San Francisco Lightning Fleet 372

JEFF LINTON AND SALLY BARKOW AREUS SAILING's 2007 ROLEX YACHTSMAN AND YACHTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR

Portsmouth, R.I. (January 16, 2008) – Lightning World Champion Jeff Linton (Tampa, Fla.) and Princess Sofia Trophy Yngling Champion Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) today were named, respectively, US SAILING’s 2007 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. A shortlist of 10 male and nine female sailors – determined from nominations by the membership of US SAILING – were evaluated by a panel of sailing journalists who selected these two sailors for the noteworthy distinction.

Established in 1961 by US SAILING and sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. since 1980, the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards recognize the outstanding on-the-water competitive achievement of an individual man and woman in the calendar year just concluded. The winners will be honored and presented with specially engraved Rolex timepieces during a luncheon on February 29, 2008, at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan.

Rolex Yachtsman of the Year – When Jeff Linton (Tampa, Fla.) received his first nomination for the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award in 2005, it was the result of crewing aboard winning boats at the Etchells World Championship and the J/24 Midwinters, combined with a string of four top-five finishes in the Lightning class. Fast forward two years to find the 45-year-old Linton now semi-retired, having sold his partnership interest in Masthead Enterprises, and in the helmsman’s position, dominating the Lightning class, for which he has been crowned the 2007 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year.

“This was a remarkable year,” said Linton. “Everything fell into place. We’ve become more consistent as a team, and because work was secondary there was more time to fix the boat and more time to practice. Winning the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award is one of those things you dream about. You get a few wins, and you think ‘maybe I could get my name on that [trophy].’ It’s the pinnacle, and after 38 years of sailing, I’ve finally done it.”

Linton won the 2007 Lightning World Championship in Athens, Greece, in a fleet of 48 with 11 nations represented, but he noted that the hardest event to win in 2007 was the Lightning Winter Championship, which has no restrictions on the number of entries. At that 71-boat event, contested in St. Petersburg, Fla., he edged out numerous notable sailors to win by just one point. His success in the class also included: the South American Championship held in Bogota, Columbia, where first-place finishes in three races ultimately gave him a 14-point win over the 20-boat field; the title win at the Florida District Championship; a second-place finish at the Lightning Deep South Regatta in Savannah, Ga.; and second overall in the Lightning Southern Circuit out of 42 boats.

Linton also earned additional praise from the selection committee for performance in two other competitive one-design classes: he won the Flying Scot North American Championship and the Classic Moth National Championship.

“The Flying Scot class is similar in many respects to the Lightning,” Linton explained. “Both have a large membership base in the U.S.A. and professional sailors are active in both classes. The Moth, which was well-known in the 1930s and ‘40s and built in basements, is still a build-your-own boat. My current boat is four years old and undefeated. If someone beats her, I’ll have to build a new one.”

Linton moved to Florida as an infant and grew up sailing with his father, a marine biologist, and his brother, John, on the family’s Morgan 24. He first tasted success in one-design racing as a teenager on a windsurfer; and while he went to Eckerd College on a soccer scholarship, he ultimately ended up in the collegiate sailing program. His wife, Amy Smith Linton, is his regular crew in the Lightning and Flying Scot, making her a world champion as well. “A lot of time spouses don’t work together [in the boat]. I don’t know the secret; we just try to have fun.”

Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year – Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) has reclaimed her position as the top woman racer in the U.S.A. upon being named the 2007 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. First recognized with the honor in 2005, Barkow was nominated to the shortlist for the sixth consecutive year and now joins a select group of women who have received the accolade more than once.

"This is exciting and unexpected! I was shocked when I got the call," said Barkow, who is training in Florida until the end of February with her Yngling teammates Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) and Carrie Howe (Grosse Pointe, Mich.). “The other nominated sailors are extremely distinguished and accomplished, all very deserving of this great honor.”

