At the end of a long day, the one thing Hingham’s Alicia Secor wants to do more than anything else–is set sail.

“It has been my lifelong passion,” says Secor, who first learned to sail at the age of 14, cruising a daysailer around Cotuit Harbor on Cape Cod. She later got into racing at the University of New Hampshire and has continued to work on advancing her sailing skills in her spare time. She and her husband Jim McGorry have lived in Hingham for the past 20 years and enjoy recreational cruising aboard their Saber 386, MOTU, which they purchased in July of 2020.

Sailing from Hingham Yacht Club, they glide past the picturesque sloping hills of World’s End and the Boston Harbor Islands while on their way to destinations like the Elizabeth Islands, Martha’s Vineyard or Maine. “There is an unbelievable sense of freedom when you’re out on the water,” says Secor, who in addition to being the boat’s captain is also the president and CEO of Atalanta Therapeutics, a company working to pioneer treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Out on the water, the stress of the day-to-day-grind floats away on a salty breeze.

“It’s incredibly peaceful out on the water, and when you’re cruising along it can be exhilarating,” says Secor, who embraces the thrill of sailing in different weather conditions. “Every sailing experience is unique,” says Secor. “It sounds cliche to say, but it’s not about the destination–it’s about the journey.”