ISSA Singlehanded Nationals - Kiss and Lamphere bag Cressy Trophy

by Sherri Campbell on 12 Nov 2012 ISSA Singlehanded National Champioship 2012 - Michigan’s Mitchell Kiss and Illinois’ Malcolm Lamphere bagged the Cressy Trophy after fending off a testy challenge from their rivals Sunday to capture the Laser Standard Full Rig and Radial crown, respectively. The 2012 ISSA Singlehanded National Championship drew 36 of the top singlehanded high school sailors in the United States in a two-day race off the Belmont Veterans Memorial Post at Long Beach, California.

Mitchell Kiss of Holland, Mich. and Malcolm Lamphere of Lake Forest, Ill. fought off their strongest rivals Sunday to win the Laser Standard Full Rig and Radial titles, respectively, in the 2012 ISSA Singlehanded National Championship for the Cressy Trophy off the Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier at Long Beach, Calif.

The top 36 singlehanded high school sailors from around the country sailed in a cool but sunny 62 degrees with the breeze dropping to single digits after Saturday's brisk blow.

The event was organized by the Interscholastic Sailing Association in conjunction with the host, the United States Sailing Center-Long Beach. All on-land activities were based at the US Sailing Center-Long Beach, and spectators watched from the pier.

The participants competed in two fleets of 18 boats each. Sailors earned spot by qualifying at championship regattas in their respective districts.

Ten races were run Saturday in each fleet and the final eight went off Sunday.

Kiss, last year’s Radial Fleet Championship winner, won with a margin of 23 points. He represents Black River High School in Holland, MI. He had a couple of tough finishes on Sunday but finished strong with a win in the last race. Daniel DelBello, of Fox Lane High School in Bedford, N.Y., was second for the second year in a row. Stephen Long of Dos Pueblos High School in Santa Barbara, Calif. finished third.

Lamphere won the Radials with good competition coming from runnerup Gary Prieto of Southold High School, Southold, N.Y. Prieto briefly took the lead after race 14 but Lamphere stayed just ahead of him in the remaining races to guarantee victory.

While the racing on Saturday was in moderate winds of 10-15 mph, Sunday served up lighter but consistent winds of 5-8 mph. The variety of conditions offered plenty of opportunity for great racing. Complete results availablw online.


The Interscholastic Sailing Association (ISSA) is the governing body of high school sailing in the United States. Detailed info on the ISSA can be found online.