Lightning Fleet

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Western  Carolina Sailing Club Plays host to Southeastern Lightnings
by  Henry McCray

Lake Hartwell, known for it's often light breeze and amazing southern hospitality hosted the annual Springboard regatta. A lightly attended regatta on our Southerneastern schedule Terry Tyner was initially disappointed as two expected boats opted out due to the approaching weather. But two unexpected boats, helmed by Citadel Graduate Josh Putnam and Sailmaker Henry McCray made the trip in a pair of borrowed boats (one from Terry!) Their lack of experience didn't seem to hold them back as they surprisingly swept the regatta over the seasoned veterans. The two boats, provided graciously by Terry Tyner of Columbia and Craig Cobblum of Annapolis were in good working order making the job of stepping into the class much, much easier.
 
Putnam, who grew up and hails from Augusta, Georgia had Lightning class roots in his background sailing with his father and other club friends growing up before disappearing into the college ranks and other one designs after graduation. McCray, a College of Charleston sailing team alumnus and former US Sailing Team Coach made his return to the helm of the Lightning after a sixteen year hiatus this year in Savannah. Playing a coaching/helm role for two local high school girls the team managed a twelfth in the final race getting Henry excited about the Springboard Regatta and District Championships in late April.
 
"I had the opportunity to go sail with a couple of the best in the class in Randy Shore and Craig Cobblum last year at the Deep South Regatta. Crewing in the boat for a couple of breezy races last year helped remind me how the boat worked, and staying in contact with Randy and Craig over the last year gave me a solid foundation for tuning and boat speed. I sailed with two of my former junior students- Nick Ellyn and Logan Boner, and for each it was their first time lining up on the Lightning. The only thing cooler than sailing with a couple of your former students was watching Josh, Pat (Wilson) and Emily go out and win. These guys grew up and around the junior sailing programs I used to coach, so I felt like a proud pappa watching all the pups perform so well."
 
"Don't be fooled by these young men and women. Pat and Josh are aces with US Sailing Team experience and have won regattas in a host of other one design classes. Emily is new to the sport but traveled extensively with Pat this past winter competing in Lightnings, Thistles, and other three man boats and performed brilliantly on the water as a bow(woman.) Every class needs new blood, and I am so excited to see young and motivated (Charleston based) sailors take an active interest in the Lightning. We are all trying to figure out how to get a hold of boats to sail and help to rebuild the long dormant fleet in Charleston"
 
Conditions Saturday were dubious and most likely scared away a couple of boats. With an expected approaching cold front rolling through the area about an hour before the scheduled start the RC made a great decision to keep us on shore for a little while and let the thunderstorms swing through. Most of us took refuge by the giant fireplace in the hilltop clubhouse while others filtered about the clubs ground checking out the host of small boats that reside at WCSC. The club members were fantastic offering a constant supply of food and most importantly the beer! It is worthy of note that with many of the young teams on a tight budget that the regatta was "all inclusive." For less than 75$ three people could have a full weekend of food and libations, as well as free comfortable camping on the grounds and access to a full service locker room.
 
"We were all broke coming into this thing," reports Ellyn, who is known by his friends as "Moose." "We had a full tank of gas and $100 for the weekend, and we made it. Once at the regatta site we didn't leave, and never wanted for anything! Launching and retrieving was a snap using the clubs multiple ramps, there was food when we were hungry, beer when we were thirsty, and even fresh coffee each morning to get the blood flowing!"
 
After the rain came through racing began in what has to be described as 5-15 conditions with a directionally steady but puffy breeze rolling in under the clouds. Putnam and company got off to a good start after being pushed by Henry's "Borrowed Time" up the first beat. They kept their lead to finish first, a trend they kept through the regatta. McCray's second in the first race provided some false security as a host of in-the-boat freshman "whoops" saw him fall to fifth in the second race. Marcus Moehlman was first in race 2 capitalizing on McCray and Putnam jousting about and Terry and Karen Dial were able to get into the mix when McCray sailed off in the wrong direction on the insuring run. Karen, sailing with her brother and sister were consistently fast in the all family affair and proved that boys, girls, men and women are all equal out there. Putnam recovered to third, but the regatta was looking like a very even race after two.
 
Putnam regained his form in race three and showed the fleet his transom even with McCray breathing up his neck on the final beat. With Marcus placing third to make a very tight top three after one day of racing. The RC factored the dropout overnight and Putnam was two ahead with McCray and Marcus tied for second, and Tyner and Dial close behind and still well in the hunt. for an eight boat fleet to have five of the boats still chasing the regatta half way through just proves how deep and competitive the Lightning really is!
 
Saturday night was just another epic regatta party at WCSC. 95% of the people at the regatta stayed on the grounds, so there is not ever a "let down" as soon as the food is cleared. A wonderful Lasanga dinner pumped carbs into the tired fleet, but again IT WAS THE BEER that was turning heads. Too many regattas go straight for a bargain basement keg of cheap draft beer and when it's gone, too bad. Not here. A solid selection of Microbrews were available in seemingly never ending 128 quart coolers placed in multiple spots around the clubhouse. Several members and friends created a "rum bar" with Mt. Gay, Black Seal, and everything from Ginger Beer (Dark and Stormy?) to Orange Mango to lube up the sauce. What fun!
 
On Sunday we were greeted by a 12-25 knot Northerly breeze and sub 40 degree temperatures at daybreak. Good thing we kept that fire going all night! the temps climbed into the low 50's by race time, but it was cool and windy with some epic blasts across the lake. The Lightning really sings when a puff pops her up onto a plane! Henry jumped out to an early lead showing superior upwind speed in the breeze, but in the end it was the boat handling and solid tactics on Putnams boat that won the race. During the race a bad puff dismasted a Flying Scott which turtled and basically sank. In the confusion (one Lightning stayed on shore) several competitors thought it was a Lightning down and went to render assistance before the safety boats could arrive, so after finishing McCray and Putnam made the decision to lead the fleet home.
 
"It wasn't so much the breeze strength," reported Wilson,"it was a bad combination of wind chill, water tempterature, and very unstable puffs. Nobody wanted to see our fleet have a not-fun end to the regatta, so we made the descision together(with Henry and crew) to lead everyone in before things went bad."
 
"when people start breaking boats and you realize the one you're sailing is borrowed it's time to sail in," added Moose- a sailing coach in Charleston. "Besides, not knowing who was down out there we realized that we just might be the best additional assistance available to the race committee, but we couldn't do much about it fighting to keep our own boat upright in the puffs, so leading the fleet home made sense."
 
In the end a very cold and tired Flying Scott crew was able with crash boat assistance to save the boat and get back to shore safely, and the group of Lightnings were happy to be derigging and putting covers on early in the afternoon. the Lightning is a very good boat for sailing in the breeze, none of the boats reported any major breakdowns.
 
"We had a breakdown," smiled Henry,"the little cleat that holds the transom drain flaps in place somehow pulled out." Talk about disaster averted..."It is refreshing to sail in a solid boat where you don't have to be fixing stuff all the time. I am not sure what made that little cleat pull out but seriously- if that's the extent of the stuff I have to fix after sailing in 20 knot puffs that says a lot for the boat!"
 
Pulling out of the parking lot after a group derigging session the posse of Lightning sailors were excited and primed for more sailing. A small group is gathering in Columbia next weekend for tuning and boat handling practice lead by Terry Tyner- the glue that keeps our South Carolina fleet together. With the districts now a short month away it is very exciting to see the new blood in the class scrambling to become competitive and introduce others to this venerable class!