A Vagabond Sailor Finds a Home
by Phil Rowan

I have had the pleasure of sailing Lightnings for the past 17 years over most of the eastern U.S. There are many exciting Lightning regattas, but certainly in addition to the NAs in August and the Southern Racing Circuit in March, one has to add the Red Flannels in Chicago, the season-ending Bluenose in Nashville, and the remarkable Leukemia President's Cup on the Potomac River with our gleaming nation's Capital as a backdrop to that list.

For most of that time, I have not had the honor and enjoyment of sailing with "front of the fleet" skippers and crews. The reality of the life of a pickup/vagabond sailor is that one takes the berths offered. That generally means bottom of the fleet positions with an excellent view of the sterns of fast moving, competitive boats up ahead.

Front runners are what they are because the particular skipper has great boat handling skills and sailing sense. More importantly, he generally has the distinct advantage of dedicated, long-term, crew members sailing for him, and often newer, more reliable equipment aided by those spanking new sails one hears cracking at any given North American Championship or Southern Circuit event.

Therefore, it is very hard for a stranger to break into the upper levels of our sport. One notable exception to that reality is the opportunity to sail and compete within Fleet 50, whose home is on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, south of DC and Reagan National Airport, and just north of Alexandria at the Washington Sailing Marina.

One thing a vagabond sailor does not have is a "sailing" home, no fleet to call his own. Two years ago, I was able to make it to Annapolis for the 2000 NA's. As many of you know, it is a great sailing venue and has hosted a number of world championships. We had an excellent turnout.

I did find a position, but it turned out to be the typical, sometimes frustrating experience my breed expects. However, as so many people have observed over the years about the unique attraction of sailing, "Better a bad day on the water, than a good day on land."

An unexpected dividend at that year's NA's was meeting members of Fleet 50 such as Frank Gallagher and Nabeel Alsalam. Fleet 50, as you can tell from its number, has been an established sailing organization for years. Doc Gilbert is counted as one of its guiding lights from times gone by, and for whom a popular regatta is named in his honor.

There are a number of truly uncommon attractions that I have been privileged to uncover about Fleet 50 over the past two years. Sharing them with you is the purpose of this article.

First, unlike many fleets I have visited, this fleet has no true home, no clubhouse and grounds to call its own. They sail out of a public marina run by the National Park Service, and have no more standing or privileges than anyone else using the three available hoists. The only allotted storage space they have is a locked cabinet not much larger than a standard phone booth.

Second, they have to sail down a narrow channel to get out of their anchorage. If lucky enough not to get snarled with the aggressive hydrilla weeds, they then sail up the Potomac River toward the 14th Street bridge. Their course is laid out between busy Reagan National Airport to the west and Hains Point to the east. Hains Point is the site of the famous sculpture of the hands and arms emerging from the ground entitled "The Awakening".

OK, what's so remarkable about Fleet 50, many fleets content with vexing conditions in order to enjoy our little square-boxed "frustrations"?

The answer is quite simple, it is the people who comprise Fleet 50's membership. In all my sailing experiences, I have never met a more universally pleasant, enjoyable group. From the very beginning of my occasional, unannounced arrivals at the marina over the past two years, the spirit of comradeship and true enjoyment of their fellow sailors is almost palpable.

When is the last time you have arrived at a new club as a stranger and have felt adrift, so to speak (pardon the pun)? Generally, members are understandably involved in their own problems and preparations to sail that they do not take the time to greet a stranger. Making a newcomer feel welcome appears to be of paramount importance for Fleet 50 members.

There are a number of things they do to foster this remarkable atmosphere. One of them is an active Internet traffic between members using the Yahoo Group system. With a couple clicks of the keyboard, one is in touch with the entire membership. In addition to the normal exchange of information and inquires about rules, equipment, tactics, upcoming regattas, etc. (they have a separate section identifying available crew, my obvious favorite), there is an openness and drive to perpetuate their Fleet and its spirit of closeness.

The latter aspect is probably one of the best indicia of Fleet 50's warm atmosphere. It ranges from the mundane and practical (one member last month was seeking someone to help with a dog sitting "crisis") to the very serious when one of their crew was involved in a traffic accident.

One positive aspect of the latter, sad event was a rallying effort to round up members who had extra sick leave credits available within a governmental medical program. The goal was to have eligible members contribute their credits to help their fellow sailor in time of need.

They have aggressively engaged in various "fleet building" activities. One example I have not seen elsewhere is their use of an inventory of inexpensive boats to entice potential new members. The ability to buy a boat and get out on the water to sail without first having to make a major investment is a great idea.

Another innovative idea is a "captive" fleet boat that is passed on from member to member. 50% of whatever costs of improvement the previous owner has made to the boat sets the price for the next owner. The only stipulations are that the boat must be actively raced within Fleet 50, and it stays with the fleet if and when the then current owner moves on.

On Wednesday nights, they engage in various skill enhancing routines, rather than just racing. One evening, I had the pleasure of helming the boat of one of Fleet 50's leading skippers, as we circled one of the new skipper's boats. The time, intensity, insight, and thoughtfulness of the suggestions offered by my skipper to improve the skills of a fellow skipper were not only of value to that skipper, but revelations to me as well.

See what I mean?

Perhaps one ingredient for this group's unique status is their willingness to go "outside the box" of the traditional sailing mentality. One example is they have organized Caribbean, bare boat excursions during the winter. In many clubs, people do not see or hear from one another from the end of the season in the fall until the following spring. Not true with Fleet 50. Some of the crazier sailors compete on Lasers in the lagoon straight through the winter.

I don't really have an explanation as to why they have attracted and maintained this spirit of community which I feel sets this group apart from others. I do know it is in the very highest tradition of everything that is good and admirable in the Lightning world we all enjoy so much.

Should you be in the DC area, and wish to keep in touch with Lightning sailors, this is a Fleet you should keep in mind. It is as easy as signing on to http://www.lightningclass.net/Fleet50/