David Starck wins Lightning Midwinter Championship

Miami, FL (March 18, 2014) – With a passing front in the morning keeping the 53-boat Lightning fleet ashore, the Midwinter Championship concluded with one breezy 5-leg race. While Skip Dieball won the final race, it was not enough to pass David Starck to take the overall lead.

“It was another incredible race today that came down to the wire,” says regatta champion David Starck from Buffalo, NY. “Skip’s team (Dieball) passed us down the first run and went on to win the race. We sailed conservatively, knowing we could be at worse 6th. It was a fantastic regatta”.

After three days and seven races, reigning world champion Starck, sailing with brother Joe Starck and Neal Fowler, took the title with 17 points. In second with 18 points was Skip Dieball from Toledo, OH with Jody Starck and Ian Jones.

Matt Fisher from Columbus, OH with crew Todd & Kristine Wake finished 4th in today’s race to pull ahead of his brother Greg and finish 3rd overall with 31 points. Greg Fisher from Charleston, SC with crew Jo Ann Fisher & Jeff Eiber finished 4th with 38 total points. Will Brown from Long Beach Island sailing with ILCA Class President John Faus and Matty Schon finished 3rd in today’s race to take 5th place overall with 44 points.

The class is off to the next stop on the circuit, St. Petersburg, FL where racing resumes Thursday for the Lightning Winter Championships. The combined scores between both regattas will determine the overall Southern Circuit Champion.

Full results: http://www.lightningclass.org/racing/results/2014/miami.asp

Skip Dieball with Jody Starck and Ian Jones. Photo by Bill Clausen.

Report by Laura Jeffers, Executive Secretary, International Lightning Class Association