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Lightning Sailboat 19' build

Discussion in ' Boat Design ' started by FirstLight , Aug 21, 2012 .

FirstLight Junior Member

Have always loves this classic design from the board of Sparkman and Stevens. There's a small fleet here in our area. For a winter project I want to build one. There are several sets of offsets with the fast design that I've brought into Rhino. I'm trying to determine what the strongest\lightest build technique would be (no foam) for a one off lightning. Cold molding would seem the answer however the hard chine doesn't seem to fit the process as well. Then there is the frame method the Gougeon boys outline in their big blue bible. Any thoughts or ideas?? Cheers..

gonzo Senior Member

Balsa planks core composite should be the lightest and stiffest. That design was made for carvel construction and has very easy lines.

DCockey Senior Member

FirstLight said: ↑ Have always loves this classic design from the board of Sparkman and Stevens. There's a small fleet here in our area. For a winter project I want to build one. There are several sets of offsets with the fast design that I've brought into Rhino. I'm trying to determine what the strongest\lightest build technique would be (no foam) for a one off lightning. Cold molding would seem the answer however the hard chine doesn't seem to fit the process as well. Then there is the frame method the Gougeon boys outline in their big blue bible. Any thoughts or ideas?? Cheers.. Click to expand...

Petros Senior Member

I would recommend sticking with the rules, if you do not, not only will you not be allowed to sail in the races, it will not have much resale value when you are done with it. It appears there is no advantage to a lightweight build since rules require a 700 lb hull anyway. You might consider finding a used one and refurbish it, it will cost less and get you on the water faster.

tunnels Previous Member

Are you into compatition or just playing about ?? Like has been said buy a second hand boat and refurbish it like new do a 100% strip of all and everything and scrape the paint off and respray etc etc But if the boat has a balsa cored hull you can bet 100% that it will be wet and heavy so theres you chance to do a rebuild rather than start from scratch !! To SAVE IN WEIGHT if you do a rebuild use balsa and what ever glass and then infuse it !!! will never be able to make it any lighter than that , use paints and not gelcoats Pick you glass carefully !!woven glass materials are thicker and so used more resin , differant cloths for differant uses ,also the type of glass ask and choose wisely , use epoxy resin and make sure you speak to the chemist if possible and get the strongest with a little flex . (Not all resins are born equal ). save weight every where possible . there could be raised eyebrows of you under weight but han always screw a lead block ti the middle to bring it to the minimum weight and as the boat gets older get it re weighed and change the lead block ! You not breaking the rules just bending them a little !! But, what do i know !

sonosail SONOSAIL

Lightning class plans About 20 years ago the Lightning class created a new set of plans/rules for plywood contruction. I think one boat boat was built using the WEST system. rb

philSweet Senior Member

They are wonderful boats but you should be aware that some of the top small boat builders in the country have built these things. Expectations for a wooden hulled Lightning will be very high among class members, and not just among the elite racers. The woodies used to have a very slight rules advantage over the glass boats and most of the national champs went with woodies. There is a ballast allowance of twenty pounds on the centerline. Any extra has to be distributed elsewhere. If I recall, the object of the game is to come in exactly twenty pounds light at 680 in measurement trim and then max out the centerline ballast allowance. So basically, you assemble your rig, lines, hardware kit,CB, and rudder and weigh that. Then build the whole thing with temp fasteners and carefully weigh it again. Then take it all apart and put it together permanently after any adjustments allowing for glue and paint and fairing putty. Am I dreaming or were the old hulls all double diagonal planked on the bottom. I used to sail on one until I was five. I soloed it on the Chesapeake. My parents were more than a little annoyed I took the boat out. But all I remember was the fun I had and Mr Keck coming out and asking me to please return to the dock. Then he motored back to the dock and let me sail her in. Mr Keck gets lots of points for letting me do that and not towing me in. I've sailed on them once or twice since then. Keep all of your reciepts and document the build as you go and ask lots of questions of the association members.

sonosail said: ↑ About 20 years ago the Lightning class created a new set of plans/rules for plywood contruction. I think one boat boat was built using the WEST system. rb Click to expand...

Old Boat.. Guys.. Great information!!! After looking through the options and debating building from scratch I opted against it. You guys made some good points. Thank you so much. A few weeks back I picked up a 1970's Lightning for $100. I figured I would see if it was worth rebuilding to have some fun with it. I posted a new link since I am down to the outer skin in one section. I am probably crazy for giving this a shot but if all goes bad I'll have about $300 invested and that's all. And if the hull goes away I have a brand new mast, new boom, new spinnaker, good set of practice sails and about $500 in Harken hardware, a trailer in great shape and a SST centerboard. I figured I'd try removing the foam core in one area and stiffening to see what I get. Here is the link. Once again. Any and all information greatly appreciated!!! Here is the link: http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-design/help-repairing-19-lightning-sailboat-44433.html

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Lightning Model Kit

Description.

More due in early March

This is one of the most popular kits we have ever offered. It might be because it is pretty simple to build, or that it's a handsome boat. But because so many folks order two, we think it is because they are so much fun to race.

Made with precision pre-cut balsa frames and mahogany planking, the kit includes plans, thorough instructions, nylon sails, line for rigging, and hardware. Plus it has a lead weight which you attach to the bottom of the centerboard if you are going to sail it.

This Lightning scale replica is a great way to learn about boats, without having to spend the time on precise cutting. You supply the varnish, paint, glue, and a few household tools, everything else is included. Designed for sailing on your favorite "golden pond" or as a handsome addition to your mantelpiece. Couple of building tips: clothespins make great clamps, and styrofoam (not the corn-starch based type) peanuts make great flotation under the foreward and aft decks. This model is not designed for remote control. If you sail on a larger pond and don't have a chase boat, kite string/spool are very handy.

Scale: 1" =1' LOA: 19" Beam: 6 1/2" Height: 26" Note: that stand in the photo isn't included... we made that in just a few minutes from scrap wood. You'll likely make something prettier!

