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Lightning 2006 News Sail Information || Lightning News || FAQs || Tuning Guide || Contact Lightning Experts || Order
Lightning Sails
North Sails were 1,2,3 in the Lightning Sugar Bowl regatta held in New Orleans Dec 16/17. North sales rep Scott Anderson won followed by Tommy Meric and Robert Bernhardt, Here's what Scott had to say: "We used the Fisher design as did Tommy Meric while Robert bernhardt used the M5/5a+. Weather conditions on Saturday were 75 degrees and wind at 8-10 mph. Sunday it was in the high 70's and 2-5 mph...not all that beautiful on Lake Ponchartrain! North sails won all of the races! I think this was Tommy Meric's first time driving a Lightning in a regatta and he won two races. He hadn't tuned a Lightning before so I told him to follow the tuning guide and he would be just fine, and he was. Very fast in the light stuff on Sunday." For more information on our Lightning sails contact our Lightning experts.
Lightning Sails
Report by Brian Hayes
Matt Burridges fine article in a recent Lightning Flashes, titled “How the West was won”, showed how he and his team managed the travel, the conditions and the competition to win the North American Championships in San Diego. Well this article is an exact mirror to Matt’s in that it will cover the overall experience but will differ with one notable exception. The author of this article and his team did not even come close to winning the South American Championships. In fact, due to many circumstances directly within our control, we were barely able to compete and, in fact, featured a scorecard with more letters than a healthy serving of alphabet soup. It started innocently enough. New ILCA President Steve Davis, our class Executive Secretary Jan Davis and I decided that, if everything fell into place, we should try to go to the South Americans in Salinas Ecuador so that we could a) get together with the South American Lightning sailors to hear their ideas and opinions on the Lightning Class, b) show the international Lightning community that the class office and officers were committed to growing the class internationally and c) “show ‘em how it’s done”!! Well, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad. October 30, 2006- Introduction to Ecuador October 31, 2006- “Try the Cerviche!!” Jan: Oh, they say we have to have the cerviche! 6 minutes later... Steve: This is really good!! How’s yours Jan? The rest of the day went harmlessly. We meet Marcel Leon and his wife and crew and sit at the Lightning Bar and had dinner with them and a few others while sharing lots of stories and great laughs. We retired back to the Barcelo and Jan went off to bed while Steve and I went to the bar and casino (we won $30) before retiring. November 1, 2007- Why is that lady on the ground?? Now I’ll stop here because this is about the time that our trip turned from being fun and frivolity to an exercise in creative crew replacement and stamina. Remember the cerviche from early?? Well here it comes. Literally.. After dinner was served Steve was chatting with Paco while I was attempting to ply some of the locals into a drinking game when I hear “She passed out. She fell straight to the floor”. Now I’m not certain what or who they are talking about but I look on the balcony and I see Jan surrounded by many concerned sailors. Steve darts outside and I follow. Jan had passed out and fallen down. Not sure why but she doesn’t look well and we quickly ask for a ride back to the Barcelo so she can rest. Needless to say Jan is totally incapacitated for the next 24 hours. Details not required. (See above: cerviche!!) I adopt a new mantra. Cerveza, rum, toast!!! November 2, 2006- How do you say jib in French? The beach party is awesome. Our host, Xavier Monge, has the party right in front of his home on the beach. I arrive at 9pm (way to early). Find the bano (bathroom) and grab a glass of wine. A bonfire is stoked up and tables are set up on the beach as well as 2 bars and a huge buffet. I gather near one of the bars and chat with many fellow sailors. All are concerned about Jan and I am now concerned about Steve. Remember Steve is the Energizer Bunny. He’s in bed at 6:30. Not good. I finally eat around 10:30 and sit with Cesar Baqueirez and his wife and enjoy some great conversation and learn more about Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands and the Salinas Yacht Club. The Baquierez’s offer me a lift back to the hotel and I gladly accept it so I am back and in