By Andrew Rainville, Community Rower
On March 7, as the frigid waters of Boston Harbor and Hingham Bay pushed chunks of ice onto the sands of Hull’s Pemberton Point Beach, a determined group of 19 rowers from Lake Champlain Maritime Museum gathered in Hull, MA to launch the 2026 rowing season at the annual Snow Row. Seven of those athletes were youth rowers representing Mt. Abraham Union High School, while the rest hailed from Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s adult rowing community.
Known for its unpredictable conditions, unique start, and spirited competition, the Snow Row offers Vermont rowers a chance to shake off winter’s chill and find their rhythm again after a long, snowy offseason.
The beach quickly filled with a colorful lineup of boats, including five built at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Adult rowers crewed the six-oared Annie O and the four-oared Gail Parsell, while the MAUHS team took to the water in the bright orange Frank Beckett. Other clubs also joined the mix: the Hull Lifesaving Museum raced Windrose, and Mass Bay Rowing Club brought Mad Martha – both boats crafted in the Museum’s boatshop now have a home with their respective clubs.
After a short practice session and an even shorter pre-race meeting, crews prepared to launch. This year’s start carried special historical flair. In recognition of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, members of the Hingham Militia replaced the race’s traditional starting cannon with musket fire.
At the first blast, workboat and livery crews sprinted toward their boats. A second shot released the four-oared crews, followed by a third for the six-oared boats. On the fourth and final blast, sliding-seat shells joined the race.
The Snow Row’s start is famously chaotic. Only the coxswain begins in the boat, while the bowperson holds the bow to the beach. When the signal sounds, the rest of the crew must sprint down the sand, scramble aboard, push off the beach, and spin the boat around before beginning the 3.5-mile course. Known as a Le Mans start, the opening moments are a blur of flying oars, splashing water, and the occasional bump between boats as crews fight to be first pointing south toward Sheep Island, the course’s first marker.
Once clear of the beach, the rowers settled into a steady rhythm, pulling more than 1.5 miles into Hingham Bay while navigating inconsistent wind-driven waves. By the time many crews reached Sheep Island, the staggered starts had compressed the field into a lively pack spanning multiple divisions.
After rounding the island and its veiled sandbar, the boats pointed northwest toward a day marker before making a final starboard turn onto the home stretch. Facing northeast, crews dug deep for the sprint back to Pemberton Point, where an airhorn greeted each boat crossing the line.
In the end, Frank Beckett edged out Annie O by just ten seconds, finishing the course in 41:23 to win the youth pilot gig category and third place overall among all pilot gigs. The crew of Annie O delivered a strong performance of their own, earning third place in the adult pilot gig division with a time of 41:33. Meanwhile, Gail Parsell battled through tough competition to secure fourth place in the adult coxed fours, finishing in 51:42.
Mt Abraham Union High School senior Gretchen Toy reflected on her final Snow Row:
“This year, our experienced boat focused specifically on back lean. Using a longer stroke, we built on our club’s past successes with a resounding victory. After not being in the boat for a few months, we were able to quickly jump back into routine and place third among all coxed sixes, finishing ahead of many adult crews.”
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum Crew Line-Ups:
Frank Beckett – Jack Anderson, River Meshna, Gretchen Toy, Will Gustin, Kassi Garrow, Chuck Anderson, Brayden Fay
Annie O – Ben Mayock, Andrew Rainville, David Brynn, Becky D’Avignon, Lisa Byers, Tim Hodson, Sandra Murphy
Gail Parsell – Maria Cimonetti, Kaylin Spiteri, Melissa Robertson, Clare Caldwell, Meg Langworthy
Adult summer rowing begins in late April or early May, and all are welcome to join. More information about adult rowing can be found here.