Skill Level = 1

Skill levels are: 1 = beginner 2 = intermediate 3 = advanced

If you'd like a better understanding of just what you are getting yourself in for, click: INSTRUCTIONS.

You'll supply paint, and simple household tools:

Razor / X-acto knife, ruler, wood glue, super glue, Course, Medium, and Fine grit sandpaper, small paint brush, masking tape, 3/32" drill bit, needle, thread, pliers and cutting pliers, pins, clothespins for clamps.

Customer Reviews

My son and I built this boat(he mostly watched). Very fulfilling, nice kit, he sails it in the pool. Money/time well spent!

I bought this for my brother, and he loves it. He said it is way better than the plastic models he’s done lately, getting more involved with shaping and sanding the pieces. The quality of the materials and intimacy of the directions feels like he’s building with the producer, not a faceless company. I’m betting he gets more kits in the future!

Very nice kit!

I like the kit. It is very complete. The instructions are good, but require a lot if flipping back and fourth between the text and the diagrams. I started off using cyanoacrylate glue, that was a mistake. Now I’m using wood glue and the build is going much better. I am about half way. It is a fun model to build. Mine will be painted to match the Lightning I once had, 13703.

I have built many wooden boat models over the years but haven’t done so for about 10 years. This is a great starter, just read through the instructions first and take your time.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
LOA: Length overall in feet
Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

One of the most popular one-design classes in the US since the 1940’s. But fleets also exist in other parts of the world. Although originally designed for wood planked construction, nearly all boats since the early 1960’s have been built of fiberglass. Ballast above is max weight of centerboard.

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Lightning Sailboat by Andrew J. - Small - Scale 1:12 - Sparkman & Stevens Plans

By Andrew J. April 8, 2021 in - Build logs for subjects built 1901 - Present Day

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Using the original table of offsets, I scaled all the measurements down and lofted my plans. Then I made a building jig fairly similar to what would be used to build the full size boat.

GrandpaPhil , KeithAug , catopower and 3 others

And then for the planking. The lines on this boat are so smooth and I think the hull has such a beautiful shape, it really made planking a breeze. Everything went together smoother than I could have expected.

yvesvidal , KeithAug , VTHokiEE and 2 others

And then with some temporary deck beams in place, it was time to remove it from the building jig! And then just after that is where I got stuck. I didn't know what the best way to go about installing the deck and cockpit framing was, and got so hung up overthinking everything, I just stopped working on it. But fast forward 4 years, with my fresh inspiration and some more research and a little logical thinking, I came up with a plan of action. I decided the best course of action would be to install all of the deck beams at full width to give the form maximum strength and the most uniform shape for fairing. A brilliant design feature of this boat is that the deck is actually a straight line from the bow to the transom at the center line, and the sheer is determined by the intersection of the deck beams and side frames. The deck is a consistent arc, being that of a circle of a 20 foot radius, or in this case 20 inches. So when the time came to fair it, all I had to do was mount a sheet of sand paper to my work surface, flip the boat upside down, and just rock it back and forth across the sandpaper, constantly checking it with my deck arc template until everything was fair. My technique, as shown above with the bottom framing, was to lightly color all the frames with a blue Sharpie, so once all the blue was gone, I knew everything was fair! Then I proceeded to cut out the cockpit and install the stringers. The front stringers were two of the trickiest pieces I've ever made, being angled in both directions, but I got there eventually. I'd say they came out just about perfectly symmetrical. When it comes time to install the splash guard and cockpit coaming, it will be a similar process, but I suppose if I did it once, I can do it again! So that brings us up to now, as I finished the cockpit framing last night. I believe the next step is going to be painting the inside, which of course must be done before installing the deck, floor boards, and seats.

KeithAug , yvesvidal , catopower and 5 others

Beautiful work! Love the 1:12 scale as you can build it like the real thing. I can't tell from the photo, but is the inside painted yet or is it just the wood is very light?

42 minutes ago, Michael_A said: Beautiful work! Love the 1:12 scale as you can build it like the real thing. I can't tell from the photo, but is the inside painted yet or is it just the wood is very light?

Thank you! No, nothing is painted yet, the basswood is indeed very light. I’m going to paint the inside a very light grey.

So many questions; your build is really entrancing. Where did the "jig assembly and setup" booklet come from? It looks like a nice read. And how did you keep the frames from wobbling all over the place in your jig? Finally, it looks like you cut the notches for the chine stringer after all the frames were attached to the form, not before? That must have been tricky esp. if the frames were not braced to each other ...

Great build so far. I’m also curious about cutting the chine notches - how tricky was that? Doing a scratch build has been on my mind but I keep going back and forth about subjects. I think you’re starting to seal the subject for me. Is the booklet a good help? Or are the plans good enough?

Current Build: HM Sloop Echo 1781 (First Scratch Build)

Previous Builds: HM Cutter Alert , Sharpie Schooner , Chesapeake Bay Flattie , Half-Hull (NRG)

19 minutes ago, Michael_A said: Andrew, So many questions; your build is really entrancing. Where did the "jig assembly and setup" booklet come from? It looks like a nice read. And how did you keep the frames from wobbling all over the place in your jig? Finally, it looks like you cut the notches for the chine stringer after all the frames were attached to the form, not before? That must have been tricky esp. if the frames were not braced to each other ... Michael

The ILCA has published a booklet, almost literally an instruction manual on how to build a wooden Lightning which is incredibly helpful! You can buy it here: https://www.lightningclass.org/content.aspx?page_id=586&club_id=93488&item_id=5905

Before I installed the chine logs, I think I was just extremely careful sanding along the lengths of the frames and was just incredibly lucky that nothing broke loose or became misaligned. In retrospect, I definitely should have put in some temporary spacer blocks between the sides of each frame. I would definitely recommend doing so to anyone else. I was just dumb and should have known better but lucked out anyway. And yes, I did cut the notches after everything was set up, and as far as I can remember, it was extremely tedious and tricky. It was over 4 years ago, but as far as I remember, I was just extremely careful with my razor saw and everything just happened to come out ok. I would definitely recommend cutting the notches in each frame before attaching to the jig. I guess I just didn't think that far ahead at the time and again got lucky that it worked out the way it did. (I'm sensing a theme here...)