bed by 1am. November 3, 2006- Who’s this guy who looks like Steve?? Steve awakes and is determined to sail. Jan is up to it today as well. Jan is at 60%. We estimate Steve at 35-40%. Nearly 100%. Not bad. Jan and I prepare the boat while Steve rests upstairs at the club. We drop the boat in and chase the fleet out to the start line. Steve sleeps in the bow. Jan and I chat about lot’s of stuff (but cerviche is off the topic list). We start the day with a 3rd but our stamina is not good and we get worse as the day goes on, not quite getting left enough and sailing poorly in general, to finish with a 9,14. We sail in and Steve looks green. Jan is better. We have a South American ILCA organizing meeting that Steve is to run but we get him back to the hotel and put him to bed. We won’t see him for another 14 hours. Jan and I run the roundtable discussion and we come away from the meeting with a lot of good ideas and a feeling that, under the right circumstances, the opportunity for future success for the Lightning in South America is attainable and we are excited to see that the local sailors are anxious to help. Time will tell how we successful we are as a team in moving forward and implementing some of the ideas that were discussed at this meeting. That evening is the awards dinner for the “Copa de Santiago Romero”. It is an annual race sponsored by Santiago Romero. The race had been held about 2 weeks prior but the party is really what it is all about. Starting promptly at 9pm (read: 10pm) this was an event not to be missed!! Open bar, sushi bar, pasta bar, chicken, steak, shrimp, 6 piece band, beautiful trophies for the winners and personalized t-shirts for every one who competed with a caricature of each competitor on their own t-shirt. This event was 1st class all the way!! Dancing, food, interesting party masks (ask Jan!).. One thing I do know. A great party translates well in any language!! November 4, 2006- Finally we’re all in one piece..Except the mainsheet!! 1st race of the day we win the pin. Sail fast to the left (re-read results of Pavlov experiments the previous evening). We were fast enough to get under Juan Santos bow and tack and led at the 1st mark. We held our lead on the run and lost 2 boats from the right on the next beat. Lost another (from the right) on the run for a 4th. Still in the game. 2 more top 5’s gives us a small chance for 2nd and a good chance at top 5. Race #8. Individual recall. Is it us?? We go back. Last at first mark. Last at 2nd mark but closer. We work left and the boats on the right go light. We get breeze and a header. Back in the game. We tack. BIG lift.. Top 10?? Maybe better?? BANG!!! Now I don’t ever remember breaking a mainsheet before in a Lightning. Been sailing them for the better part of 4 decades. Can’t even recall SEEING a mainsheet break. But there is a 1st for everything. Broken mainsheet + internal sheeting boom = thanks for coming, your consolation prize is backstage. We limp in to the club holding the tail of the mainsheet 1:1 and begin to break the boat down. We slip of the boom end cap and re-lead the mainsheet so the boat is ready to go for the next time. This certainly wasn’t the boats fault. It is our responsibility to check the equipment and make certain it is race ready. With all the other “items” on our agenda during the week we missed the chafing on the sheet. Our scores were 10,1,OCS,3,9,14,4,DNF,DNS. Solidly 12th. Mid-fleet. Not quite as good as Juan Santos and his team. They had 2,3,4,2,(11),2,1,4,2. Dominating!! Congratulations to Juan and his team. They sailed great! The awards dinner was as impressive as every other party. There was food, wine and dancing as usual. Carlos Lecaro, the regatta chairman, did an excellent job the Master of Ceremonies (I could easily be out of a job). Each competitor was recognized as well as individual race winners. Also, in ILCA tradition, a raffle was held with 100% of the proceeds donated to the local Red Cross (which everyone agreed is a great way to allocate the funds). Carlos and Co. raffled off 20 North Sails hats and bags as well as misc. ILCA gear. They were HOT items!! The crowd was in a frenzy!! Good times!! Steve, Jan and I hung in there until around midnight (also known as “when the party just gets started”) as we had an early van back to Guayaquil so I could catch a Sunday flight. We wandered around thanking all our hosts as we worked our way to the door and crashed back at the Barcelo around 1am. Reflections- or “Do I really want to remember all of it?”
