Starck wins Lightning Winter Champs

David Starck and his team of Tom Starck and Jenna Probst won the 2021 Lightning Winter Championship held March 21-24 in St Petersburg, FL. With Starck’s team leading through three days and nine races, the wind gods did not cooperate on the fourth day to complete the tenth and final race.

Nine points back was Jeff Hayden with Mateo Rodriguez and Hannah Sellers in second place while brothers Matt and Greg Fisher along with crews Hal Gilreath and Jo Ann Fisher completed the podium.

“After a long 2020, it was so nice to get back on the water here in St Pete,” said David Starck. “Nine races in perfect sailing conditions with my brother Tommy and Jenna Probst was just the best. It was equally nice racing against class stalwarts like Matt and Greg Fisher, and 5 time World Champion Tito Gonzalez as well as the new ‘young guns’ Jeff Hayden and Tanner Probst. SPYC did a super job being sure we all felt safe.”

After the Winter Championship, the circus moves north to the Deep South Regatta on March 26-27 at the Savannah Yacht Club in Savannah, GA. The combination of these two regattas make up the 2021 Lightning Southern Circuit.

Event details – Results – Facebook

Final Results (Top 5 of 25; 9 races, 1 discard)
1. David Starck / Tom Starck / Jenna Probst , USA – [9] -2 -2 -4 -3 -2 -2 -2 -4 ; 21
2. Jeff Hayden / Mateo Rodriguez / Hannah Sellers , USA – 6 -1 -[12] -1 -8 -4 -1 -3 -6 ; 30
3. Matt Fisher / Greg Fisher / Hal Gilreath/Jo Ann Fisher , USA – 14 -[16] -9 -8 -2 -1 -3 -4 -3 ; 44
4. Bill Faude / Ched Proctor / Amy Simonsen , USA – 7 -6 -5 -7 -4 -7 -12 -1 -[26] ; 49
5. Tanner Probst / Debbie Probst / Dominique Wright , USA – 2 -11 -6 -9 -10 -3 -6 -[16] -2 ; 49