9 minutes ago, VTHokiEE said: Great build so far. I’m also curious about cutting the chine notches - how tricky was that? Doing a scratch build has been on my mind but I keep going back and forth about subjects. I think you’re starting to seal the subject for me. Is the booklet a good help? Or are the plans good enough?

The book is absolutely incredibly helpful, I don't think I would have known where to begin without it! It outlines in detail the lofting technique to draw your full size lines to obtain your half station measurements and how to set up the building jig and all of that stuff. It's written specifically for amateur builders who are looking to build their own Lightning in their garage or backyard. (See above reply for the link). The specifications manual they provide free for download is also very helpful, as it's the only place I was able to find a specified measurement for the width the deck around the sides of the cockpit.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/ClubExpressClubFiles/93488/documents/Specifications_287597677.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIA6MYUE6DNNNCCDT4J&Expires=1617910107&response-content-disposition=inline%3B filename%3DSpecifications.pdf&Signature=ExOzPsedzB40nAT%2FgwcLEprtL6Y%3D

Initial trial of chainplate attachment successful! I went with the Micro-Mark 00-90x1/8 screws and nuts. The flat head screws countersink nicely into the 1/16” planking with just enough thread poking through to accept the brass strip and the nut! Let’s just hope the actual planking on the boat behaves itself as well as this test piece did! I won’t have to countersink the heads quite as far as this I don’t think. Just enough to be able to fill and fair. I’m thinking probably 4 screws per chainplate will be sufficient.

VTHokiEE , GrandpaPhil , KeithAug and 1 other

Not my prettiest paint job ever, but a necessary step nonetheless. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a good way to clean up the excess glue from the planking and bottom frames, but most of it will be covered by the floorboards and seats anyway. I had expected it to be a lighter grey based on the color of the lid of the paint jar, but oh well.

KeithAug , GrandpaPhil , VTHokiEE and 3 others

Roger Pellett

Nothing wrong with your paint job that I c not see. Painting the inside of the hull with the frames and all is not easy.

Lightnings are nice boats, I had occasion to sail one in my younger days.

Well I went through my paint stash and just happened to find a light grey that I didn't remember having that just happened to be the exact shade that I was expecting the first one to be! So I went ahead and repainted. I am very happy with how the inside looks now. I also got the deck fitting blocking and mast partner installed, as well as the skeg. Throw the centerboard in there for a quick mock-up and she's starting to look like a proper Lightning!

Rudolf , VTHokiEE , KeithAug and 3 others

I can't wait to sail her.... 🙂

2 hours ago, yvesvidal said: I can't wait to sail her.... 🙂 Yves

That would be so cool if I could! I'm not sure it would be a good idea, though. I didn't think to varnish the inside faces of the centerboard trunk before assembling it, so I think the wood might get damaged if it got wet.

It’s been a while since I put pencil to paper to plan out parts but I had fun drafting the seats! Now I can trace templates from here to transfer to the mahogany. If you were following my old log, you might remember that I was originally planning on this being a replica of #1 as a gift to the Skaneateles Country Club. This is no longer the plan and I’m just building it for my own pleasure, so I’ve decided not to replicate the cobbled together seats and floor boards of the prototype.

GrandpaPhil and KeithAug

Very Nice work !

If you want to have a model Lightning to sail, the WoodenBoat store used to offer a kit. The kit featured a deep keel protruding from where the centerboard would be on the real thing. There was a lead weight on the bottom of the keel.

A true to scale model of a Lightning would apparently lack both lateral resistance and transverse stability to sail well.

A sweet little boat and nicely made. I look forward to seeing how it develops.

Current Build:-

Cangarda (Steam Yacht) - Scale 1:24

Previous Builds:-

Schooner Germania (Nova) - Scale 1:36

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/19848-schooner-germania-nova-by-keithaug-scale-136-1908-2011/

Schooner Altair by KeithAug - Scale 1:32 - 1931

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/12515-schooner-altair-by-keithaug-scale-132-1931/?p=378702

J Class Endeavour by KeithAug - Amati - Scale 1:35 - 1989 after restoration.

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/10752-j-class-endeavour-by-keithaug-amati-scale-135-1989-after-restoration/?p=325029

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Yachting Monthly

Digital edition

Sailing in lightning: how to keep your yacht safe

In partnership with Katy Stickland
July 22, 2022

How much of a concern is a lightning strike to a yacht and what can we do about it? Nigel Calder looks at what makes a full ‘belt and braces’ lightning protection system

Storm clouds gather at Cowes, but what lightning protection system, if any, does your boat have for anchoring or sailing in lightning? Credit: Patrick Eden/Alamy Stock Photo

Most sailors worry about sailing in lightning to some extent, writes Nigel Calder .

After all, going around with a tall metal pole on a flat sea when storm clouds threaten doesn’t seem like the best idea to most of us.

In reality, thunder storms need plenty of energy, driven by the sun, and are much less frequent in northern Europe than in the tropics.

However, high currents passing through resistive conductors generate heat.

Small diameter conductors melt; wooden masts explode; and air gaps that are bridged by an arc start fires.

A boat Sailing in lightning: Lightning is 10 times more likely over land than sea, as the land heats up more than water, providing the stronger convection currents needed to create a charge. Credit: BAE Inc/Alamy Stock Photo

Sailing in lightning: Lightning is 10 times more likely over land than sea, as the land heats up more than water, providing the stronger convection currents needed to create a charge. Credit: BAE Inc/Alamy Stock Photo

On boats, radio antennas may be vaporised, and metal thru-hulls blown out of the hull, or the surrounding fiberglass melted, with areas of gelcoat blown off.

Wherever you sail, lightning needs to be taken seriously.

Understanding how lightning works, will help you evaluate the risks and make an informed decision about the level of protection you want on your boat and what precautions to take.

Most lightning is what’s called negative lightning, between the lower levels of clouds and the earth. Intermittent pre-discharges occur, ionising the air.

