Lightning Boat Census Kickoff
Posted By:
William F Cabrall
Posted On: 2026-02-18T20:46:00Z
Do you know where your boat is? I know mine (hull 15615) is in space B33 at Severn Sailing Association under a blue cover, but what about the rest of them, the other nearly 15700 Lightnings built since 1938? Where are they?
This year, the Lightning Class is going to find out. The Class is conducting a boat census to discover the whereabouts and condition of as many of our boats as possible. The Census will enable us to update our boat registry, engage with boat owners, discover how the boats are being used, and understand people’s plans for them. The results will be used to shape our efforts to grow existing fleets, create new ones, get good used boats into the hands of emerging U32 and collegiate skippers and increase our sailing footprint as we head towards our 100th anniversary in 2038.
While it’s unlikely that we’ll find all nearly 15700 hulls, we do hope to locate several thousand of the most recent ones. A digital questionnaire has been created and was recently sent to every boat owner currently in our records. In the coming months a team of LOYALS led by Bob Bush and Bill Cabrall will be reaching out to all of you to respond with your own information and to help us locate as many other Lightnings as possible.
You can find the Boat Census at Lightning Boat Census Project . It only takes a couple of minutes to fill out. We’re asking all owners to take a moment, respond to the census, and spread the word throughout your fleet. So far, we have received ~350 responses, but we're just getting started, and we appreciate your support.
Bill Cabrall
Lightning Boat Census Project
