Concurrently with that, after three years as Class President, and a total of nine years on the Executive Committee, Dave Starck is stepping down … but not away. Dave will continue on the Governing Board as Vice President Youth Worlds, and knowing Dave well we are confident we will be able to leverage his expertise in many other areas. But for now, let’s salute his contributions for the past nine years….

It is impossible to gauge the countless hours Dave has spent on the Lightning Class during his time on the Executive Committee. He has led numerous initiatives, but we want to highlight just a few that have had a profound impact on the Class.

U32: We can’t say for certain how the idea for a U32 regatta came about, but we first heard it from Dave. And for certain he was always adamant that the U32 folks should be in charge of it and run it themselves. He gave them ownership and license, along with his trademark unlimited enthusiasm, and look what it’s done: the U32 movement has invigorated the Class, exposed us to new young members, and helped solidify the love of the Class in our youth. Certainly much of the success can be attributed to the hard work of Maya Weber, Jenna Probst, Jason Lutz and others, but the initial insight, support and enthusiasm from Dave were pivotal.

International impact: We can say firsthand that Dave has spent an enormous amount of time and energy working to shore up our international footprint. He worked hard to coordinate the incredibly generous donation by Ian Edwards of boats to Finland and Italy, helping to work out logistics, buyers, coordinating with country leads, etc. He worked tirelessly with Laura to coordinate boats and crews for the World Youths in Finland, and before that the 2024 World Youths in Chile. He is constantly in contact with our members in Europe and South America, and is now taking the lead on an exciting new opportunity with fleet building in Italy. At the Annual Meeting in August he made clear that preserving our status as an international class has been one of his top priorities, and he has put in the work to make that a reality.

Fuel The Flash 2030: It was Dave’s idea to do a fundraiser, and he had the good judgement to heed the advice of one of our key benefactors, Pete Denton, to support the pivot to a strategic multi-year plan addressing the key needs of the Class. Dave is keenly focused on keeping the Class strong through our 100th anniversary and beyond, and Fuel The Flash 2030 will help keep us on that path.

Outreach: Dave is uniquely approachable – a rock star that is willing to share his best stuff with anyone seeking to improve. Often he’s leading an informal seminar during down-time at a regatta, or coaching Juniors, or just generally being a force of nature within the Class. And he has been a strong supporter of local, district and national regattas, traveling nearly every weekend during his tenure.

Dave’s enthusiasm, support and encouragement have been boundless, and the Class is all the stronger for it. We have thrived over the years of Dave’s tenure on the Executive Committee, and especially his three years as President, and he “leaves” us in an excellent position. So, thank you, Dave, for your tireless energy and dedication to the Class, and your day-in and day-out encouragement and support – we know not a day has passed over the past three years that you weren’t thinking of or doing something for the betterment of the International Lightning Class. Thank you!

Executive Committee

Julio Velez, President

Jody Lutz, Secretary

Bertie Werley, Treasurer

Kevin Robinson, Chief Measurer

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