FlashBlast - April 13, 2026
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Single advertisements are available for each Flash Blast. For more information or to reserve your spot please contact Laura in the Class Office or at 727-942-7969.
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| | The Lightning Class is proud to announce four 2026 Boat Grant teams!
To date over 55 young teams have enjoyed the incredible level of racing and camaraderie the Lightning Class offers through the Boat Grant Program.
“Our 2026 teams are a mix of recent and current strong collegiate sailors, underscoring the Class’s focus on encouraging young sailors to continue their involvement in one-design racing after college,” stated program co-chair Ryan Davidson.
“The large group of talented applicants made working with the boat grant committee great fun this year. To select the 4 best qualified was a challenge. I’m looking forward to working with our selected candidates.” Ched Proctor, Boat Grant Co-Chair
Read the full press release here | | | New Lightning Molds Panel Discussion
On March 3, a panel discussion was held providing an update on the process for the new Lightning Molds, an important component of Fuel The Flash 2030. Included in the discussion was a five-minute video (taken by Bill Faude) of the measurement scanning process – very interesting! – along with a question-and-answer session with the Molds Committee.
Click on the link below to listen to the full discussion and watch the scanning video (total discussion approximately 45 min long)
Or if you’d like to see just the 5-min scanning video, here is the link.
Please view at your convenience and let Bob Shapiro (finallybk@gmail.com) or Bertie Werley (bertie.werley@gmail.com) know if you have any feedback. Enjoy! | | Fuel The Flash 2030 - every spark counts
Please help support the Lightning Class Donate Now
Have you read the recent emails on our Fuel The Flash 2030 fundraiser?
| | | | 2026 Youth World Championship - June 22-26, 2026
Tuusulanjärven Purjehtijat, Lake Tuusula, Finland
Things are beginning to thaw out in Finland and TEAMs are getting registered! You will soon start to see social media posts introducing you to the participants.
So far, we have confirmed Teams from BRA (1), CAN (3), CHI (1), ECU (1), FIN (3), GRE (2) and USA (4). We are still waiting for confirmation from possibly ITA and another USA boat.
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One week prior to the World Championships event, the Finnish National and European Championships will take place at the same venue, from June 15 to 18, 2026. These events offer an excellent opportunity for participants to familiarize themselves with the race area and local wind conditions ahead of the Worlds. The Finnish National and European Championships are open events. All are welcome to participate.
Any questions on eligibility please contact the Class Office.
|  | Nominations for Inaugural Class-Thank You!
We want to thank all who submitted nominations for the new Lightning Class Hall of Fame. The Selection Committee is busy evaluating all the names and will soon present its 2026 recommendations to the Executive Committee.
We received 45 nominations forms and three direct emails nominating 73 individuals or organizations. After combining the same names submitted by multiple individuals the committee is choosing from among 44 nominees in this first year.
We hope the Selection Committee will complete its evaluation by May 1, and that around June 1 the names of the 2026 inductees will be shared.
Stay tuned!
| Classic Boat Workshop Weekend! April 11-12
What a great time! Thank you goes to the Finger Lakes Boating Museum for hosting this annual event. One of the primary objectives of this year's workshop was to be able to hoist launch these two tender old boats. We had a lot of help. Consulting on our design - Scott Graham, Tom Allen was on-site helping w' the installation, and the rest of us attaching all the fittings and having a great time! SUCCESS |  | | Ken Brown, under the deck |  | | Lori Foster showing off the rudder she made for Lightning # 898 | | |
 | | Tom Allen & Eddie Walton working on #584 |  |
Setting up #898 & #584 for Hoist Launching a SUCCESS! Thanks to the team that helped!
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| The Classic Boat Group is VERY supportive and has a great time! Join the fun at the upcoming Classic Boat Get Together - June 27-28 at Keuka Lake YC. This two day "open" regatta will have two fleets - one for modern boats (serving at the CNY District Championship) and another for the Classic Fleet. The Classic fleet sails shorter races. All are welcome - with or without a boat! The organizers will help find you a boat to sail on! Click Here for more information. | | The 2026 G.O.T. Flashes Challenge is off and running.
At this writing (April 3) the total days logged is up to 284, with Bob Shapiro, Elizabeth Starck and Emma Hawko holding the podium spots! By the last day of the Southern Circuit in Savannah, nine sailors had logged 10 sails and were awarded new 2026 stickers. Congratulations to Katherine Starck, Elizabeth Starck, Jenna Probst, Tom Starck, Bob Shapiro, Terry Hart, Kate Homet, Emma Hawko, Jeremy Wenig - in the photo below. | | | | We are also proud to announce an improvement to the non-sailing portion of the G.O.T.-Flashes Challenge. This year, on/off water Lighting-specific coaching sessions will count towards your G.O.T.-Flashes awards. So, time at a Lightning lab, or a dry land session with new crew working on spinnaker techniques, or other Lightning-specific training activities will all count.
Here’s a perfect example of what the new rule promotes, a beautiful day at Eugene Yacht Club in Oregon with 13 people learning how to fly a Lightning spinnaker. Bob Bush notes that the class did very well, the boat is so perfectly balanced that no rudder was necessary! | | | |
Learn more about the challenge and START LOGGING your days!
