Everyone knows about the Minnetonka High School football team, the hockey team, and the cross country team, but how many know of the Minnetonka High School Sailing Team? Though it may not be as well-known as football or hockey, this fascinating sport deserves more attention than it gets.

The definition of sailing is using the wind to propel a craft to go where you want it to go. Sailing has been around for millennia, but sailboat racing, the sport mentioned in this article, originated in Holland in the 1600s. After a sailboat was given as a gift to King Charles II, sailing gained popularity in England as well, then made its way over to the American colonies as well the rest of the world. It has been an Olympic sport since 1896.

As with any race, the objective of sailboat racing is to get your boat from the starting line to the finish line ahead of any other boat. This requires thinking of skills and tactics, as well as implementing them during races.

Lucia Loosbrock, ‘22, is part of the Minnetonka High School Sailing Team. She has been sailing since she was eight years old, and joined the team in eighth grade. She loves sailing for its relaxing nature and “fun community of people.” 

The sailing team has two seasons: fall and spring. The fall is more casual with the focus being on developing skills. In the spring, there are more competitive varsity practices that go for three hours on the water. They practice at the Lake Minnetonka Sailing School.

The team is often very successful in competitions, and go on to compete around the country. “We’ve been to a lot of cool places,” says Lucia. “I traveled with a lot of seniors that graduated last year, so those were just fun memories going to places like Texas, Maine, Seattle, [and] California.” 

Jessica Haverstock is the Director of Lake Minnetonka Sailing School and Minnetonka Sailing Team coach. She says that the Minnetonka Sailing School’s location (an island in Carson Bay) “allows [the sailors] to have different training options for varying wind and wave conditions.” 

When asked to describe sailing strategies, Haverstock mentions that sailing is unique in having a different “playing field” every time. Sailors need to be able to identify the wind and “play the course” better than their competitors. Mastering concepts like trends, fleet positioning, wind, and boat speed is key to winning a race. 

They train primarily in a double-handed sailboat called the Club 420, as well as FJ’s, Lasers, and Keelboats. Boats are usually provided at competitions, but sometimes the team has to bring their own boats.

The team sails a variety of different regattas (races) in different locations, and competes against up to 40 teams at once. They sail primarily against other schools in the Twin Cities, including Wayzata, Edina, Southwest, and Orono. A few times a season they compete for a top spot in the Midwest conference. Many teams attend from all over including Chicago, Michigan, Wisconsin teams all attend). The women’s team just placed 1st overall in the Midwest conference and qualified for a women’s invitational in San Diego, California.

Choices of school sports doesn’t have to be limited to just the mainstream ones. If students love the idea of being on the water, working with a team, and competing all over the country, Sailing Team could be a good choice.