G.O.T. Flashes Challenge!

Sail-day totals continue to climb this week, reaching 1,180 in the current data pull. Ken Brown continues his amazing run towards 50 sails, and as Fall begins to arrive across the continental US I wonder how the weather on Lake Jacomo is holding out. I won't deny it, I am rooting for Ken, and think the story of a single boat, sailing on a small lake purely for the joy of it reaching 50 sails ahead of the entire Lightning class is a wonderful thing. When the G.O.T-Flashes Challenge started I figured that the first '50', if indeed anyone reached it this year, would go to one of our many world class racing sailors, striving for a podium finish at the Worlds and practicing like crazy. At the moment it appears I was wrong, and I'm delighted at my error.

I am also impressed with the sailing-est family in the Lightning class, the Werley's, all 87 (it sometimes seems) of them. At the moment as a family they have racked up ~175 days sailing Lightning's this year, a record that will take some doing to beat. Unless, of course, Ken Brown has a brother or two that sail!

I am constantly delighted with the dynamic range of our class. In addition to our racing sailors, we boast a strong Classic Boat division, regular workshops on boat restoration at the Finger Lake Boating Museum, and now acknowledgments for the people that are improving their lives by the simple joys of sailing a small boat. The LOYALS are working on a project to make our 80+ year archive of Flashes digitally searchable, and we are experimenting with advanced technology for managing races at the Worlds and Southern Circuit this year. I even hear talk of establishing a 'Lightning Hall of Fame' in the near future - wouldn't that be great! This is a testament to how great our boat is, how it continues after 87 years to enhance and improve our lives, empower our leisure time, and create the relationships that mean so much to us.

We are so lucky!

What's next? While it's hard to know, given the success of the G.O.T Flashes Challenge, I am beginning to wonder if people still go camp cruising in their Lightning's, as used to happen in the wooden boat era. If anyone is still doing that, speak up! It would be great to hear your story too.