Tarkan Bolat and his teammates Michael Rivken and Katie Benstead are all recent graduates of the University of Illinois Sailing Team. All three are eager to expand their knowledge of triple handed boats, while hoping to find their home in the Lightning Class. They are new to the boat but watch out for them on the racecourse! They will be based out of Chicago, IL and mentored by David Stix from the Mid-West District.

In his application interview, Bolat mentioned “Katie, Michael and I are thrilled about testing the Lightning and joining a competitive fleet. We stumbled upon the program by chance and had a warm positive feeling throughout the entire process. We already created a regatta calendar and are looking forward to making an impact on the racecourse!”