2008 Spring Season Began March 8! What's up for 2008? Here is the 2008 calendar.
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PRSA Spring Series # 5, Sunday, May 11. The 5th of our spring Sunday series is today. Robert Bennett will be PRO, and the Race Committee will be provided by members of the V-15 fleet. Be there! Today's AccuWeather forecast (always subject to change) calls for partly sunny skies, a high of 63 degrees, and southeasterly winds at 11 MPH. The river flow is about average for this time of year, at 14,200 CFS (gage height 4.4 ft), and the water temperature is a seasonal 65 degrees. Low tide will be at 8:10 AM and high tide at 1:46 PM. Bring hot dogs to cook on the grill after racing, weather permitting.
PRSA Spring Regatta, Saturday and Sunday, May 24 - 25. That's just 2 weeks away! Line up your crew and make plans now to participate. Lightnings have RC on the upper course; Albacores on the lower course. Regatta chair David Thompson says, "Get out there!"
Dixie District Championships June 14 - 15 at SSA! Right around the corner in June are the 2008 Dixie District Championships, this year run by SSA Fleet 329 in Annapolis. These are the qualifiers for the 2008 Lightning North American Championships in Newport RI in August. Here is the NOR.
Now is the time to re-up your membership in PRSA, Fleet 50, and ILCA. Where else can you get so much fun and friendship for such a low price?? Click here to find the membership renewal forms. Have you already renewed? Check the Skipper roster or the Associates roster to find out.
Skippers -- Time to Line Up Crew for 2008, and/or crew -- time to line up skippers for 2008! Either way, if you can't remember who all you sailed with in 2007, you can look it up on the 2007 Skipper/Crew Matrix.
On-line sign up for 2008 PRSA Race Committee Slots is now available! PRO slots are all filled, and the remaining RC positions this year are assigned by fleet. Lightnings will be providing drivers and helpers for Spring Series #s 1, and 6; Fall Series #s 1; 2; 4; and 8; The upper course for the Spring Regatta; and the lower course for the President's Leukemia Cup. Sign up now! Each Lightning skipper who is not a PRO should plan on working 2 RC days as a driver/helper this year.
Lightning 70th Anniversary Regatta - Skaneateles NY, July 4 - 6. 2008 marks the 70th anniversary of the splash of Lightning #1 for sea trials on Lake Skaneateles in October 1938, and the Skaneateles Country Club, ILCA, and Lightning Fleet 1 are planning a suitably appropriate bash, for Friday - Sunday, July 4 - 6. Several fleet members have already booked lodging reservations. It takes about 6.5 hours by car to get there from WSM. Here is more information.
- FLASH! - Register before June 1 to avoid the $50 late registration penalty!
Join BoatUS for only $12.50! As a member of Fleet 50 you can join at a discounted rate. See https://www.boatus-insurance.com/newMember/joinN.asp?st and be sure to list " #GA81366S " as the Boat US cooperating group # for fleet 50 to get your discount.
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Lightning Mid-week sailing Began Thursday, May 8!
We used to call it Wednesday Evening Sailing, but this year we are going to try Thursdays instead. Joe Warren and Chris Kent are orchestrating a program of chalk talks on land before hitting the water for practice, the first one Thursday, May 8. Fourteen skippers and crew came down for our kick-off event. We didn't splash because of the forecast of thunderstorms, but it was just as well, as there was no wind either. Fortunately there was also no rain (but it rained hard before and after) so we had an excellent opportunity to check out the rigging and controls on Joe's boat and then practice splashing the boat safely using the new WSM cranes. Joe and Chris also demonstrated how to lower and raise a mast. Next week: on the water!
23rd annual Doc Gilbert Memorial Potomac Cup Regatta, May 3-4.
25 boats registered for the 23rd Annual Doc Gilbert Memorial Regatta, and 24 came out on the nicest two days of sailing, weather-wise, in recent memory. On Saturday we had southerly breezes that got up to 20 MPH at one point, but were lighter in the morning. On Sunday the winds were northerly, starting at 14 MPH but dropping into the 10 range by the second race. Allan Terhune and crew took first place with an unprecedented five bullets, Jon Guth was second. Frank Gallagher, in 7th place, was the highest finishing Fleet 50 skipper. Final results here. Here are photos.
PRSA Spring Series # 3, Sunday, April 27.
Thirteen Lightnings got ready to sail on a gray, chilly Sunday morning -- overcast and misty with an air temperature that never made it above 57 degrees -- but one boat met an unfortunate accident on the crane, resulting in a damaged mast. So an even dozen were out racing in good 12 MPH northeasterly winds. We welcomed new crew members Jason Suja, Peter Lallas, Mike Crocker, and Luke LaSorde. PRO Ben Ackerman, with Race Committee members provided by the Catamaran Fleet, got off 4 races before it was time to come in. Here are results.
Fleet 50 Leesylvania Park Work Day Saturday, April 26 --
Many thanks to the sixteen Fleet 50 skippers and crew who came down to Leesylvania on Saturday, April 26, to spruce up the park before our regatta. We had a warm and beautiful spring day with light breezes and not a cloud in the sky. Chandler Owen and Chris Kent braved the altitude to climb extension ladders to reach the highest points of the cranes, to scrape, sand, and repaint; several others worked on painting lower elements of the cranes, while a second work party removed posts from the vehicle parking area to the west of the sailboat parking lot. Susan and Joyce painted the cement abutment in front of Picnic Shelter # 4; we'll see the results of that work next weekend. Thanks all! Here are pictures. (enter "JimDillard" when requested)
PRSA Spring Series # 2, Sunday, April 20.
The AccuWeather forecast called for cloudy skies, rain, heavy at times, and possible thunderstorms. AccuWeather got it right! PRO Daphne Byron evaluated the weather forecast, and with the sparse turnout as of 10 AM, decided to cancel racing for the day. Good call, Daphne! Here are details.
