lightning 368

 How fantastic! ...just found this thread - the week after buying an old Lightning myself!! Was hoping to find info somewhere...its a bit thin on the ground about the 368.

Sailed my clubs hire laser for a while, want to get my own boat, reasearched all the "Skinny lightweights" boats (i'm 5foot 11 & bang on 11stone) ... so, all the usual suspects appeared. However, with a VERY small budget, things were tricky. Lasers too expensive & wary of mast step issue on older ones....anyway, found a Lightning on ebay - outbid by £3. Told my commodore who said: "Hmmn, good boat for you, i'm sure we have a club one!" Took a look amidst the fleet, lo & behold, a Lightning! Rigged it up, took it out.....yeah, a tricky but rewarding little blighter - FAR more comfy to hike out on than the laser (at 42 the knees are getting passed it lol) .... not seen at the club before (potentially hadn't been sailed for 3 years!) so half the club went out in it that morning!  Put it away before one of the old-timers reminded us that no, it wasn't a club boat at all, it was a members' boat!! Oops! However, he wants to sell it as he can't get under the boom anymore - it's basically the same rig as the Europe and almost as low. What a coincidence.... £250 later, its all mine!!!! Old - Hull 21!!! but perfectly sailable straight out from under the cover. So, a few of my own tweaks this weekend before i take 'Ginger' (she's red) out for her first proper go over our lake.

My first boat since only taking up sailing last September.

Sorry for the long story BUT, i guess the point is that there are more boats out there than the laser. Lightning is fitted with quality parts. PROPER centreboard & a halyard lifted sail - ace and easy to drop on those crazy lee-shore landings!

I liked it. As much fun as a laser but with a tad more comfort and no 'sheets round the transom' capsizes

Aint that the truth! ... first arrived at my club in shorts and t-shirt. After sailing through the winter (we have a Saturday morning 'Development group' for newbies/beginners) i seem to have amassed a bagful of gear that a marine would be proud of! Every weekend my girlfriends' conservatory resembles a chandlery!

....and of course, the boat needs those 'essential' tweaks  hahahahaha!

Thanks for the welcome, sailing rocks! such a shame i'm so crap at it!

http://www.lightning368.co.uk/L368B4Sale/index.html

Try that...there's a couple of boats available on the class association site.

By the way, despite coming last in my race on Sunday - virtually non existent 'wind', On the first beat, i actually had the beating of a laser, an Enterprise and a Topaz Uno....only held back by a becalming around the 2nd bouy by my crap technique. The point is, though, that upwind in absolutely nowt, the Lightning had the measure of almost every boat in the mixed fleet.

Now, if only i could get better....or fit torpedo tubes......