Like the football star who cannot win the Heisman Trophy without his team, Barkow acknowledged she would not be receiving this award for the second time without the support of the talented team on which she relies. “I have not sailed a single-handed boat since 2002 and I believe that teamwork is our biggest asset on the water. Debbie has sailed with me in every event this past year, not to mention the preceding five years. Carrie has also been racing with me for the past five years, only missing a few events this year, and Annie Lush (GBR) has raced every match race event and all three of our successful Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championships. Beyond these three, there have been numerous fantastic crew who all deserve a piece of this award. Our sport involves a great deal of teamwork, and it is the entire team that makes success happen. This award is for my entire team!”

Although Barkow’s primary focus has been helming her Yngling with a goal of representing the U.S.A. at the 2008 Olympic Games in China, her performance in other classes, whether fleet or match racing, were what set her apart in 2007. Barkow started the year with her third consecutive win of the Rolex Miami OCR in the Yngling class. On task in the Yngling, she finished second at the North American Championship in Miami, won the Princess Sofia Trophy in Spain and collected silver at both Semaine Olympique Française in France and the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Portugal.

Barkow’s turn on the match racing circuit was highlighted by wins at the Boat U.S. Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, Md., and the Vitória Brasil Women’s Cup in Brazil. Flying straight from Brazil to Houston, Texas, Barkow took the helm of a J/22 to close the year as she had started it -- collecting another championship title for the third consecutive time. She won US SAILING’s Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship (IWKC) without having to sail the final race of the series after topping a field that included past winner and fellow Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year (’95, ’01) Cory Sertl (Rochester, N.Y.), as well as Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) who will represent the U.S.A. at the 2008 Olympic Games in the Laser Radial event. Only one other woman has won the Rolex IWKC multiple times: Betsy Alison (Newport, R.I.) has won not only the regatta but also the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award a record-setting five times.

The 27-year-old Barkow grew up in a sailing family and started receiving national recognition as two-time ICSA (Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association) All-American (2001 and 2002) while studying Psychology at Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.). Since graduating from ODU, her single-minded focus has been her goal of competing at the Olympics in the Yngling class. The linchpin to that quest will be the Yngling World Championship in February which will be the final event in a series that will determine if Barkow’s team represents the U.S.A. at the 2008 Olympic Games in China.

For additional information on the awards please visit www.ussailing.org/awards/rolex.

US SAILOR Of The Week March 12-18 2008 George Fisher If George Fisher is one thing, he is consistent. So consistent that he has competed in more than 50 of the last 60 Lightning St. Pete Midwinter Championships, even spending his honeymoon there with his wife, Marty, in 1953. Aside from that, there isn’t enough space here to include all the other things George is to his family and friends, but we’ll give it a try. George is “modest, a gentleman yet a fierce competitor. It is a coveted spot to be on his boat,” according to an old friend. George is “a great mentor, and has been a mentor for many sailors in a lot of classes,” says his son Greg. His efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2001 he received US SAILING’s W. Van Alan Clark, Jr. Sportsmanship Award and currently serves as that committee’s chair. He is also current chair of the One Design Class Council. It all started in the late 1940’s in Ohio where George started sailing and eventually bought his first Lightning, #721. He has owned 9 Lightnings since then and now races #15181, a boat that sailed him to victory at the 2007 Masters North Americans and the Masters Midwinters. He is also a past Masters NA champion in the Snipe and Flying Scot classes. He was runner up in the MC Scow Masters NA’s and has won the Interlake Class National Championships 13 times. Health issues have kept George off the starting line lately, but even at his last regatta he was sailing at the top of his game. He was as proud of his 5th place finish at the 2007 Lightning Frigid Digit regatta in Annapolis last October as he was of his crew: his oldest son Greg, an accomplished sailor in his own right, and Greg’s wife, JoAnn. Sailing has always been a family affair for George, who followed his children through junior sailing and beyond, never pushing but always encouraging. Now he is bringing up a new generation, supporting his grandkids and other junior sailors at the yacht club where he started, Buckeye Lake Yacht Club in Ohio.

   The Lightning 70th Birthday Reunion Regatta

       The Lightning 70th Birthday Reunion Regatta hosted by the Center for Wooden Boats in Lake Union, Seattle has been rescheduled for September 27-28 as part of the 10th Anniversary Norm Blanchard WOOD Regatta. (*See below for official notice) At that regatta we will also be celebrating the Star (100th+), the Flattie (80th), the Dragon (80th), the Blanchard Senior Knockabout (75th), the Thunderbird (50th).

