Between March 14–18, 2026, the Lightning Class descended on St. Petersburg, FL for the 2026 ILCA Winter Championship. Always a well-attended event, the promise of warmer weather drew 34 teams to the line—over 100 sailors in total! It’s a strong showing for the class and a testament to the depth and competitiveness of the fleet.
Six races were completed over the four-day regatta. The opening day saw no racing, as light air was followed by incoming storms. Racing got underway on Day 2, with one race sailed in a strong southwesterly breeze. Current was a major factor on the course, adding another layer to an already demanding day.
Day 3 brought a shift to a northerly breeze, paired with surprisingly cold temperatures. In St. Pete, this direction often delivers shifty, dynamic racing, and the fleet completed three races in those conditions. The final day saw a north-northeasterly breeze, still shifty and still well into double digits, with two more races to close out the regatta.
Diving into the results, Team Black River (32 pts), skippered by Jody Lutz with crew Jay Lutz and Derek Gauger, rounded out the top five. They opened the regatta with an impressive second-place finish and stayed consistent, holding onto strong results throughout the event.
Finishing fourth was Team Black Pearl (28 pts), skippered by Tanner Probst with Maya Weber and Dylan Farrell. Despite a tough 21st-place finish in Race 2, their remaining scores kept them firmly in contention at the top of this competitive fleet.
Taking bronze was David Starck, president of the Lightning Class, sailing with Jenna Probst and Tom Starck on Team PatStrong (17 pts). A consistently competitive team, their string of top-10 finishes secured them a spot on the podium.
Taking silver was Team Danilu (15 pts), skippered by Augie Diaz alongside sisters Elizabeth Starck and Katherine Starck. The team won Race 3 and maintained consistently strong finishes throughout the breezy regatta.
I caught up with Elizabeth, who sailed middle for the team, to hear more about their keys to success. She pointed to the conditions as a defining factor, with all three racing days seeing breeze over 15 knots and averaging closer to 20. Current played a role every day, and much of the fleet’s focus was on avoiding being pushed over the line early or overstanding marks. Understanding how the current direction relative to the wind and course needed to be a constant conversation.
Inside the boat, Elizabeth shared that they were “really focused on adjusting for the changes in breeze.” Notably, they kept their rig slightly looser, despite the bigger puffs, to stay powered up through the lulls. Ultimately, she emphasized that success came down to execution: “hiking hard, staying tuned to the shifts, and crossing when you could.”
At the top of the fleet, taking home gold was Team Daileon (14 points), skippered by Mark Mendelblatt with Carolina Mendelblatt and Lara Dallman-Weiss as crew. The St. Pete native put together an impressive series, winning Races 1 and 6 and finishing with just 14 points overall to narrowly edge out Team Danilu for the top spot.
With all racing taking place in sustained breeze, the 2026 Lightning Winter Championship delivered a regatta that tested both endurance and execution in breeze. Across the fleet, it seems that success came down to managing current, staying in phase with the shifts, and keeping the boat moving.
A big thank you to Elizabeth Starck for taking the time to share insight into the conditions and Team Danilu’s approach on the water. Special congratulations to her, Katherine Starck, and Augie Diaz on a strong second-place finish. Well done to all the teams for a strong showing of sailing in the breeze.
You can find the results HERE and a breakdown of the top 10 below.
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Top 10 Overall – Lightning Winter Championship
- Daileon — Mark Mendelblatt — 14 pts
- Danilu — Augie Diaz — 15 pts
- Team PatStrong — David Starck — 17 pts
- The Pearl — Tanner Probst — 28 pts
- Black River — Jody Lutz — 32 pts
- Blue Weenie — Ryan Davidson — 35 pts
- Washed Up — Luke Ramsay — 45 pts
- Act IV — Joshua Goldman — 47 pts
- 9 — Thomas Allen — 51 pts
- Sleepy Joe — Joe Starck — 52 pts
Top 10 Masters Division – Lightning Winter Championship
- Team PatStrong — David Starck — 9 pts
- Act IV — Joshua Goldman — 20 pts
- Black River Racing — Jody Lutz — 20 pts
- 9 — Thomas Allen — 22 pts
- Blue Light Special — Bill Faude — 37 pts
- Lake Effect — Tom Peterson — 39 pts
- Lucille — Steve Harris — 41 pts
- Sleepy Joe — Joe Starck — 42 pts
- Sundog — Clint Neuman — 45 pts
- 15495 — Larry MacDonald — 47 pts
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