We are a week away from kicking off our fall season, at the 2006 Leukemia/President's Cup regatta next weekend.  Regatta chair Laurie Duncan has been working very hard to make this a sterling event, and many of us have volunteered to help, and are planning on competing.  If you are planning on being there, please send me a reply and I'll add your name to the "who is coming" list.

 

Then the following Sunday, September 17, is the first of the fall series Sunday race days, which will run through the first weekend in November.  Frank Gallagher, winner of the PRSA Lightning spring series, is looking to sweep fall series also, and will offer stiff competition to those of us hoping for a shot at first place this fall.

 

There will be some good out-of-town regattas this fall as well, including the SMSA Small Boat invitational at Solomons, September 23-24; the Frigid Digit in Annapolis, October 14-15; the Borderline at Kerr Lake, October 28-29; and the Lighting Fling at Hampton, November 11-12.  And while this is going on, there will be the Albacore North American Championships right here on the Potomac, hosted by the Potomac River Albacore Fleet, October 7 - 9.  Fleet 50 will be providing Race Committee -- Jeff Storck is PRO -- and there will be opportunities for us to help.

 

Where will we be able find crew for all these events?  I'm glad you asked. As a result of our Open House on August 23, we have added 12 names to the "I Want to Crew" list, many with good racing experience, joining the 11 names that remained there as of the end of spring season.  We also have 36 associate members on the Fleet 50 Associates list.  Check them out!

 

And we will see some new skippers on the water this fall as well.  Please extend a warm welcome to Bill Laux of Alexandria, who traveled to Pontiac this week and purchased Lighting 15148.  He'll keep her at home, but he plans to be out on the race course regularly.  Also, Jim Ward has moved his boat here from Nashville, parking it in the slot vacated by Greg Virgin's Tijuana Taxi (that moved to SSA).  He'll be sailing her at the Leukemia/President's Cup, sailing with Batton Kennon, a lightning owner himself (15169), also from Nashville, now a graduate Student at UVA in Charlottesville.

 

And if you know of potential new skippers wanting to buy a Lighting, there are a few available, some with slips.  Check our "for sale" pages and ask around.

 

Finally, we are beginning to plan for the 2007 North American Championships that will be on the Chesapeake, hosted by the Severn Sailing Association and the Eastport Yacht Club, and the 2007 Women's, Juniors, and Masters Championships, hosted by Fleet 50, to be conducted at Leesylvania State Park, August 15 - 18, 2007.  If you are interested in helping to organize these events, please write or call.

 

Thanks, and good sailing!

 

Regards,

 

David Thompson

Fleet Captain

Lightning 15228