Whereas air is normally a poor electrical conductor, ionised air is an excellent conductor.

These pre-discharges (stepped leaders) are countered by a so-called attachment spark (streamer), which emanates from pointed objects (towers, masts, or lightning rods) that stand out from their surroundings due to their height.

Summer is the season for lightning storms in the UK. Here, one finds early at Instow, Devon. Credit: Terry Matthews/Alamy Stock Photo

This process continues until an attachment spark connects with a stepped leader, creating a lightning channel of ionised air molecules from the cloud to ground.

The main discharge, typically a series of discharges, now takes place through the lightning channel.

Negative lightning bolts are 1 to 2km (0.6 to 1.2 miles) long and have an average current of 20,000A.

Positive lightning bolts are much rarer and they can have currents of up to 300,000A.

Preventing damage when sailing in lightning

A lightning protection system (LPS) is designed to divert lightning energy to ground (in this case the sea), in such a way that no damage occurs to the boat or to people.

Ideally, this also includes protecting a boat’s electrical and electronic systems, but marine electronics are sensitive and this level of protection is hard to achieve.

Lightning protection systems have two key components: First, a mechanism to provide a path with as little resistance as possible that conducts a lightning strike to the water.

This is established with a substantial conductor from an air-terminal to the water.

A diagram showing the Components of an external and internal lightning protection system

Components of an external and internal lightning protection system. Credit: Maxine Heath

This part of the LPS is sometimes called external lightning protection.

Second, a mechanism to prevent the development of high voltages on, and voltage differences between, conductive objects on the boat.

This is achieved by connecting all major metal objects on and below deck to the water by an equipotential bonding system.

Without this bonding system high enough voltage differences can arise on a boat to develop dangerous side flashes.

The bonding system can be thought of as internal lightning protection.

Rolling ball concept

Lightning standards, which apply ashore and afloat, define five lightning protection ‘classes’, ranging from Class V (no protection) to Class I.

There are two core parameters: the maximum current the system must be able to withstand, which determines the sizing of various components in the system, and the arrangement and number of the air terminals, aka lightning rods.

Let’s look at the arrangement of the air terminals first. It is best explained by the rolling ball concept.

A lightning strike is initiated by the stepped leaders and attachment sparks connecting to form the lightning channel.

The distance between the stepped leader and the attachment sparks is known as the breakdown distance or striking distance.

If we imagine a ball with a radius equal to the striking distance, and we roll this ball around an object to be protected, the upper points of contact define the possible lightning impact points that need to be protected by air terminals.

Lightning protection theories and classifications rely on a ‘rolling ball’ concept to define requirements, areas of risk and protected areas. Credit: Maxine Heath

The air terminal will theoretically provide a zone of protection from the point at which the terminal connects with the circumference of the rolling ball down to the point at which that circumference touches the water.

The shorter the striking distance, the less the radius of the rolling ball and the smaller the area within the protection zone defined by the circumference of the rolling ball.

The smaller the protection zone, the more air terminals we need. So, we use the shortest striking distance to determine the minimum number and location of air terminals.

Class I protection assumes a rolling ball radius of 20m; Class II assumes a rolling ball radius of 30m.

Continues below…

Lightning: why we were struck

A personal investigation into how and why a catamaran was hit by lightning

The effects of a lightning strike on a VHF aerial on a yacht

‘Lightning destroyed the boat’s electronics’

Paul Tinley recounts a truly shocking lightning experience aboard his Beneteau 393 Blue Mistress and the subsequent insurance claim

Expert advice: boating emergency

A boating emergency is the sort of thing that everyone taking to the water should be prepared for even if,…

How batteries can explode – and how to avoid it

Marine electrical expert Nigel Calder explains why boat batteries emit hydrogen and how to minimise the dangers

Boat building standards are based on a striking distance/rolling ball radius of 30m (Class II).

For masts up to 30m above the waterline, the circumference of the ball from the point at which it contacts the top of the mast down to the water will define the zone of protection.

For masts higher than 30m above the waterline, the ball will contact the mast at 30m and this will define the limit of the zone of protection.

If Class I protection is wanted, the radius of the ball is reduced to 20m, which significantly reduces the zone of protection and, on many larger recreational boats, may theoretically necessitate more than one air terminal.

Protection classes

With most single-masted monohull yachts, an air terminal at the top of the mast is sufficient to protect the entire boat to Class I standards.

The circumference of the rolling ball from the tip of the mast down to the surface of the water does not intercept any part of the hull or rig.

However, someone standing on the fore or aft deck might have the upper part of their body contact the rolling ball, which tells us this is no place to be in a lightning storm.

Some boats have relatively high equipment or platforms over and behind the cockpit.

Protection classes to protect your boat while anchored or sailing in lightning

These fittings and structures may or may not be outside the circumference of the rolling ball.

Once again, this tells us to avoid contact with these structures during a lightning storm.

Ketch, yawl, and schooner rigged boats generally require air terminals on all masts, except when the mizzen is significantly shorter than the main mast.

The external LPS

The external LPS consists of the air terminal, a down conductor, and an earthing system – a lightning grounding terminal.

The down conductor is also known as a primary lightning protection conductor.

All components must be sized to carry the highest lightning peak current corresponding to the protection class chosen.

In particular, the material and cross-sectional area of the air terminal and down conductor must be such that the lightning current does not cause excessive heating.

The air terminal needs to extend a minimum of 150mm above the mast to which it is attached.

A graph depicting NASA’s record of yearly global lightning events. The Congo once recorded more than 450 strikes per km2

It can be a minimum 10mm diameter copper rod, or 13mm diameter aluminum solid rod.

It should have a rounded, rather than a pointed, top end.

VHF antennas are commonly destroyed in a lightning strike.

If an antenna is hit and is not protected by a lightning arrestor at its base, the lightning may enter the boat via the antenna’s coax cable.

A lightning arrestor is inserted in the line between the coax cable and the base of the antenna.

It has a substantial connection to the boat’s grounding system, which, on an aluminum mast, is created by its connection to the mast.

