Hannah M Twiddy
Hannah has a passion for being out on the water. Having grown up on the Pasquotank river in Elizabeth City NC, learning to sail was a way of life. Her enthusiasm lies in bringing the art of sailing to future generations.
After her introduction to Cape Charles, she recognized this as the perfect place for a youth sailing program and thus began connecting with the local community to find support for a program. Hannah met Mia on nothing other than a sail across Chesapeake Bay, and with their heads together the sailing camp was founded, becoming Cape Charles Community Sailing. Hannah's drive is to provide sailing opportunities through the small town grassroots sailing program. This program is similar to the one in which she learned to sail and with connections in Northeast NC and SE Virginia sailing communities, huge support was provided for this sailing program on the Eastern Shore; with hopes to expand to more of the shore...one day!
For more than a decade, Hannah has operated junior and adult sailing programs. She is a member of local and international sailboat racing crews, volunteer crew on traditional sailing vessels, and enjoys boat deliveries, especially to beautiful places.
Hannah is a curious one and a teacher at heart. Having completed a PhD at Old Dominion University and recently a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship in Australia, when not teaching sailing she is conducting research nationally and internationally. Her research lies in understanding healthy aging and passing these traits to future generations...hence passing sailing to youth!
Michella Bragg Guinan
Mia, as she is affectionately known to her friends and colleagues, is a multi-faceted entrepreneur who admits openly to having no "off switch" for her brain! Spotting and launching successful projects and business opportunities is her forte.
As a 25-year resident of Cape Charles, Mia recognized Cape Charles was ripe for launching a successful community sailing program. On a leisurely sail on Schooner Virginia, she met Hannah and the two's respective skill sets went into action and Cape Charles Community Sailing and Sailing Camp was founded. Fundraisers began, boats were donated, and the entire community quickly and generously rallied to support their efforts.
Mia has owned and operated businesses in both the restaurant and technology sectors and has been named as one of "Hampton Roads' Top Ten People to Get to Know" by Coastal Virginia Magazine. Red Herring Magazine named her former company as one of the "100 Top Global Businesses" in 1991.
In 2010 Mia and her former husband co-founded Camp Trident, a resilience camp for teenage boys. Mia's work earned her the Secretary of Defense's medal for Outstanding Public Service.
Mia is a certified Breathworks Yoga facilitator and practitioner whose current passion is seeing that mindfulness and social emotional learning programs be embedded into local school curriculums.
Although she doesn't sail yet, she is planning to master that skill.
Mia is dedicated to developing relationships to ensure that Cape Charles Community Sailing will serve our community for years to come.
2024 Instructors
Neiley Guinan - Neiley has been with the program since its inception, either as a camper, volunteering her time and energy, or helping others learn. Neiley has since purchased her own Sunfish and consistently takes the lead whenever we are racing. Look for her at the finish line. Neiley is a sophomore at Broadwater High School.
Olivia Reid - Olivia joins us with exceptional leadership skills. She started as a student in the program and has now transitioned to a teaching role. Despite attending prestigious camps during the summer, we are delighted to have her as one of our instructors. Olivia is a junior at Norfolk Collegiate School.
Lucy Watkins - Lucy always greets us with a smile on her face. Actively involved in many programs and organizations on the Shore, including the Experimental Film Festival, we are thrilled to make time for her. Lucy participated as a camper in the program and is now actively serving as an instructor. Lucy is a junior with dual enrollment, being homeschooled and taking classes at Eastern Shore Community College.
Ethan Dail - Ethan is a freshly certified US Sailing Level 1 Instructor. He and his brothers have been participating in the camp for the past three years. They collaborate with their dad to restore boats and cars and are often found on the water or in nature in some capacity. Ethan is a sophomore who is homeschooled and is a part of the Classical Conversations Challenge Level 2 Co-Op.
Alex Corbitt- Alex has been sailing with his family for years. While in Cape Charles, they live aboard a 41ft Catalina! When Alex isn't out sailing, he is joining his Lacross team or Cobia fishing with his family.
And a special thank you to the many volunteers who help us throughout the summer!
