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What's New
Latest updates and news about the class, boats, people and this site. If we have missed anything then drop us a line. This is
your site so say what you want to see, give news and views, good, bad, indifferent, all it takes is a little e-mail.
If they are not illegal, immoral or hurt, I'll post them.
Recharge your Lightning - Read all about it:
Posters and Publicity info for Clubs and Notice-boards:
Noble Marine Insurance (Event Sponsor):
Class Dinner:
With things for the Class moving along so well this year, we have been considering if
we can revive the Class dinner as a wrap-up to the season and a celebration of our
progress. We're not talking anything fancy, just a meal down the pub, after the Rum
& Mince Pie event at West Oxford SC on the 6th November.
Caroline is looking for a suitable venue. The idea would be to finish the racing,
pack-up and disappear to the pub for a meal and a chat. We'd also likely do the
presentations there as well.
We are not talking mega expensive, menu options we are looking at are about
£15 ahead, nor would we be particularly late, planning on sitting down to dinner,
around 6 o'clock or soon after.
Everyone is welcome, whether sailing or not, even just come along to watch a bit
of the racing in the afternoon and go for the meal. We do need to have some idea of
numbers, so we don't entirely surprise the pub,
either way. We are trying to avoid the idea of tickets, but it would be very helpful
(meaning fairly essential) that people drop us a note if they are planning on coming
along, so we can give the pub numbers.
We'll post a menu up on the website, so could those interested please, please
drop Caroline an e-mail to that effect (see Contacts Page for e-mail addresses).
Guests, Partners and Significant Others, are
very welcome, so if more than one in your party, please remember to say so, they are
all very welcome to join us.
This will be a nice opportunity to round off the season and enjoy a small social
event, even put a few faces to names you've read about here and on the Forum. Hope you
can come along.
Dorchester Open:
Another very enjoyable event at Dorchester SC. Super weather and a lovely lake made for some good sailing.
Race Report posted, with photos to follow shortly.
Posters and Publicity Info:
A suggestion at the AGM was to provide some publicity material for events and Club
Notice-boards, so here's a start.
On this link and the link above, you'll find a few posters and an A5 brochure, all
in pdf format, which can be downloaded and printed locally. Instructions are on the
page and everything is copyright free so no worries there.
Feel free to print as required and post up at any opportunity. If you have ideas
for any more, on want one for a specific event, just let me know and I'll see
if I can get something together for you.
Southampton Boat Show:
The Southampton Boat Show is on the 10 - 19th September. John Claridge will have a
stand and a new Lightning there, so if your popping down look John up, he'll be delighted
to see you. Lots of other good kit and stuff in the show as well, so will make a good day out.
New Boat Delivered:
Caroline has her new boat, LN406 and in spite of a howling gale, gave it a little try out
at West Oxford last Sunday. We eagerly await pictures of the new baby.
And here is the first one, courtesy of Adrian Hollier LN406:
Caroline's is the first of four due to be delivered over the next month or so, the rest of us
are on tenterhooks, waiting on that call from John - It's Ready!!!
FLASH:
So, it's blowing 22Kts, gusts are hitting 35Kts. The race officer has set a
figure of eight course out on the lake, with the first beat slightly
offset, so you have to tack right across the lake to the first mark.
How you going to do this? - can you do it, at all???
Well, the next issue of FLASH has a super article about exactly this
situation, which was the Nationals on the Saturday. Some of our best sailors
have got together to explain the techniques they use to sail the course in
conditions like this. Absolutely essential information and tips about how
to manage and improve your sailing in a breeze.
Issue 123 of FLASH will be available to CA members in September, everyone
else is going to have to wait awhile!!!
We'll be following this up with a similar articles, again from some of
our best sailors on light wind techniques, rigging choices, control
settings and much, much more, in following issues of FLASH. It really
is essential reading.
For Sale:
Another boat up for sale, LN77 currently lying at Burghfield SC
near Reading. More info and contact details on the For Sale page.
Travellers' Series Sailing Instructions:
David Machin in his roles as Sailing Co-ordinator kindly drafted a set of Travellers'
Series Sailing Instructions and these were approved at the AGM.
They in essence, define properly what has been our practice for a number of years, with
two changes. Firstly with the expanding Open Series, 12 instead of 9 races are needed to
qualify for the series. Secondly we have introduced a category of Travelled but Did not
Race (TDR). This rewards those that might have travelled a great distance, but for
whatever reason could not start a race on the day (you cannot win the series like this,
but don't go home entirely empty handed).
