2026 Lightning Southern Circuit Recap
OVERALL SOUTHERN CIRCUIT RESULTS
WINTER CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
ST PETERSBURG — LANDSIDE PHOTOS
DEEP SOUTH RESULTS
SAVANNAH — PHOTO GALLERY — HAVEN MEDIA
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2026 Lightning Winter Championship - St. Petersburg
Our first Lightning regatta was a good experience. My husband, Mark and I had been talking for a while about getting into the Lightning class. We thought it would the right boat for us due to his time sailing in the Star class and my time as a crew in the Nacra 17. From what we could see, the Lightning has great tradition, design and competitiveness. A good fit for our family dynamic, our size and skill set. The class is full of nice people of all ages, families and very talented sailors. And after meeting up in Miami with our friend Lara, we decided to give it a try. We had the chance to borrow a good boat and get it down here a few months prior in an effort to start figuring it all out. With 3 kids in school, it wasn’t easy to find the time, but we did manage to get on the water a couple of times. Watching videos on YouTube helped us to figure out some of the tuning and boat handling, but we were very unsure as to how things would go once we got to St. Pete for the regatta.
As soon as we pulled into the SPYC sailing center, the good folks of the Lightning class were very friendly towards us and willing to help a new team. We met the Allens who sold us a new spinnaker pole, and got a great rigging and tuning tutorial from Brian Hayes from North sails. I think Mark was a bit worried about the settings, but soon felt much better thanks to our warm reception. All of the sailors and SPYC volunteers made us feel welcome, and by the end of the day we were ready for the regatta to begin.
The forecast for the four day event was for two warm and windy days, followed by two cold and windy days. This proved correct, but due to thunderstorms on the first day, we were kept onshore, so it turned into a three day regatta from the get go.
Day 1:
With a building southerly breeze and PM thunderstorms in the forecast, the race committee announced that the plan was to go out for one or two races, then get in before the bad weather. Since we were using the Vakaros system for starting, we were given a couple of practice starts so the fleet could have a chance to get used to how it all works. Mark has had a lot of experience with these instruments and felt comfortable using it. Also he likes it because it essentially eliminates the general recall and greatly reduces wasted time on the water. What a great addition in sailing!
As we went through the practice starts, the wind kept building and with the current going against the wind, the waves were getting big and it was challenging to be on the starting line. When the real race started, we got the full benefit of the Vakaros in the form of a big OCS on our screen! Not too pleased, Mark sailed us back behind the line and we began our first race looking upwind at the fleet of 35 Lightnings well in front of us. Not the best beginning, but we were able to slowly claw our way back throughout the race to finish 7th. The downwind legs were a lot of fun with huge gusts and great surfing. A few near capsizes, but we survived. With bad weather approaching, we were sent in to get an early start on the Rum Party.
Regatta PRO Todd hosted the fleet at his home, and it was really nice to meet more of the class members. Mark caught up with one of his old friends from his Opti days, Cristobal from Chile while David Starck was kind enough to tend the bar for everyone and welcomed us to the class along with Laura Jeffers. It was an early evening thankfully as we were already a bit bruised up and needed some recovery time to get ready for the upcoming two cold and windy days.
Day 2:
After a cold front passed over, we were in for a new set of conditions. Temperatures in the 50’s and a blustery NW wind gave us a great opportunity for 3 races. We got our first win in the first race of the day which was a fantastic and memorable experience. The wind was shifting through about 50 degrees and Mark did a good job of keeping us in phase with the shifts. It was a really tactical day of racing rather than a boat speed day and our focus was on looking for the shifts and reacting quickly. In races 2 and 3, we got two fifth place finishes to wrap up a great day for us. We were sitting in 3rd place and looking forward to the last day and having a shot at the title.
