By Clinton Hayes
A couple of weeks ago Dave Stark sailing with his wife Jody Stark and Ian Jones captured the Lightning Class World Championship Title. The event, sailed at Club Velico Castiglionese in Castiglione del Lago, Italy, was relatively short with only 6 races sailed due to no wind on 2 of 5 race days. With tight competition from 10 countries and many former World Champions, even the smallest mistakes could derail hopes of a title. Dave and his team were able to sail a consistent series winning 2 races and only keeping single digit finishes. He took some time this week to share his thoughts on the event, lightning sailing, and his past and future in the sport.
S1D: Where did you grow up and learn how to sail? What’s your racing background? Where do you currently live?
DS: I grew up sailing at the Buffalo Canoe Club which is located on the north shore of Lake Erie in Canada, 15 miles west of Buffalo, NY. I attended NY Maritime College, Ft. Schuyler, and was a 3 time college All-American. My wife, Jody, girls (Sabrina, Jamie) and I currently live and sail in Buffalo, NY.
S1D: How long have you been in the lightning class and how many world championships have you competed in? Best previous result?
DS: Jody, Ian, and I all grew up sailing Lightnings as juniors. I’ve competed in 8 world championships and been runner-up twice (2005 Chile, 2009 Vermont). Jody and Ian won the worlds in 1997, sailing with Larry MacDonald.
S1D: What, if any, specific preparation did you do for this event? Did you practice/race with Jody and Ian a lot in months leading up to the event? What did you focus most on?
DS: Our team has focused on winning the world championship for several years now, coming very close to winning in the recent past. For this worlds, we sailed the Southern Circuit in March, a couple of regional regattas in May, and simply practiced at our club several times before flying to Italy. We worked mostly on boat handling, maneuvers, and communication.
S1D: I heard the wind was pretty light. Could you describe the conditions. Unpredictable and shifty? Light and choppy? How did you adapt your game plan to be successful in these conditions?
DS: We sailed on a rather large lake (Lake Trasimeno) in the Tuscany region of Italy. We witnessed all conditions….light, medium, breezy; shifty and steady winds. It was what you hope for any major championship…a sampling of everything. Gear changing and keep your head out of the boat was key.
S1D: What other events are you doing this year? Any other boats or types of sailing besides the lightning?
DS: Over the years, we have sailed in many different one-design fleets/classes. These days, time is tight so we focus just on the Lightning. We spend a lot of time on our own sailing as well as helping the junior sailors along. Further, our girls are interested so we take them in our club races. As far as the rest of 2013, Jody and Ian are sailing the North American’s together with Ian’s daughter, Allie. I will be home with our girls. I do plan to sail a couple of other regattas this summer as well as the fall circuit.
S1D: Why do you enjoy racing the lightning so much? (I assume you enjoy it since you do it so much!)
DS: The Lightning class is unique in that it is an incredibly competitive fleet worldwide, yet it is very family oriented. For people looking to sail in an affordable, competitive, large one-design fleet, you can’t beat it. It is the best!
S1D: How has the lightning class grown (or shrank), or changed since you first got involved? What do you think the future holds?
DS: The Lightning Class is hanging in there very well in terms of growth. Membership today is very strong, new boats are being built, class organization is the best there is, and the ILCA Boat Grant program is keeping the fleet young. At the world championship in Italy, there were 10 countries represented. In my opinion, the future of the class has never been so bright. It is a pleasure being involved in such a dynamic class organization.
Leave a Reply