Navigating Another Strong Season, HHS Sailing Wins First Race at Home
HHS Sailing Team, including captains Audrey Smith, Chris Hoppe and Caroline O’Hara (bottom row) and coaches, Erin Devine, Joe Griffin Jr., and James Morrissey (top row).
April 19, 2025 – Story and photos submitted by HHS Sailing
After braving a month of bitterly cold wind, ice and rain — and nine races on the road — the HHS Sailing Team defeated Winchester under sunny skies in Hingham Harbor at their first home race of the season.
Sailing for Hingham were: senior captain Caroline O’Hara with junior captain Audrey Smith, junior Madeleine Accettella with sophomore Jessica Scipione and senior captain Chris Hoppe, and sophomore Nora Synnott with sophomore Sally Egan. Spectators at the bathing beach were able to follow along to the sounds of the starting sequence, thanks to the start box custom-built by junior Logan DeLaar for the event.
Winning decisively in 3 of the 4 races, Hingham made their all HHS-alumni coaching staff proud. “This team, which welcomed six freshmen this year, has shown grit, growth, and a deep commitment to mastering one of sailing’s most complex formats: team racing,” said Head Coach Joe Griffin Jr. “Unlike traditional fleet racing, team racing requires sailors to think several moves ahead, anticipating a dozen possible outcomes with every shift of the wind or change in course layout. What makes sailing strategy so challenging is the playing field is never the same. The course can get longer, shorter, wider, or even skewed—and that changes everything in terms of strategy.”
Hingham and Winchester, each with three boats, competed in four races between Button Island and Hingham’s Bathing Beach.
The win over Winchester brought the team’s record to 7-3, putting them in a strong position heading into April vacation. Coach Griffin explained, “While the first half of the season focuses entirely on team racing, as the squad aims to qualify for a prestigious Regional Feeder Regatta, after the break the format transitions to fleet racing—the more traditional, individual-boat competition that tests a different set of tactical skills.”
Coach Griffin added, “With weekend regattas stretching from early morning to late afternoon, and countless hours spent together on buses and boats, the HHS Sailing Team has become more than just a team—they’re a tight-knit crew, learning and growing together on and off the water.”
The team thanks Hingham Maritime Center for hosting the first half of their season and plans to move the boats out to Hingham Yacht Club after April break. Coach Griffin said, “We are fortunate to have not one, but two organizations supporting our fleet here in Hingham. We hope to make them both proud this spring and look forward to hosting the Herreshoff Qualifiers at Hingham Yacht Club on May 11.”
