Academy of Marion, Massachusetts at the US High School Single-Handed (Laser Radial) National Championships.

The event takes place over the weekend on Lake Washington and Kirkland will go head to head with 15 other Laser Radial sailors who qualified from regions around the country.

Kirkland won the New England region earlier this month at Stonington, Connecticut.

"My coach has been preparing me for possibly cold conditions in the North-West,'' he said. "I am watching the weather but there doesn't look to be any storm systems.

"I am looking forward to the small fleet. I think it will be more pure sailing.'' Kirkland said he knew many of the competitors from the East coast.

"Jeff Bonnani is super fast and was second at the nationals where I was 10th and first at Cork where I was fourth. I am getting closer,'' he said.

Kirkland said the West and Mid-West sailors were an unknown quantity and he would be watching them closely.