Day 3:
Another cold and breezy start, with the wind shifting a bit right to the North. Still Puffy and shifty, but more stable than day 2. In the first race, we got a good start to windward of David Starck and his team. We sailed for about 6 minutes on starboard, trying to hold our lane and see how we could hang with the best. It turns out he’s faster than us, but I guess that’s to be expected. Again though, with all the shifts and other boats it was more of a tactical game, and we were able to secure a strong second place finish behind the Canadians who were back on the water after a broken mast on day 2, and going very fast downwind.
For the second race, Mark decided to take some risk and go for a pin end start. The RC had favored the pin end by about 15 degrees, and with the current running hard upwind, it required delicate positioning. After a good battle with the Allens we just managed to pull it off, tacking and crossing the fleet on a big left shift shortly after the start. This move gave us a nice head start on the fleet, and even though our boat handling was a little scrappy we were able to hold on for another win.
At that point we knew we had the lead over Auggie and his team, but it was only a 1 point margin. Further back a couple points was David and his crew, but as we were getting prepared for the final race, time ran out and it was all over. We had done just enough to get the win, and had a very enjoyable blast reach back to the harbor. We were all new to this but we worked well together.
Back on shore, we began to recover from all the soreness that a windy event causes but the pain was all worth it. We were met and congratulated by many of our fellow competitors who were all extremely gracious. A big highlight was winning the Husband/Wife trophy with Mark, receiving the award from Karen who has for so long volunteered her time and effort to so many SPYC events.
We are so thankful to have sailed the Lightning, to everyone in the class and to the regatta organizers for making this such a fun and memorable experience for us. We appreciate the boat, to be able to do this and having Lara with us. We can’t wait for the next event.
Carolina Borges Mendelblatt
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
Colin Park Trophy - Highest Placing Husband and Wife: Mark & Carolina Mendelblatt
Middle of Tampa Bay Award - Steve Harris
WINTER CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
LANDSIDE PHOTOS [Awards, Rum Party, Dinner]
2026 Deep South Regatta Event Recap and Results
The circuit concluded in Savannah, Georgia, for the Deep South Regatta. With 23 boats competing in Savannah, a total of 43 boats participated across both events. The regatta brought fresh conditions and challenging racing on the Savannah River. Ched Proctor, a legend of the class, delivered a standout performance to claim victory, followed by David Starck in second and Joe Starck in third. Full results here. Day one in Savannah offered picture-perfect conditions, while day two brought a stronger breeze and a shifting current that kept teams on their toes and closed out the Southern Circuit in a dynamic fashion.
- Ched Proctor, Eric Oetgen, Jay Lurie
- David Starck, Tom Starck, Jenna Probst
- Joe Starck, Elizabeth Starck, Katherine Starck
Team Moehlman - Middle of The River Award
DEEP SOUTH RESULTS
PHOTO GALLERY — HAVEN MEDIA
Overall Southern Circuit honors were awarded to David Starck, Jenna Probst, and Tom Starck, marking their fifth circuit championship in the past six years, an impressive display of sustained excellence in one of sailing’s most competitive one-design classes. Southern Circuit results here.
Davis Youth Award - Katherine Starck
Humphrey Newcommer Award - Emma Hawko
George Fisher Sportsmanship Award - Bertie Werley
Karl Smither Award - Jody Starck
Jack Mueller Trophy - Thomas Allan
GGM = None Dr. Georges Peter Trophy - Not Awarded
OVERALL SOUTHERN CIRCUIT RESULTS
Beyond the results, the 2026 Southern Circuit highlighted the Lightning Class’s unique community:
- 32% female participation, including three female skippers and one all-female team
- 35% of competitors under age 32, with 14 teams featuring two or more U32 sailors and five all-U32 teams
- 49% of teams composed of family members, including six all-family crews
In Savannah alone, ten teams featured two or more family members racing together, underscoring the class’s reputation as one of the most family-oriented fleets in sailing. From elite Olympic talent to multi-generational crews, the 2026 Lightning Southern Circuit once again
proved why the class continues to thrive through competitive racing, strong community, and a shared passion for the sport.