In normal circumstances, the lightning arrestor is nonconductive to ground.

When hit by very high voltages it shorts to ground, in theory causing a lightning strike to bypass the coax – although the effectiveness of such devices is a matter of some dispute.

Down conductors

A down conductor is the electrically conductive connection between an air terminal and the grounding terminal.

For many years, this conductor was required to have a resistance no more than that of a 16mm² copper conductor, but following further research, the down conductor is now required to have a resistance not greater than that of a 20mm² copper conductor.

For Class I protection, 25mm² is needed. This is to minimise heating effects.

Let’s say instead we use a copper conductor with a cross-sectional area of 16mm² and it is hit by a lightning strike with a peak current corresponding to Protection Class IV.

A cable on the side of the yacht designed to ground the boat if sailing in lightning

Sailing in lightning: This catamaran relies upon cabling to ground from the shrouds but stainless steel wire is not a good enough conductor. Credit: Wietze van der Laan

The conductor will experience a temperature increase of 56°C. A 16mm² conductor made of stainless steel (for example, rigging ) will reach well over 1,000°C and melt or evaporate.

Shrouds and stays on sailboats should be connected into a LPS only to prevent side flashes.

The cross-sectional area of the metal in aluminum masts on even small sailboats is such that it provides a low enough resistance path to be the down conductor.

Whether deck- or keel-mounted, the mast will require a low resistance path, equivalent to a 25mm² copper conductor, from the base of the mast to the grounding terminal.

Grounding terminal

Metal hulled boats can use the hull as the grounding terminal. All other boats need an adequate mass of underwater metal.

In salt water this needs a minimum area of 0.1m². In fresh water, European standards call for the grounding terminal to be up to 0.25m².

A grounding terminal must be submerged under all operating conditions.

An external lead or iron keel on monohull sailing boats can serve as a grounding terminal.

A yacht out of the water on metal stilts while work is being done on it

This owner of this Florida-based yacht decided to keep the keel out of the equation when is came to a grounding plate. High electrical currents don’t like sharp corners, so a grounding plate directly beneath the mast makes for an easier route to ground. Credit: Malcolm Morgan

In the absence of a keel , the cumulative surface area of various underwater components – propellers, metal thru-hulls, rudders – is often more than sufficient to meet the area requirements for a grounding terminal.

However, these can only be considered adequate if they are situated below the air terminal and down conductor and individually have the requisite surface area.

Metal through-hulls do not meet this requirement.

If underwater hardware, such as a keel, is adequate to be used as the grounding terminal, the interconnecting conductor is part of the primary down conductor system and needs to be sized accordingly at 25mm².

Propellers and radio ground plates

Regardless of its size, a propeller is not suitable as a grounding terminal for two reasons.

First, it is very difficult to make the necessary low-resistance electrical connection to the propeller shaft, and second, the primary conductor now runs horizontally through the boat.

The risk of side flashes within the boat, and through the hull to the water is increased.

A hull and keel on a yacht showing damage from a lightning strike while sailing in lightning

Sailing in lightning: GRP hull, fairing filler and iron keel will have carried different voltages during the strike – hence this damage

An engine should never be included in the main (primary) conducting path to a grounding terminal.

On modern engines, sensitive electronic controls will be destroyed in a lightning strike, and on all engines, oil in bearings and between gears will create resistance and therefore considerable heat which is likely to result in internal damage.

However, as it is a large conductive object, the engine should be connected to the internal lightning protection system.

Internal lightning protection

On its way to ground, lightning causes considerable voltage differences in adjacent objects – up to hundreds of thousands of volts.

This applies to boats with a functioning external lightning protection system but without internal protection.

Although the lightning has been given a path to ground along which it will cause as little damage as possible, dangerous voltages can be generated elsewhere, resulting in arcing and side flashes, threatening the boat and crew, and destroying electronic equipment.

We prevent these damaging voltage differences from arising by connecting all substantial metal objects on the boat to a common grounding point.

A lightning strike hitting a yacht' mast while the boat is sailing in lightning

One of the holy grails of marine photography – a direct lightning strike on a yacht’s mast. Credit: Apex

The grounding terminal is also wired to the common grounding point.

By tying all these circuits and objects together we hold them at a common voltage, preventing the build-up of voltage differences between them.

All conductive surfaces that might be touched at the same time, such as a backstay and a steering wheel, need to be held to the same voltage.

If the voltages are the same, there will be no arcing and no side flashes.

The bonding conductors in this internal LPS need to be stranded copper with a minimum size of 16mm².

Note that there can be bonding of the same object for corrosion prevention, lightning protection, and sometimes DC grounding.

We do not need three separate conductors.

Electronic Device Protection

With lightning protection systems, we need to distinguish electric circuit and people protection from device protection.

Even with an internal LPS, high induced voltages may occur on ungrounded conductors (such as DC positive) which will destroy any attached electronics.

A mechanism is needed to short high transient voltages to ground.

This is done with surge protection devices (SPD), also known as transient voltage surge suppressors (TVSS) or lightning arrestors.

Marine-specific surge protection devices with a blue and black case. They are few in number and domestic models are not suitable for boats

Marine-specific SPDs are few in number and domestic models are not suitable for boats

In normal circumstances these devices are non-conductive, but if a specified voltage – the clamping voltage – is exceeded they divert the spike to ground.

There are levels of protection defined in various standards depending on the voltages and currents that can be handled, the speed with which this occurs, and other factors.

This is a highly technical subject for which it is advisable to seek professional support.

Most SPDs are designed for AC circuits.

When it comes to DC circuits there are far fewer choices available to boat owners although there are an increasing number for solar installations that may be appropriate.

There is no such thing as a lightning-proof boat, only a lightning-protected boat, and for this there needs to be a properly installed LPS.

Nigel Calder is a lifelong sailor and author of Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual. He is involved in setting standards for leisure boats in the USA

Even so, in a major strike the forces involved are so colossal that no practical measures can be guaranteed to protect sensitive electronic equipment.

