David J. Mendelblatt is an American yachtsman and ophthalmologist.

David Mendelblatt
Personal information
Full name David J. Mendelblatt
Nationality American
Sport
Sport Sailing
Event Sunfish
College team  Tufts University
Club  St. Petersburg Yacht Club
Achievements and titles
World finals
National finals
  • 1985 Optimist Pram National Champion
  • 1988 National Interscholastic High School Sailing Champions, four-person team
  • 1991 US Sailing Team Racing Champions, team
  • 1992 collegiate All-American

He is a former Optimist Pram National Champion. He came in second in the Sunfish World Championship in 2006, third in 2009, and second again in 2010.

Personal life edit

Mendelblatt is the older brother of Olympic sailor Mark Mendelblatt.[1] He attended Tufts University,[1] where he was an All-American in 1992.[2]

He received his medical degree from the University of South Florida College of Medicine, performed his residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and is an ophthalmologist.[3][4][5] His father, Frank, is also an ophthalmologist, and his mother, Kathy, supervises their practice.[6] He lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.[4][dead link]

Sailing career edit

1985–1991: early career edit

In 1985, at the age of 15, Mendelblatt was part of a five-person U.S. Optimist dinghy team, along with his brother Mark, that took third place in the 25th International Optimist World Championships in team racing in Finland.[7][8][9] It was the best U.S. finish ever in dinghy racing.[10] He also won the Optimist Pram National Championship, over his brother Mark who came in second.[2]

In 1987, Mendelblatt and Caj Flynn won the Bemis Cup, the most prestigious junior sailing race in the US, in Massachusetts.[2][11] In 1988, Mendelbatt was part of a four-person team from St. Petersburg High School that won the 1988 National Interscholastic High School Sailing Championships, in Annapolis, Maryland.[12] He was a winner of the ISSA's Mallory Trophy, school sailing's oldest trophy.[2][13]

In 1989, at the age of 19, he teamed with his 16-year-old brother Mark to outrace 21 other entries and win the Laser II North American Championships in Maryland.[14] In 1990, he was honored as first-place skipper in the Laser II North American Championships.[15] In 1991, he was part of the team that won the US Sailing Team Racing Championship, the "George R. Hinman Trophy".[16][17]

1995–present: Sunfish edit

In 1995, Mendelblatt won the United States Sunfish Midwinters with a near-perfect score, against 88 other boats.[18][19][20]

In 2006, he came in second in the Sunfish World Championship.[21] He also won the Florida Southeast Regional title for the third time.[22][23] In 2006 and 2007, he won the Florida State Sunfish Championship.[24][25]

In 2009, he came in third in the Sunfish World Championship, in the Bahamas.[26][27][28] In 2010, he came in second in the Sunfish World Championship in Italy to Jonathan Martinetti, of Ecuador.[29][30]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Mark Mendelblatt". US Sailing. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d "Centennial; 1909–2009; Major Awards" (PDF). St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Retrieved July 9, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Sarah Whitman (September 17, 2010). "Genesis School has fundraiser to help 3-year-old with Stevens Johnson syndrome". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on September 21, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  4. ^ a b Will Haynie (October 5, 2006). "Local Sailor in Control; Sunfish Worlds". The Post and Courier. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  5. ^ "Dr. David Mendelblatt, MD – St. Petersburg, FL – Ophthalmology – Physician Detail". Edward White Hospital. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  6. ^ Dave Scheiber (August 11, 2004). "St. Petersburg sailor plots course for gold". The St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  7. ^ "Sportsalute XIV". The Evening Independent. March 1, 1986. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  8. ^ Jane Meinhardt (August 13, 1985). "Local Trio Paces American Dinghy Racers". The Evening Independent. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  9. ^ Michael M. Walton (January 28, 1985). "St. Petersburg Yacht Club Honors Boaters for 1984". The Evening Independent. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  10. ^ "11 Teams Nominated for Year's Best". The Evening Independent. February 17, 1986. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  11. ^ Gary Lentz (August 30, 1987). "Two St. Petersburg sailors win prestigious Bemis Cup Series". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  12. ^ Tim Looney (May 13, 1988). "St. Petersburg takes first in national high school sailing event Series". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved July 9, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "Inter-Scholastic Sailing Association (ISSA); National Results". Highschoolsailingusa.org. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  14. ^ Kim Lennon, Tim, Looney (July 26, 1989). "Brothers team for continental sailing title Series". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved July 7, 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Jon Wilson (February 4, 1990). "Baird honored at St. Petersburg Yacht Club ceremonies Series". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved July 9, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ "Previous Winners". Championships.ussailing.org. March 23, 2011. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  17. ^ Ralph Hickok (October 5, 2010). "History – U.S. Team Sailing Championship". Hickok Sports. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  18. ^ "Mendelblatt stays ahead for easy win". Herald Tribune. March 13, 2005. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  19. ^ Morgan Stinemetz (March 12, 2005). "Sunfish Midwinter Regatta; Mendelbatt has Sizable Lead". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  20. ^ Dave Ellis (June 1, 2005). "Sunfish waits for wind to pick up Series: On the Water". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  21. ^ "Sunfish World Championship 2006; Loring Clinches Title In Light Wind Finale". Sailing.org. October 6, 2006. Retrieved July 9, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  22. ^ Dave Ellis (September 20, 2006). "Northpinellas: Young sailors take to the seas". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  23. ^ Will Haynie (September 8, 2006). "Sneak Peak for Sunfish Elite Sailors". The Post and Courier. Retrieved July 9, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  24. ^ Dave Ellis (April 18, 2007). "Top two finishers advance at regatta". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  25. ^ Dave Ellis (November 29, 2006). "Local waters see tons of action this month". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  26. ^ "Martinborough still heads Bahamian field". The Tribune. October 23, 2009. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  27. ^ "Award Ceremony". Sunfish World. October 24, 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  28. ^ "Sunfish World Championship – US clean sweep". Sail-World.com. October 27, 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  29. ^ Will Haynie (August 6, 2010). "Sunfish memories from Italy". The Post and Courier. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  30. ^ "Risultati Sunfish; 2010 Sunfish Worlds" (PDF). sunfishclass.org. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2011.