In the past week three major Lightning events have taken place; the European and Youth World Championships in Greece and the 80^th Anniversary Regatta in Skaneateles. Regattas like these cannot happen without a lot of volunteer work. 

In Greece the local Fleets did a great job in getting participation from other European Countries and exposing the Class to these new sailors. For the Youth Worlds there was a lot of work to be done to get the fleet of boats ready for the juniors to sail.  Brian Hayes led the effort to tune and repair the fleet, but the task was huge.  Along with the local organizers, parents who had made the trip stepped up to help and make sure the boats were ready to sail.  We like to call the ILCA a family class; like most families we can sometimes be a bit dysfunctional, but in the end we pull together for the good of the class.

When you attend a regatta take a minute to step back and think about the effort that is being put forth so you have a chance to go sailboat racing and see your friends.  It’s easy for us to criticize the organization or RC work: no doubt, it is not always perfect.  Next time that happens, think about how you could have helped.  It could be very simple: show up on time, remember to bring your measurement certificate to the NAs, help the RC carry the marks to their boat in the morning, help clean up after the post-race dinner.  Beyond that you should get involved with planning and running regattas.  There is no better way to understand the challenges that exist and help make an event better than by getting directly involved.

I want to thank all the people who give their time to help the class.  I sailed the Midwest Districts in Green Bay on the hottest weekend in years and the volunteers were as cheerful as ever: thank you! I was not able to attend the 80^th but know that there were a lot of Lightning sailors having a lot of fun, thank you!  Next up is the North Americans at Mission Bay Yacht Club and they are working hard to make this a great event.  Let’s help them accomplish that goal!

Happy Sailing, Todd