For this, protection can be provided with specialised surge protection devices (SPDs).

The chances of a direct lightning strike on a yacht are very small, and the further we are north or south of the equator, the smaller this chance becomes.

It’s likely your chances of receiving a direct lightning strike are very much higher on a golf course than at sea.

‘Bottle brush’-type lightning dissipators are claimed by sellers to make a boat invisible to lightning by bleeding off static electrical charge as it builds up.

The theory rests upon the concept that charged electrons from the surface of the earth can be made to congregate on a metal point, where the physical constraints caused by the geometry of the point will result in electrons being pushed off into the surrounding atmosphere via a ‘lightning dissipator’ that has not just one point, but many points.

It is worth noting that the concept has met with a storm of derision from many leading academics who have argued that the magnitude of the charge that can be dissipated by such a device is insignificant compared to that of both a cloud and individual lightning strikes.

It seems that the viable choices for lightning protection remain the LPS detailed above, your boatbuilder’s chosen system (if any), or taking one’s chances with nothing and the (reasonable) confidence that it’s possible to sail many times round the world with no protection and suffer no direct strikes.

Whichever way you go, it pays to stay off the golf course!

Enjoyed reading Sailing in lightning: how to keep your yacht safe?

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Lightning Sailboat Model Kit

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Combination of laser cut and die cut wooden parts for quality fit
Nylon sails and rigging
Step-by-step instructions
Length 19" x Beam 6-1/2" x Mast 26"
Skill Level: Introductory Beginner some building experience helpful

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November 30, 1999 by Sail1Design Editor Leave a Comment

Without Compromising Either One The Lightning, a 19 foot trailerable centerboard sloop, was originally designed by Sparkman & Stephens as an affordable family day-sailor and racing boat. She has evolved into one of the most popular and competitive one-design racing classes in the world. Awarded ISAF International Class status, the Lightning is sailed in more than 13 countries and in the Pan American Games, and the class provides a professionally-managed association that is among the largest in all of one-design sailing. The Lightning’s rig is simple, but offers sophisticated sail shape controls. The hull features a unique hard chine design that combines the stability that provides sail-carrying power, with flat bottom sections that promote planing. The International Lightning Class Association protects the boat’s design and licenses custom and private builders to build boats under its administration. A list of Lightning builders is available from the ILCA upon request.

Dinghy Responsiveness, Sportboat Performance

The Best Of Both Worlds Whether racing or daysailing, the Lightning offers a combination of performance and stability that eludes most one-designs. The Lightning’s hard chine and 130 lb centerboard give her the stability and power of a small keel boat going to weather in strong winds and allow her to carry a very large spinnaker for breathtaking offwind rides. There’s room in the cockpit for two couples or a family to daysail, but the Lightning is easy to ramp launch and light enough to trailer with ease. In the event of a capsize, she can be righted and sailed dry by her crew.

Refined Design, Toda

The Best Of Both Worlds Whether you’re more interested in how a boat looks or how it behaves, it’s hard to beat the Lightning. The Class maintains an attitude that promotes conservative innovation, making the boat faster, safer and more maintenance free, while keeping prices affordable. Most Lightnings built in the last 25 years can be made competitive and it’s not uncommon to see them winning races right along with new ones. In fact the 1995 World Champion sailed a boat built in 1969! Modern Lightnings are built in foam-cored fiberglass with stainless steel centerboards and black anodized aluminum spars. The world’s top sailmakers give the class their best efforts. In short, there are enough controls to keep the most technically inclined happy, but it’s good tactics, boat-handling and hiking that win races.

The Best Competition In The World Or A Way To Get Away From It

The Best Of Both Worlds

Ted Turner, Dennis Conner, Ken Read, Dave Dellenbaugh, Dave Curtis, Bruce Goldsmith, Tom Allen, Neal Fowler, Steve Benjamin, Ched Proctor, Bill Shore, Greg Fisher, Andy Horton are just a few of the rock stars who have competed in the Lightning. After more than 60 years and more than 15,000 boats it’s easy to find a regatta when you want to. But whether you’re interested in serious racing or you just want to go for a joyride with the family, you’ll find what you’re looking for in the Lightning. Club Racer Or International Icon

The Lightning truly excels as a racing boat. It requires a wide range of different skills, both tactical and technical. At 700 pounds all up, the boat is tough enough to avoid frequent breakdowns, but light enough to plane wildly on the reaches. A World Championship is held every two years. North American, South American and European Championships are held each year as are innumerable regional and District championships. Major regattas attract some of the finest sailors in the world, but you find class members friendly and the sailmakers’ complete tuning guides helpful at getting you up to speed in a hurry.

The International Lightning Class Association

Welcome To Our World

The ILCA is one of the oldest and best organized class associations in sailboat racing. Its primary purpose is to serve its membership, preserve the integrity of the Lightning and provide high-quality competitive events. In addition, the ILCA publishes a monthly newsletter Lightning Flashes with up-to-date regatta news, boat brokerage and ideas on how to get the most out of your Lightning. An annual Yearbook, containing many illustrated articles, reports on major championships, fleet reports and a complete association mailing list, is also published. The professional ILCA staff is always on hand to assist both current and potential members. If you’re looking for a boat you can be proud to sail, one that offers dinghy handling with the performance of a sportboat, a refined design that’s free of fads, complete with the technology of today for both racing and daysailing

Get The Best Of Both Worlds. Get into a Lightning. See you on the water. David Dellenbaugh, former Lightning World Champion and starting helmsman for 1992

America’s Cup defender America3

The Top 10 Things I Like About The Lightning: 1. There’s Lightning racing almost everywhere. 2. Some of the best sailors in the world sail the Lightning. 3. Lightnings are available from more than one high-quality builder. 4. Lightnings even 20 years old are still competitive. 5. The boat is one of the best crew trainers on the water today. 6. The class is not so strict as to discourage experimentation which makes the boat faster and easier to sail. 7. The Lightning has interested the finest sailmakers in the world so the sails and the tuning guides look great and are easy to use. 8. The Lightning is a very roomy boat for daysailing. 9. Lightning sailors sail hard, but they’re not too cutthroat – someone’s always ready to answer questions. 10. The class management is as good as you’ll find in one-design sailing. For more information about the International Lightning or to arrange a test sail in your area, call or write to the address listed below.

