Lightning North American Champs

David Starck, Jason Lutz, and Adam Starck topped the 70-boat fleet to win the 2024 Lightning North American Championship held August 8-11 in Ridgeway, ON. Additional North American titles were won by Jody Lutz (Master), Elizabeth Starck (Women), and Bobby Starck (Junior).

Sailing conditions were greatly affected by weather systems to the east and west of Lake Erie, which provided breezy conditions and large lake swells. The Lightning North Americans was the USA qualifier for the 2025 World Championship to be held in Athens, Greece next June.

The Lightning Class has been ultra focused on its future which was was evident at the regatta. Forty-three percent of the total fleet were U32 sailors and 37% of the fleet were female sailors. “The future of the class is in the hands of the youth,” observed Class President David Starck. “They are telling us what they want, what they need. It’s no free lunch, but we are listening and reacting.”