Hingham Harbor is so special. The harbor can be tough, but it’s beautiful, and every practice taught me something new. HMC is where I fell in love with being out on the water, and it’s really shaped who I am as an athlete.”
Maeve took up rowing in middle school. “HMC gave me a great foundation for being on the water, learning to handle the boats, read the water, and more. It was at HMC that I was able to perfect my form and stroke because we row mainly in small boats. It made the transition to HHS Crew and now UNC much easier.”
Sara Menesale started sailing at HMC when she was seven and racing when she was nine. “Learning to sail at a young age alone in a boat taught me so much independence and how to be brave when things got scary. During a race you can’t get help from a coach, so from a young age I was learning to problem solve when things would go wrong.”
From her summers at HMC, Sara built a foundation in sailing that positioned her to grow into to stand-out racer and captain on the HHS Sailing team. Sara was recruited to sail Division 1 for the University of South Florida, where she just finished up her freshman year. This spring her team won the ISCA Fleet Race Conference Championship and advanced to the finals of the ISCA National Championship.
“I knew when I was an Opti racer at HMC that I wanted to achieve this goal, and everyone at HMC believed in me,” says Sara. “With the help of HMC and Joe Griffin, my high school coach, I was able to make this goal a reality. HMC sent me to regattas that helped get my name out there. I am so thankful for HMC and everything they have done for me throughout my life because I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them.”
Maisie Knies started sailing at HMC when she was eight years old, rowing a few years later, and now teaches both sports at HMC. “I have been at HMC all summer, every summer, ever since. The community keeps me coming back. It’s so accepting, fun-loving, and tight-knit.”
A talented racer on the HHS Crew team, Maisie now competes on the coastal rowing team for the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Coastal rowing races incorporate beach sprints and launching from the shore into the ocean.
A rising sophomore at Dartmouth College, Jack Burns started sailing at HMC in elementary school, took up rowing in middle school, and in high school became an HMC rowing coach and joined the HHS Crew team. He pulled in his passion for photography into his HMC experience.
“Managing HMC’s media has allowed me to plan, shoot, curate, and share content that captures the spirit of the place so that more people will find it,” says Jack. “Summers at HMC are so special because of how active the wharf and harbor feel. Multiple rowing and sailing classes are out at once, and everyone is doing something unique and exciting.”
Similarly, Cullen Moriarty started sailing at HMC in elementary school, added in rowing in middle school, and has taught rowing at HMC for the past five years. He was captain of the HHS Crew team and just finished up his freshman year at the University of Maryland, where he rowed for the UMD club team. Last fall, Cullen’s novice boat took four silver medals at Head of the Ohio, Occoquan Chase, Head of the Schuylkill, and Head of the Occoquan.
“Rowing was a whole world that I didn’t really know about until I came to HMC and experienced something new that I became very passionate and driven about,” says Cullen. “Those classes at HMC inspired me to row on the high school team, where I was able to form such a great community. Coming into high school having prior knowledge of proper rowing techniques helps you stand out amongst the novices, get into higher boats, and makes you a competitive teammate.”
Cullen joined the UMD coaching staff for the spring season and will be back rowing for the team this fall. “With experience coaching both people completely new to rowing and people with experience at HMC, I could use those skills with the men’s novice team at Maryland, which helped them progress a lot faster this spring.”
Preparing for high school teams aside, the fun the fun they all had on the wharf and on the water kept them back every summer. Parker recalls a Hingham Bay Junior Regatta with almost no wind. “Our coaches tied all our sailboats to the coach boats, where we met to listen to music, eat lunch, and even chat with other team’s sailors who were stalled out in the dead wind. The strength of personality and character of HMC sailors and coaches has never been lacking, so they are always perfectly poised to make every situation, even in non-ideal conditions, a wonderful experience.”
Parker, Chris, Maeve, Sara, Maisie, Jack, and Cullen will all be back at HMC this summer teaching upcoming sailors and rowers—and many future HHS Harbormen.