Design: Sparkman & Stephens, 1938 Over 15000 built More than 500 fleets worldwide Length: 19’0″ (5.8m) Beam: 6’6″ (2m) Displacement: 700 lb (318 kg) Draft (board down): 4’11” (151.3cm) (board up): 5″ (12.8cm) Mast height: 26’2″ (7.9m) Sail area (main & jib): 177 sq.ft. (spinnaker): 300 sq.ft. Crew (racing): 3

Class website: http://www.lightningclass.org/index.asp

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International Lightning Class Association

Class contact information.

Click below

Class Email

Class Website

One-Design Class Type: Dinghy

Was this boat built to be sailed by youth or adults? Both

Approximately how many class members do you have? 1600

Photo Credit:Douglas Wake

Photo Credit: Art Petrosemolo

About International Lightning Class Association

The Lightning truly excels as an affordable racing boat. The rig is simple but offers sophisticated sail shape controls. The hull features a unique hard chine design that combines the stability that provides sail-carrying power, with flat bottom sections that promote planing. At 700 pounds all up, the trailerable centerboard sloop is tough enough to avoid frequent breakdowns, but light enough to plane wildly on the reaches. Membership is diverse with sailors aged 8 to 80+. Many families sail together at top events and it is common to see females make up at least 40% of competitors.

The Lightning is sailed in more than thirteen countries and in the Pan American Games. A World, Master World and Youth World Championships are held every two years. North American, South American and European Championships are held each year as are innumerable regional and District championships. Major regattas attract some of the finest sailors in the world, but you find Class members friendly and the sailmakers’ complete tuning guides helpful at getting you up to speed in a hurry.

The International Lightning Class Association is one of the oldest and best organized class associations in sailboat racing. Its primary purpose is to serve its membership, preserve the integrity of the Lightning and provide high-quality competitive events. In addition, the Lightning Class publishes monthly e-blasts and a quarterly newsletter Flashes with up-to-date regatta news, boat brokerage and ideas on how to get the most out of your Lightning. The professionally managed association and dedicated volunteers are always on hand to assist both current and potential members.

If you’re looking for a boat you can be proud to sail, one that offers dinghy handling with the performance of a sport boat, a refined design that’s free of fads, complete with the technology of today for both racing and day sailing – look at the Lightning.

Boats Produced: 15630+

Class boat builder(s):

Allen Boat Company, Buffalo, NY: https://www.allenboatco.com/

WindRider International: https://www.windrider.com/

Approximately how many boats are in the USA/North America? 11,000+

Where is your One-Design class typically sailed in the USA? List regions of the country:

East of the Mississippi, Mid-West, Texas, Denver, San Diego, Pacific Northwest Click Here for Fleet Finder Map: https://www.lightningclass.org/content.aspx?page_id=451&club_id=93488

Does this class have a spinnaker or gennaker? Yes

How many people sail as a crew including the helm? 3

Ideal combined weight of range of crew: 490

Boat Designed in 1938

Length (feet/inches): 19’0″

Beam: 6’6″

Weight of rigged boat without sails: 700 lbs

Draft: (board down): 4’11”, (board up): 5″

Mast Height: 26’2″

Back to One-Design Central

Dumas Products

Serving the model hobby industry since 1947. Office hours Monday-Thursday 7:30 am – 4:00 pm MST. Closed Friday-Sunday.

Plans & Inst.-Kit #1110-Lightning

Description.

Plans & Instructions for Kit #1110-Lightning

**Please Note** Plans are not suited for scratch build.

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Marine Lightning Protection

Introduction
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The lightning system
Collaboration
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Lightning 19' mast stepping, help need..

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Help I bought a Lightning Class 19' sailboat. The seller, a friend and myself nearly killed ourselves stepping the mast. The mast is 26 ft long and must be dropped vertically into a small hole in fore deck. We nearly dropped it on the seller's car. I was told to use a gin pole, is that the best and safest way. I am now sorry I bought the great boat, and have not even sailed yet. I hate doing dangerous things for fun.

I've owned two Lightnings, and thought I learned my lesson with the first one until I got given the second on a "get it out of my yard" deal. Between them, they taught me that "wood boat" and "maintenance" are two terms that never get very far from each other. Getting the mast up and down is the biggest pain in the neck. I think the boat was designed to be kept at a dock or a mooring, and the mast only cycled up and down once a season, if that. I rigged a temporary stop for the base of the mast which clamped to the deck, and a temporary baby stay arrangement to help keep the mast under control going up and down. A gin pole wouldn't help without those two items. I could lift the mast up by myself without any real problems, but keeping it under control was always an iffy proposition. Realistically, you need to have two, three, or more people to keep things under control, mostly just holding onto the stays and shrouds. Once I figured out how to do it, I got it down to the point where my wife and I could get the mast up and down fairly easily. That much said, they are fun when they are finally on the water, but they were not designed to be a trailer sailer.

Thanks, I will leave it up and when it comes down I'll take a crowd of friends.

Good luck. The last summer I owned a Lightning I was able to find a place where I could leave it parked on the trailer with the mast up. That simplified things a lot. If you can get a crowd to help you get it down, it will help if you have someone up on the deck to keep the base of the mast under control while you lower it. I would suggest trying to raise it with the base of the mast on the deck. We tried raising it from the ground and lifting it vertically to the deck one time, and found we REALLY needed a bunch of people to do that.

Thank you. I am leaving it up also, in a storage lot. I can pull it to the boat ramp with the mast up.