All 9 races won by North Sails. Top 9 powered by North Sails!
For complete results click here. For more information on our Lightning sails and the 2006 South Americans, don't hesitate to contact our Lightning expert Brian Hayes !
Lightning Sails This weekend the Bluenose Regatta was held at Nashville, TN as the final "wrap 'em regatta" for the Lightning Class for the 2006 season. This year 36 boats sailed the event which saw 4 races sailed on Saturday in beautiful 5-10 mph breeze, a great party Saturday night and no racing on Sunday due to lack of breeze. Al Terhune, North OD sales rep with wife Katie and Sarah Paisley dominated the event to win by 13pts with a 2,1,6,1. Dick Hallagan was second, Todd Wake third, Mandy Hoffmeister fourth and Bill Faude fifth. One of the highlights of the event was a North Sails clinic led by Al Terhune on the water Friday afternoon...more and more boats joined the ranks as the afternoon wore on and at the end of the day nearly 12 boats were racing while Al videotaped.
The video Al shot was shown to an enthusiastic audience on Sunday when the races were cancelled. Regatta web site : http://hiyc.org/bluenose.html. For more information on our fast Lightning sails, don't hesitate to contact our Lightning experts! To order our fast Lightning sails online, click here.
Lightning Sails
Report by Greg Fisher This past couple weeks there have been several Lightning regattas where North Sails have dominated! In Annapolis this past week, the Pan Am trials were hosted by Eastport YC. This past weekend 40 boats sailed the breezy chilly aptly named Frigid Digit. 5 races were sailed and once again he same 3 boats from the Pan Am trials were 1,2,3. This time however Jody Swanson Stark steered and husband Dave crewed along with Cory Sertl. Al Terhune with wife Katie and sister Kristian was second and Neal Fowler was third. North Sails again faired well with a 1,2,3,5,6,7,8 overall! The following blurb about the Buckeye Lake Snowball was described in Scuttlebutt...this says it all. It was a super event and obviously we had a special time. Dave Stark tied with Skip Dieball but lost on the tiebreaker. * Twenty-five Lightnings showed up at the annual "Snow Ball" regatta at Buckeye Lake in Ohio to help George Fisher celebrate his 80th Birthday. Still several more major Lightning events to go this fall...we'll keep you tuned in! For more information on our fast Lightning sails, don't hesitate to contact our Lightning experts! To order our fast Lightning sails online, click here.
Report by Brian Hayes Burridge, Moriarity and Moriarity successfully defend Lightning North American title
The 2006 event was blessed with ideal southern California weather. Each day competitors were greeted with cloudy skies that burned off as we sailed the 2+ miles to the race course off Mission Beach in the Pacific Ocean. Each day breezes built out of the west-northwest between 5-12 mph. Confused and lumpy seas as well as un-readable wind pressure changes made consistent finishes difficult even for the top teams. A 28th was followed by a 1st while a 1st was followed by a 31st!! It was indeed tricky and challenging and, above all else, a pleasant experience. PRO Stan Betts and his MBYC-based team were always on time and were quick to get subsequent races run in a timely manner while, on land, Regatta co-chairs Pete Bellin and Jeff Coppens made certain that the positive experience on the water was trumped only by the after racing social activities which included dinners every night and a on-the-beach luau for the final awards banquet. Final results can be found at: www.lightningclass.org Top 10:
North Notes:
For more information on our fast Lightning sails, don't hesitate to contact our Lightning experts! To order our fast Lightning sails online, click here.
Report by Greg Fisher 2006 Lightning Dixie Districts June 10-11 2006 Lightning Texas Districts June 3-4 2006 Lightning Spring Classic May 20-21 For more information on our Lightning sails, don't hesitate to contact our Lightning experts! To order our fast Lightning sails online, click here.
