Questions and Answers:(submit
a question - Q and A will be posted here)
Q - What expenses are
covered?
A - We will provide the boat, competitive
sails, insurance, and entry fees for all Lightning Class regattas
that you sail. We have also included some money in the program
for maintenance so if the boat needs some new line or you need to
repair a damaged part, that will be covered as well. We want
you to sail a lot of events. In some cases we may help with
your travel expenses, depending on the strength of your proposal.
Part of the your proposal should include a list of regattas that you
want to attend, a budget, and a plan. The funding
depends on the strength of your proposal and your need for financial
aid. We would strongly recommend that you discuss your job and
your ability to incur some of these expenses.
Q - What costs will I incur?
A - You and your crew will need to join the ILCA, Skipper dues are
$45 and Crew dues are $10 each. You will also need to pay the
deductible if you damage the boat and need to make an insurance
claim. You will need to pay any fees associated with storing
the boat at a club or sailing center. You will need to pay
travel expenses for going to regattas. Often times regatta
hosts will offer free housing to competitors which greatly reduces
your expenses.
Q - I am 24, and I am in
graduate school full time. Am I eligible for the program?
A - Yes, Absolutely! The program is geared to help YOUNG people who
have a desire to race a boat but do not have the resources to be
able to do it. The class wants to do what ever it can to get people
like you to start racing boats and enable you to get on the race
course.
Q - Are there any regattas I
am required to go to?
A - No, you are not required to go to any regattas, but the more
regattas that you plan to do and put on your application, the better
chance you have to being granted a boat. The North Americans, ACC’s,
Districts, are all big important events, which we encourage
participation in. Also if you are a junior, the Junior North
Americans is a great regatta and should be on your "must do" list.
Q - Can I attend the North
Americans in Sodus Bay?
A - You need to qualify for the North
Americans by sailing in your District Championships.
Q - After I sail the boat
granted to me for one year, I decide I really love the boat and want
to keep it! Will this be possible?
In some cases, the boat will be available to be purchased at the
end of the season, and it
would be the best thing that we could hope for. We would work with
you to figure out the details to help you to purchase the boat and to
continue to race with the ILCA.
Q - What/Who is the mentor and
what will they do for me?
The mentor is the best part of the program. The mentor will be a
member from a local fleet with a lot of Lightning knowledge who will
be able to help you get started, show you how to rig the boat, tune,
boat handling techniques, you name it. They are there to help YOU.
They are also there to help watch over the boat and ensure that it
is being taken care of and that its being used and cared for. The
mentor will be available to answer your questions, help with
regatta planning, and help you get the most out of your Lightning.
He or she may be able to help coach, assist, and even sail with you
from time to time. They are there to make your experience positive
and to help you learn as much as possible.
Q - I
am putting together a last minute application to the boat grant
program. We are collecting several recommendation letters from
around the East Coast. With some of the individuals being on
vacation, they will be submitting electronic copies to us for
incorporation into our application. My question is whether you
need signed copies of the recommendation letters sent to you? If yes, what
address would you want it sent to?
Your letters of recommendation do
not need to be signed, they can be sent via email directly to
the class office. office@lightningclass.org
That is the same place where you
need to send your application.
The more effort you put in to the
application process and the stronger your recommendations, the
better your chances are. A very strong letter of
recommendation from a member of a nearby Lightning fleet who
knows you well or a sailing coach who knows you well will have
far more weight than a letter from a "big name" sailor
who barely knows you. We will be contacting them and
interviewing them about you.
Q
- I am putting together an application to the Lightning Boat Grant
Program. I am trying to develop a travel schedule to
incorporate in the application. I am having trouble finding
the dates for all Lightning regattas. I was wondering if you
had a good listing or could point me to the best online source to
review?
Many of our Districts are still
working out the details of the regatta schedules for next season
so the complete regatta schedule is not on the website as of
yet. We realize this makes it more difficult for your
proposal and we will certainly take this into consideration.
A
good way to handle this is:
1 - Look at the regatta schedule
that is currently available on the ILCA website
2 - Look at the results from 2008
and see what regattas were held (where and when) and incorporate
them into your schedule on a "tentative basis"
Look on the home page of the ILCA website under "sailing
news" and "More 2008 sailing news"
3 - talk to some Lightning
sailors in your area to see if they can provide any information
