ISSA High School National Champs

Lindsay Allen from Benilde St. Margaret’s and Dave Onan from Minnetonka qualified for the ISSA High School Single-handed National Championships September 29-30. 41 sailors representing 20 high schools from four states sailed in near perfect conditions on Wayzata Bay. The championship featured two divisions, Laser Standard and Laser Radial. Blake Middelton ran an excellent regatta completing 13 races in each division for a total of 26 races in the two-day event.

Lindsay Allen became the first woman to win the Laser Radial Division of the Midwest High School Single-handed Championships. Allen sailed very well on Saturday until a disastrous race 9 placing 18th that moved her from first overall to third, and out of a qualifying position, with only four races remaining in the regatta. Fortunately, Lindsay sailed a 4, 1, 2, and 6 on Sunday to move back into first overall beating out JB Turney of Lake Forest Academy, IL by only 7 points. Turney barely nipped Freshman Andrew Kean of Mounds Park Academy by finishing one place in front of him on the last race, the same margin he needed to secure second place and a berth to the Nationals.

Vincent Porter sailing for Loyola Academy dominated the Laser Standard Division winning 10 of the 13 races and the regatta by 49 points. This will be Porter’s third straight trip to the Nationals and he will be considered one of the favorites to win.

Dave Onan sailed consistently throughout the regatta to finish a solid second and secure the second berth at the Nationals. Onan finished 10 points ahead of Cae Muller who is a senior at the Latin School of Chicago. Onan and Muller were tied going into Sunday with Muller ahead via the tiebreaker formula.

Onan’s strategy was to sail his own race to the weather mark and then keep an eye on her. His strategy paid off, as Muller never was able to finish in front of Onan in the last four races of the event.

Allen and Onan train at the Lake Minnetonka Sailing School at their Wayzata Bay site. LMSS is host to seven local high schools and has been providing opportunities for high school students the past six years. LMSS would like to thank the Wayzata Yacht Club for hosting the high school program and this year’s Cressy Regatta.