Report by Greg Fisher The California Lightning Circuit, comprised of 3 events sailed over a week was dominated by the team of Jeff Coppens, Jim Sears and Matt Burridge ( 2005 North American Champion). They won all 11 races with a North main, jib and spinnaker!!! Congratulations!!!
For more information on our Lightning sails and the 2006 Southern Circuit, don't hesitate to contact our Lightning experts!
Report by Brian Hayes The highlight event of the 3 regatta Lightning Southern Circuit is the St. Petersburg Winter Championships which were held on March 17-19, 2006 at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. This event always attracts the largest turnout of the circuit and this year was no exception as 73 boats braved the 80 degree temperatures and light to moderate breezes. This years champion is Jody Lutz of Brick, NJ and president of North Flags(www.northflags.com). Jody had his brother Jay and nephew Taylor crewing for him to make it an all-family win. JL's 10,2,2,1 finishes in very tricky Tampa Bay conditions bested the 2nd place team of Brian Hayes, Laura Jeffers and Class President Carter Utzig by 11 points. Another 14 points back in 3rd was Class Treasurer Steve Davis who was very ably assisted by our own Greg Fisher and his wife JoAnn. In the Masters division Dick Hallagan, NY once again dominated the field to best Jim Davis, OH and Gary Hurban, NY by 10 points to win his 6th Masters Midwinters Some highlights from the weekend..
St. Pete top 10 St. Pete Masters top 3
North Facts from St. Pete:
Final results and photos can be found at www.lightningclass.org For more information on our Lightning sails and the 2006 Southern Circuit, don't hesitate to contact our Lightning experts!
Report by Brian Hayes Congratulations David Starck! David Starck and his team of Ian Jones and Jared Drake outclassed a high quality field to win the 50th annual Savannah Deep South Regatta. The event, which was promoted as "let's get 50 for the 50th", had 51 boats registered and sailing on the tight and narrow confines of the Wilmington and Skidaway Rivers in Savannah, GA. David and his team had finishes of 3,4,1 in perfect conditions on both Saturday and Sunday to best Jeff Linton by 2 points. Class 1st timer Chris LaBorde was 3rd followed by Larry MacDonald in 4th and Greg Fisher in 5th.. Of particular note for this event was the presence of Bob Crane. Bob won the 1st Savannah Deep South Regatta and he and his wife were there to cheer on his grandson Rob Crane who was sailing his 1st Savannah Deep South. Rob, with his dad Jim as crew, finished a respectable 20th and beat his other grandfather, Tom Allen Sr., by 2 places!! Savannah top 10..
A detailed report on all the circuit events will be posted upon completion of the circuit. For more information on our Lightning sails, don't hesitate to contact our Lightning experts!
For more information on Lightning sails, contact the North Lightning experts.
See also: 2005 Regatta Reports | 2004 Regatta Reports | 2003 Regatta Reports | 2002 Regatta Reports
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1 ECU 14673 SANTOS JUAN /A.Santos/ R.Lecaro Ecuador 20 2 3 4 2 (11) 2 
In 2005 the St. Louis based team of Matt Burridge and Dan and Tobi Moriarity (photo) dominated early and won the ILCA NACs with a race to spare. This year they did it the hard way. After opening their defense with a 28th place finish the team on "Yeti" strung together finishes of 2,1,3,1,4 to best the Annapolis based team of past NA Champ Al Terhune, with his wife Katie and Kris Smith, by 5 points. In 3rd was past World Champ Jeff Linton with long time teammates Amy Smith-Linton and Mark Taylor. The remainder of the top 5 was dominated by family teams as David, Jody and Tommy Starck sailed consistently well to place 4th and Larry MacDonald sailing with his son Adam and daughter Joy sailed brilliantly in race 6 to pass a cluster of teams to finish 5th overall.
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