Lightnings all set for 2014
by Lee Bratley 1 Apr 2014 07:37 BST
1 April 2014
The long wait is over. The hulls are polished, the sails are being aired and the wetsuits are being patched for another season ahead... yes, this coming weekend sees the start of the Lightning368 Grand Prix series for 2014.
The last two years have seen the series go right down to the wire, with Draycote's Paul White winning out on both occasions - can he make it three in a row this year or is there a new pretender to the throne waiting in the wings?
With steadily growing fleets and a renowned sociability to the racing, the 368s are also seeing a boom in father/son combinations - with honours generally shared between Junior and senior despite the quietly fierce competition!
Whitefriars SC, in the Cotswolds water park, hosts the opening weekend of the series with a training day on Saturday (5th April) followed by an evening barbecue before racing proper starts on Sunday (6th).
Three races are scheduled for Sunday with the first start at 11am.
With some twenty-two boats already booked in for Saturday alone, it looks like a big turnout is on the cards - a real test for Rupert's barbecue skills!
The 2014 Lightning368 series sees the class taking in events from April right up to November;
- April 5th/6th - Whitefriars
- May 3rd - Oxford SC
- May 17th - Broxbourne
- June 7th - Manor Park SC (with invite to join club racing on the 8th)
- June 21st - Cookham Reach (Southern Championships).
- July 5th/6th - Lord Birkett Trophy (Non-series event).
- July 12th/13th - Up River YC
- July 26th to August 3rd - Northy West Norfolk Week (Non Series).
- August 9th/10th - Weston SC (Sea Championships)
- September 6th/7th - Northampton SC (National Championships)
- September 27th - Bristol Avon SC
- October 11th - Haversham SC (Noble Marine Inland Championships)
- November 15th - West Oxford SC (Rum and Mince Pies)
Remember, entry fees are reduced for Association members so head over to the class website at
www.lightning368.org/lnwp for all the info yo'll ever need about the boat, the class and how to join us.