The MSA Team

Tommy McCormick
Program Director
Miami, Florida
Kenyon College '26
tommy@manchestersailing.org
Tommy joined MSA's leadership in 2024, bringing deep expertise, exceptional energy, and a clear commitment to MSA’s mission. He has spent his entire life immersed in the sport of sailing, both as a competitor and as a coach. At Kenyon College, Tommy studied Political Science and History, focusing on American politics and classical political philosophy. With over ten years of competitive racing experience across the Optimist, Club 420 (as both skipper and crew), and ILCA/Laser classes, Tommy has competed at the highest levels and attended three ILCA Youth World Championships for Team USA. In addition to his personal sailing achievements, Tommy is an experienced race official and regularly contributes to regatta management at leading events across the country.
At MSA, Tommy works with the Board of Directors to continue advancing the organization’s mission. He has assembled an outstanding staff of instructors and coaches. Through mentorship and training, he empowers them to thrive, encouraging personal and professional development while ensuring MSA delivers a consistent, high-quality experience to all sailors. Under Tommy’s leadership, MSA is embracing a more disciplined, professional approach to instructional pedagogy while still maintaining the fun and joy that define summer sailing. He is committed to operational excellence and strengthening organizational processes, overseeing every aspect of the program with professionalism and passion.
Whether a sailor is looking for a fun, confidence-building experience on the water or training to compete at the highest levels of racing, Tommy is dedicated to helping each sailor succeed!

Sebastien Wells
Head Instructor
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Leo Somma
Opti Coach
Hamilton, Massachusetts
Tabor Academy '27
Leo is from Hamilton, MA, and is a rising senior at Tabor Academy. He has been sailing at MSA for 9 summers, starting off with Introductory Level classes before eventually working up to the Opti and Club 420 Race Teams. He has also raced Club 420s on behalf of Pleon Yacht Club's team and competed in High School Team Race regattas as a student-athlete at Tabor.
Leo is returning to MSA for his second year as a coach, having led his Opti sailors through a great season in 2025. This year, Leo will be coaching the Opti Green Fleet Team. He is excited to introduce sailors to the thrill and joy of competitive sailing while maintaining a fun and relaxed team environment.

Charlie Carner
C420 Coach
Newburyport, Massachusetts
Bowdoin College '29
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Dahlia Beltramini
Senior Instructor
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Brooks School '28
Dahlia Enjoys being on the water and loves spending time with kids. Dahlia lives in Manchester and is a junior in high school. She learned to sail at camp and wants to share her love of sailing with others!

Reed Soininen
Senior Instructor
Ipswich, Massachusetts
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reed@manchestersailing.org
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Beckett Gibbons
Instructor
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
Manchester-Essex Regional High '27
Beckett is currently a high school student. He started sailing in seventh grade when he joined the school’s spring sailing team. He later participated in MSA's Summer Camp and has been sailing there ever since! Beckett fell in love with racing on the C420 Team in 2024, and he's excited to teach kids to sail and continue sailing during 2025 as a new instructor!

Nicholas Paratore Bock
Instructor
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Heather Ryan
Adult Sailing Instructor
Hamilton, Massachusetts
heather@manchestersailing.org
Heather is a long-time MSA family member with years of experience teaching Adult Sailing. She's also served on the organization's Board of Directors and helmed MSA's operations as Program Director in 2024.
A lifelong sailor, Heather's excited to continue sharing her love of the sport, Manchester's beautiful coastline, and our tight-knit community with her Adult Sailing students!

Shannon Walker
Adult Sailing Instructor
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
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A former Junior Sailing Program instructor, Shannon's excited to return to MSA, where she's taught Adult Sailing for many years!

Doug Walker
Adult Sailing Instructor
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
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Doug's a veteran sailor and MSA Program Director, having led our organization for decades. He's looking forward to another fantastic summer and can't wait to be back on Manchester Harbor soon!

James Donohoe
Junior Instructor
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Caleb Sylvester
Junior Instructor
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Isaac Sapire
Junior Instructor
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Grace Corbett
Junior Instructor
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Guy Fiero
Operations Coordinator
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