       The change is due to major dock work which will be ongoing throughout the summer at the South Lake Union Park adjacent to the facility.

      They are in the process of restoring a Lightning and have extended a special invitation to our Wood Lightning group to attend their regatta. Please contact Vern vvelez@cwb.org or velmuss@aol.com.

Official notice 
*Norm Blanchard WOOD Regatta
aka Lightning 70th Birthday Reunion Regatta
 September 28 - 30, 2007
6:00 p.m. Friday to 5:00 p.m. Sunday
CWB Boathouse & Lake Union

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US Sailing presents awards to Lightning Class members at it's Annual One Design Sailing Symposium.

            US Sailing presented the 2007 Leadership Award to Bill Fastiggi and Allan Terhune in recognition of individual initiative, enthusiasm, organizing ability and leadership in creating the one-design fleet building program of the year, the Lightning Boat Grant Program.

           Greg Fisher (Annapolis, Md.) was presented with the One-Design Service Award for distinguished service and exceptional dedication in the promotion of one-design sailing and class organization. Fisher has demonstrated superior skill, dedication and initiative to one-design sailing. His knowledge and expertise in numerous one-design classes has ensured the success of the one-design sailing community. Fisher has supported countless classes and clubs through clinics spending much of his personal time to help individual classes.
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-from Mission Bay Yacht Club in San Diego, California

       What a great day in Coronado! The wind was very light as we worked are way to the starting line and checked in with the RC boat. The course was set and after a short delay, bang the multi-hull were off. Before they could make it up the course the first 1/4 mile, things started changing. The wind was building and that was a good thing, but it had gone right...a lot. A longer wait was in order before any more fleets left the line. When the wind finally made up it's mind and we were not sailing across the bay but up the bay. The windward mark was now right in front of the Coronado Bay Bridge. What a sight it must have been for the cars passing over the bridge. When the sequence started up again we had some great wind and blue sunny skies. I wished I could tell you something about the results but I could not see who crossed the line first from where I was looking. I will post the results for both days tomorrow.   

       I cannot think that sailing any where or any time could be better than it was today. The weather men had their predictions and they had said the winds would be light to none. Mother nature had her own way and it did not involve any of the predictions. The wind was fine and so was the racing, and while I continued to have a poor view of the finish I did get a chance to look at the results........More info

Results

Race website - www.mbyc.org                                                                                written by Dan Gravatt
Saturday March 31, 2007

               The evidence is overwhelming that the Lightning class appears to immune from the "shrinking fleets and lack of excitement"  statements that I keep hearing and reading about from major writers, racers and spectators of sailing. So, after grazing through the results of the midwinter championships, I couldn't help noticing the world-wide location of home ports from the list of attendees. I am astounded to see this is a class which continues to grow with North American and global participation. You may be asking yourself, why? As I see it, the portability of the lightning and it's relative inexpensive cost to buy and maintain are but just a few reasons this class flourishes. The camaraderie and  spirit of competition rank in the top of any sport I've ever been involved. The comfort level experienced in my first year sailing in this class from not only my teammates, but fellow competitors was extremely welcoming. I was initially drawn to the Lightning because of it's classic hard-chine design, large sail area with the ability of flying a spinnaker for easy planning in light winds. Aside from being a great looking sailboat, the history of class officers, including it's present day attendants, have been clearly objective in choices and suggestions of it's rules and regulations maintaining a practical approach to class requirements. Summarily, sailing marinas and Yacht clubs routinely are excited to host Lightning class regattas. Sailing in any class or style, competitive or pleasure is what excites, but my true appreciation proudly stands along side my world wide class members and Officers who know how to steer Lightnings to success against "shrinking and lack of excitement".

See you on the water.

-Your Webmaster

New Rules Regarding Portable Equipment Numbers Graphics to go in effect April 1, 2007

Specification Amendment - By-Laws Amendment :   Change BY-LAWS, Article VIII RACING RESTRICTIONS, Paragraph 5 as follows: (New language in bold, deletions in strikethrough)

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