SAILING WORLD 's
MEDALS OF ACHIEVEMENT GO TO LIGHTNING SAILORS!

Brian Taboada has been awarded the 1995 Sailing World Medal of Achievement in One Design for his outstanding performances last year in the Lightning North Americans as skipper, the Lightning Worlds as crew, and US SAILING's Championship of Champions as skipper. (There is also a very nice "profile" on Brian in the April issue of Sailing World. Apparently last year was no fluke as Brian won the 1996 St. Petersburg Winter Championships and, with co-skippers Jared Drake and Bill Faude (each one took a turn steering), the Southern Circuit Overall.)

The Medals of Achievement were pretty heavily laden with Lightning sailors. Larry Colantuono, who crewed for Brian in both the North Americans and US SAILING's Championship of Champions, was awarded Honorable Mention for the Crew Medal. Jeff Linton, another Lightning sailor down Florida way, was awarded an Honorable Mention for the One Design Medal. Hannah Swett was awarded the Medal of Achievement for Women, and Betsy Alison was awarded an Honorable Mention for Women. Erstwhile Lightning sailors Ed Baird and Terry Hutchinson were Honorable Mentions for the One-Design Keelboat Medal.

With all this talent running in and through the Class, it's no wonder the Lightning is such a competitive Class!