Leader Spotlight - Ken Brown
By
Bertie M Werley
Posted: 2025-08-04T19:24:14Z
Member Spotlight researched and written by Hugh Hutchison:
You might expect the leader in the G.O.T.-Flashes competition to be one of the active competitors in the Class who routinely attends many of the national and regional regattas and spends their spare time on the water perfecting their boat handling skills. Although that would be a reasonable assumption, it would be wrong.
Meet Ken Brown, the G.O.T.-Flashes “leader in the clubhouse” as of the end of July. Ken is setting the standard for frequency of boat use despite the fact that he does not live in proximity to other Lightning owners and generally does not attend competitive regattas. Ken has been sailing Lightnings since the early 70’s when his family lived in Cold Spring Harbor on Long Island. When his family moved to the mid-West, Ken took his love of sailing, and his Lightning, with him. He spent a number of years sailing on the Great Salt Lake in Utah, but today he can be found sailing in the Kansas City area. Unfortunately, there is no local fleet, but he is actively looking to recruit others who may eventually form the core of a new fleet.
The absence of a local fleet has not stopped Ken from maintaining his contact with the Class (as is obvious from his regular reporting his frequent boat use). In fact, he towed his boat some 1200 miles to participate in the Champagne Regatta and Classic Boat Gathering in Hammondsport, NY this Spring.
Ken sails Lightning #9287, a glass Lippincott [see photo below - Ken (front) sailing #9287 with his friend Tim on Keuka Lake in June]. He gets the boat on the water virtually every weekend (and some weekdays as well) where he thoroughly enjoys sailing solo or with friends. It is the simple joy of sailing that attracts him, and where better to do that than in a Lightning? When he is not on the water, Ken serves as the IP Director for a series of family-owned car dealerships.
Congratulations, Ken. You are setting a great example for the non-racing element of the Class. The Lightning truly is a boat for all sailors.
