It is with great sadness that we share the passing of a pillar of the Lightning Class, Bill Clausen.
Bill had a long history with the Lightning Class, commencing when he began sailing with his father in 1947 on boat #137. He sailed in Fleet 99 on Great Egg Bay in Ocean City, New Jersey where he and his family subsequently owned Lightnings #1495 “Suivez-moi” and #7195 “The Willies.” When he took over the helm from his father, he enjoyed substantial success in the South Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania area. Bill was a leader and perennial champion of Fleet 99, especially after he obtained #10895 in 1968. The boat was appropriately named “Reject,” as it was, in fact, a Lippincott that had been rejected out of the mold. Bill patiently brought the hull into compliance with Lightning specifications. It was a labor of love and served him well for many seasons. In 1983 Bill moved his allegiance to Fleet 196 in Surf City, NJ and later to North Shrewsbury River, Fleet 11. By that time, he had retired “Reject” and was sailing #14495 “Sweetness” with his son David, continuing the father-son tradition.
In addition to his own success, Bill regularly crewed for a number of Lightning notables, including Marcy Lippincott and Bob Seidelmann, John Tiegland and Jim Carson.
Over time it became clear to Bill that he preferred the organizational side of sailing to the actual competition on the water. The Lightning Class was the clear beneficiary of this realization. Bill became a fixture at numerous local, national, and international regattas where he took on roles in race management including Class Representative, member of the Race Committee and PRO. One of the roles he most enjoyed was serving as the Class “photographer in chief.” His regatta and fleet photos prominently graced our publications for many years.
Clearly, however, his greatest contribution to the Class was his service as Chief Measurer. He served as Assistant Measurer in various stints for eleven years. In 2005 Bill took over as Chief Measurer and continued in that role for twelve years. For some perspective, in the history of the Class, the longest serving Chief Measurer other than Bill held that position for four years. During his tenure, Bill kept a tight rein on the one-design characteristics of our boats to the benefit of every member of the Class. He performed his service in a calm and deliberate manner that gave the entire Class confidence in the ongoing integrity of our specifications and their application. In recognition of his service Bill was awarded a Life Membership in the Class.
One of the defining characteristics of Bill was his recognition that success in a Lightning was a team effort. In fact, in the 1980 yearbook report for Fleet 99 Bill wrote, “Faithful and loyal crews are the real backbone of the Lightning Class. I would like to thank and commend all the people who make the front end of the Lightning work and who tell the person in the back which way he should have gone!!” He was quick to acknowledge the contributions of others both on the boat and within the organization.
Beyond his relationship to the Lightning Class, Bill was a high school science teacher and head football coach in the Philadelphia school district. In that role, he had a positive influence on many young people, and especially the student athletes who played for him.
Bill is survived by his wife of 51 years, Mary Anne, two children and seven grandchildren.
It is fair to say that he is also survived by an extensive Lightning Class family to whom he gave so much. He had a large circle of friends who enjoyed being around him and, of course, the enjoyment was reciprocated. The feeling is clearly expressed in the comments of past Lightning Class President, Debbie Probst who said, “My favorite moments with Bill were when we didn’t need to discuss “business” and could just chat –he was first rate.”
Rest in peace, Bill.
Read Bill's full obituary