Stay up to date with frequent Blog Posts from Bill Cabrall - They are highly entertaining and fun to read! Check out his latest GOT Flashes Blog Post And while you are there you can subscribe to the GOT Flashes Blog Posts so you never miss an update! | San Isidro Labrador Monotype Regatta - ARG
This past weekend, April 11-12 the Lightning class was represented with 10 boats in Buenos Aires, ARG. This is one of the largest annual sailing events in South America. The sun was shining — Saturday with moderate winds of 10–15 knots and Sunday with 5–8 knots. Congratulations to the top three overall Teams:
- Nicolas Del Campo & Mariano Piñero
- Mario Fumagallo, Luciano Pellejero & Martin Loyarte
- Juan Ignacio Varni, Horacio Toccalino & Juan Pablo Martinez Bigozzi
We are delighted to see a revival of Lightning Sailing in Argentina! | |
San Isidro Labrador Regatta: Nicolas Del Campo & Mariano Piñero
Southern Circuit: David Starck, Tom Starck, Jenna Probst
Deep South Regatta: Ched Proctor, Eric Oetgen, Jay Lurie
Winter Master's Championship: David Starck, Tom Starck, Jenna Probst
Winter Championship: Mark Mendelblatt, Carolina Mendelblatt, Lara Dallman-Weiss
Please be sure to submit your results with CREW NAMES to the Class Office via EMAIL office@lightningclass.org . If you have a short summary and a few photos even better!
If your regatta isn't listed - be sure to add the event to the ILCA Event Calendar and send in results after the regatta! | Upcoming Regattas:
Click on the event for more info or
If you need help listing your events please contact Laura in the Class Office. | Upcoming Events through June 15, 2026
A weekend of Boat Maintenance, Learning, and Social activities for the benefit of Lightning owners & enthusiasts.
Monthly Lightning racing in Colombia!
All are invited to the legendary Navesink River!
Save the Date! Don't miss this FUN in Annapolis! IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to the number of fleets participating in this event, including (7) SSA Fleets, boat storage space will be assigned for paid registrants on a first-come first-serve basis! REGISTER ASAP!
Lightning Class Finland - On The Rocks Regatta
Start your season with us. Enjoy inland lake sailing, professional race management, beautiful club and grounds, two hoists, boat ramp. NEW this year, some Classic Boats will be participating!
Monthly Lightning racing in Colombia!
Excellent regatta to kick-off the season! Cool breeze, warm friendships and hot competition. Low entry fee, adult beverages served all weekend! Too much fun to miss!
Lightning Class Finland - Eagle Ranking
Try out a Lightning! The Lightning Fleet is hitting the Pacific Northwest BIG in 2026!
All are welcome to Columbia Sailing Club on Lake Murray!
Come sail on Malletts Bay for the ultimate in combinations - combined NE and CT/RI Districts with the annual Lake Champlain Spring Regatta!
Save the Date! NEW LIGHTNING Start!!
Lightning Class Finland - R2 Lyhytrata LM Tampere / R2 Short Course LM Tampere
Leatherlips Yacht Club, O'Shaughnessy Reservoir, Powell, Ohio
First MI District Regatta of 2026! Get your boat ready for the season!
Make it a great weekend of sailing on the beautiful Susquehanna River. Our members look forward to making it so! NOR and PLEASE REGISTER https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/30724 ,,
All are invited to this 3rd Annual event! Don't miss the FUN!
Campeonato Nacional de Lightning
Come and experience Midsummer Nights in Finland!
| | Major Championship Regattas |
Campeonato Nacional de Lightning
Come and experience Midsummer Nights in Finland!
Youth Worlds rotate to Finland!
Country Qualifier for 2027 Pan Am Games (pending approval). Canadian qualifier for the 2027 Worlds. Optional clinic, debrief and dinner to be held in the U.S. Friday afternoon. Racing Saturday and Sunday. Open to all Lightnings.
Come and explore Milwaukee and race on beautiful Lake Michigan!
SAVE THE DATE! Get ready for some great racing in Sheboygan, WI! You'll have your fill of cheese, beer, brats, and FUN!
After a short break in 2025, Lightning action is back in Jacksonville! This year the regatta will be double billed and also serve as the Atlantic Coast Championships!
The Chilean National Championship is BACK in Pucon!
3 Days of Racing in St Pete - now the Midwinter Championship- leave your boat in the area and you will be ready for the St Pete Winter Champs in March and the Worlds in April!
Includes a Master's Winter Championship - Great tune-up for Worlds in April!
Open event for skippers 55+ and combined crew of 130+ as of 12/31/2027
Coming back to Peru! Same location as the 2018 Games.
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2026 Lightning Boat Census
Did you know that nearly 15,700 Lightnings have been built since 1938? And where are they all?
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.
Read more at Boat Census Kickoff Information or
go straight to the census and report your boat at Boat Census Survey. | | | International Lightning Class Association
Laura Jeffers, Executive Secretary
(727) 942-7969 | |