PLEASE NOTE - These new Class Sailing Instructions do not come into effect until the
2010-2011 season, which commences with the Rum and Mince Pie event on the 6th November 2010
at West Oxford SC.
Transitional Class Rules:
John Claridge and the Technical Committee have been working on revised Class Rules
for sometime, however these are not yet complete.
As an interim measure, Transitional Class Rules have been produced, based on those
of other similar classes, in order to accommodate the latest modifications and changes
in boat design and configuration. And to provide grandfather rights to previous
modifications etc.
Nothing changes the essential one-design nature of the Class, indeed the new Transitional
Class Rules are specifically drafted to protect this and ensure all boats remain
competitive.
Nationals slideshows:
Race report, slideshows and results all now uploaded, hopefully providing a nice celebration of the excellent
weekend at Northampton. There is also lots of chatter and reviews on the Forum. Some great sailing, with
a good social get together, rounded this all off very nicely.
Lee has also got an excellent piece into Yachts and Yachting,
Click here to view:
Next we are off to Dorchester, a nice little lake, just south of Oxford and Chris' home Club, on the 4th September.
Would be great to see another strong turnout and again this is a good event for newcomers to the Open Series to get a
feel for what Class racing is all about, hope to see you there.
Open Attendances:
We are just three quarters of the way through the season, but already Open Series
attendances are up by 33% on last year, with attendance at the 2010 Nationals
up 47%. A really tremendous result and a great boost for those working hard
on behalf of the CA to support and strengthen the Class.
Attendance at some events has been up more than 60% this year, with new faces,
both older experienced hands and those new to sailing coming along to see what
Lightning 368 Class racing is all about. And we are a great place to start,
with a nice simple boat, a friendly and helpful bunch of people and good
manners on the water.
If your new to Class racing or want to have ago, pop along to an Open, we can
guarantee you'll be met with a friendly welcome, helpful advice and understanding
on the water. It isn't necessary to know the rules inside out, people will
help out, we are a great place to learn the ropes and pick up the basics,
as well as providing some high standards of sail racing at the front of the fleet.
Our one-design philosophy means older boats can compete on
equal terms with newer ones, a quick scan of the results tables will
highlight that, more money is not necessarily a route to success with a Lightning,
knowledge and skill are equally important. Our wide age range, means youngsters
with energy compete well alongside older hands with skill, always fun to watch.
We welcome newcomers to the sport, so if you've got a Lightning or are thinking
of getting one and want to try your hand at Class racing, pop along and see us,
it is no where near as scary as it sounds.
AGM Summary Report:
The AGM was well attended and proved to be a useful and enjoyable review of the
year's progress and what we do next. With many thoughts and ideas put forwards
the new committee will be working hard to bring these things to
fruition.
The link above provides a short (unoffical) summary of the key issues and decisions, a
full report will be included in the next edition of Flash.
Fleet Map:
The Fleet Map has been updated to include all clubs from the website directory
and all Class Association Members Club's. Lots and lots of red splodges
to look at now.
Yachts and Yachting:
If you haven't picked up a copy of Y&Y yet, take a look over the weekend. Lee has got another great
little Class report in the Clubs and Classes section of the printed magazine, together with
an excellent editorial about his home Club, Manor Park in Staffordshire.
Our publicity moves from strength to strength. Over the NATS weekend we intend to provide 'live' text
updates of the racing, direct to the Y&Y website. Technology - bring it on!!!
Noble Marine:
I'm very pleased to be able to tell you we have been successful in securing a small amount of sponsorship from Noble Marine,
the UK's leading provider of dinghy and small craft insurance, which is very welcome.
Further information about their products and services can be found on the 'Links' page and we hope this is a useful and helpful
service to Class members.
In recognition of this support the Inland championships will now be known as the Noble
Marine, Lightning 368, Inland Championships.
Recharge your Lightning:
We have launched this little campaign aimed at finding a few more boats
for the second-hand market. It is a simple poster for club notice boards,
which hopefully prompts people to look in dinghy parks etc for Lightning's which
are no longer used, or required and tells us about them.
Contact the Webmaster:
Anything amiss, or you want to see added, then contact the Webmaster.
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