Nationals attendance.

Originally posted by SUGmeister Originally posted by yellowwelly ...and they've been getting 'em out on a friday night in Cov ever since.  (It's usually not a very pleasant sight) back in the day this was very acceptable...http://www.streaker-class.org.uk/assets/streaker%20brochure%201975%20part1.jpg

Mum?

So I am not one to browse this forum usually, let alone post (don't tell Winging It!!) but I thought members might be interested in how I came into the Lightning Class.

So I started off sailing in an old wooden Streaker because my Brother in law had one and he was Keen and found me an old one.  But I was a rubbish sailor and after completely revarnishing, painting, etc the boat I became scared that my Antics would damage it.  Looking back, if the plastic ones were cheap I might have stuck with a Streaker.
I sold it easily and moved to an equally old and decrepit Bonito from someone's back garden.  I loved the Bonito - it was plastic and simple and easy to move about in.  Winging it of course persuaded me that it was really not a fit boat to be seen in....
Next up another Winging It eBay bargain purchase - a boat park graveyard Byte hull.  After a couple of trips to Wales, and Essex I not only had a Byte, I had a Byte C2!  I started with the regular rig - not bad but I'd eaten too many pies.  The C2 rig it was.  Bliss, a tracked sail, and a cool looking boat but I was still a fairly rubbish sailor and that fully battened main was just a nightmare for me, and all those fiddly bits!  I was ready to jack it all in.  Sold that one easily too. 
What next?  The Dinghy Show.  I kind of knew what I liked by now: cheap, plastic, simple, centreboard (I could dream), tracked sail, light, non battened sail, legroom and "cowering space" in the cockpit.  And not something that everyone had and something that was not too serious.  Comet?  Moth?  Europe?  Pico? Laser?  Plastic Streaker?  And in a blaze of Light came Rupert - the Lightning stand people were so friendly, I saw old and new versions and it ticked all the boxes...
Yet another Winging it online bargain and I am now the proud owner of a cheap tatty avocado green Lightning.  And the weirdest thing of all, suddenly my sailing improved dramatically, I decided to go on a L2 and Start Racing course.  I shocked Winging It.  I PUT NEW BLOCKS on it!  I ADDED new ROPES.  I MAYBE even want a newer better version....

Now despite the course I am not ready for a Nationals and I'm not yet sure I want to race even.  But for normal sailors who do, I would say that the friendliness and ultra-helpfulness of the class sailors in their forum is a big plus point.  Maybe one of the reasons numbers stay the same is that there is not a big turnaround of boat ownership (you like it you keep it, and the older boats are still quite competitive I'm told).   Quite a lot I think are old club boats?  And the class seems to me to be more friendly than competitive if you know what I mean - maybe it attracts those who don't actually want to race in "big" events?

Well that's quite enough procrastinating on sailing matters.....


Edited by Er-Indoors - 20 Nov 13 at 6:58pm

Hey Indoors Lady, nice post, thanks for bothering, anyone who can put up with that moody Wing Wang (winging it)can't be all bad..

Originally posted by iitick Absolutely correct but take the thwart out.

Certainly have a go in one without a thwart - in a mix of weathers, if possible - and decide what you prefer. It does open the boat up nicely, thats for sure, but it does give somewhere to perch in the light stuff. Just the edge of the aft buttock, of course! At least until the 3rd race in no wind, by which time I was just sat firmly on it! Best result, too...

 hi nikky. welcome to the bear pit.