I stepped the mast on my Lightning with just 2 people but it was not fun or easy. Three or more makes it that much easier. The method I resorted to using most often involved the use of a nearby tree limb. I'd use my fishing pole to get a sinker or lure over the tree limb. Then I'd tie the fishing line to a working line with a block tied to the end and pull the working line over the tree limb. Another line was put through the block before hoisting that was used as a lightweight crane for lifting or lowering the mast with a bowline that rides up to the spreaders. Kind of a pain to set all this up but it made the whole procedure easy enough for my wife and a to do it alone. I had a village mooring permit ($25/year) and a 50# mushroom anchor I used to keep it on the water in season. Great little boat but a PITA to set up or break down.

CalebD said: I stepped the mast on my Lightning with just 2 people but it was not fun or easy. Three or more makes it that much easier. The method I resorted to using most often involved the use of a nearby tree limb. I'd use my fishing pole to get a sinker or lure over the tree limb. Then I'd tie the fishing line to a working line with a block tied to the end and pull the working line over the tree limb. Another line was put through the block before hoisting that was used as a lightweight crane for lifting or lowering the mast with a bowline that rides up to the spreaders. Kind of a pain to set all this up but it made the whole procedure easy enough for my wife and a to do it alone. I had a village mooring permit ($25/year) and a 50# mushroom anchor I used to keep it on the water in season. Great little boat but a PITA to set up or break down.[/QUOTE I can find a tree. Thanks Click to expand...

I have a lightning and every time I take it out I have to step the mast and take it down. It really isn't bad, but there are a few tricks that help, assuming an aluminum (not wooden) mast. 1. Don't step the mast yourself unless you have a mast hoist. I did this and dropped it on my friend's roof. When I bought my mast I watched the elderly gentleman I bought it from do this like it was nothing. He had some tricks, but I prefer not to mess with it. 2. Prepare the mast before you put it up, get all the shrouds laying out beside it just as if it were already up. Make sure the forestay is in the front, backstay in the back, etc. Use rigging tape or electrical tape to tape around the plugs that go into the spreader so that if they don't come out and allow the mast to snap. 3. Prepare the inside of the boat so that the mast can just slip right in and you don't have anything to snag on. 4. Use the trailer tire or a friend's foot positioned at the butt of the mast while "walking" the mast up until it is vertical. Once the mast is vertical it is very easy to keep that way unless you let it start leaning. 5. Have a friend balance the mast while you hop up on the boat. Make sure you place a life jacket on the deck so you can rest the mast down later if necessary. 6. Have your friend hold the bottom of the mast with both hands close together. You stand on the boat and keep your hands far apart on the mast. This allows you to control the mast while your friend simply lifts STRAIGHT up. As the mast goes up, make sure that it stays vertical. As you get it over the boat, slowly move it over the opening, making sure to keep it vertical. This takes some coordination with your friend but after you've done it a few times it gets easier. 7. As you lower the mast in, again, insure you don't snag on anything and that it fits snugly into the step. Once it is in, connect the forestay and it will be able to stand on it's own. There are several ways to connect the shrouds, but insure they are the proper tension (or close). To take down the mast, do the same in reverse. For more info check out: Welcome to the International Lightning Class The tuning guides will help alot. As to leaving the mast stepped, if you can do it, then do it! But, don't let it scare you. The Lightning is a great boat and a blast to sail. Where are you sailing from? There are Lightning fleets all over and someone there will be happy to teach you to set up your rig. Good to see other Lightning sailors on Sailnet! Andy

I have a Cape Dory 25 and I raise and lower the mast single handed. It's easy. Get a copy of "The Sailor's Sketchbook" by Bruce Bingham, Seven Seas Press for full details. I paid $4.00 for it on Alibris. That's one way. The other is building a large A frame, and raising the mast by pushing up on an extension ladder, till you can hoist from the frame. How much do you want for your Lightning? Dick

This is a great boat in spite of the mast ordeal, if needed I can hire someone to build a hoist or hire a crew to put the mast up in the Spring . It has 3 mains 2 are very good and one is like new. One is cut for a storm main. It has 3 jibs all good to great. It has 2 spins and a canvas boom tent. It has a good trailer. I sailed it today in light air and it performed well. It is a 66 glass boat but has lived inside. It had new epoxy paint by a pro 5 years ago. It look more like a 1996 that 1966. I was just shocked that it was such a PITA to put up a mast. I have been sailing over 35 years and had no idea a 19 ft, boat's mast was such task. Having said all that I think it is a keeper after all. Few people would want a boat this old at the price I was willing to pay but the former owner took care of it. I would sell it for 5 thousand.

The problem isn't so much raising the mast -- that's relatively easy -- but keeping the mast under control while setting it down vertically about three feet through a hole in the deck to get the base of the mast into the mast step, which is located on the keel.

?
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The mother of all maritime links: page 38 of 47, Sailboat racing & classes: the 8mr yacht spazzo; the 29er class; the 29er north american web site; the 1999-2000 america's cup regatta in cartoons; the american y. Sailboat design and manufacturing - wikipedia, the free, This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on wikipedia. see wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions.. Sea scope yacht charters in newport, ri - america's cup, Seascope yacht charters located in newport, ri has been offering america's cup class charters on our fleet of classic and vintage antique wooden yachts and 12 meter.

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Analysis 2024 Team Girls Cup quick hits — Mavs cop double injury blow, Lightning showcase stacked Diamonds talent, and crowd numbers are up but could they be better?

Lauren Moore sits on the court floor and holds the back of her right knee in agony

It's almost that time of year again, as we inch closer to an eighth season of Super Netball and the world's best league held its pre-season tournament in Sydney for the first time over the weekend to give us a glimpse into how each of the eight teams are shaping up for 2024.

There's a brand-new side to keep an eye on, as the Melbourne Mavericks officially fill the defunct Collingwood Magpies' spot, while last year's runners-up the NSW Swifts showed – as the team with the least amount of changes – how advantageous a consistent line-up with cemented combinations can be as they clinched their first Team Girls Cup trophy.

Just as we will do every Monday afternoon of the Super Netball season, we're here to bring you the biggest talking points of the round/weekend. So, let's see what we learnt during an action-packed three-day netball festival at Ken Rosewall Arena.

Double blow for the Mavs

Tracey Neville and assistant Nicole Richardson sit on the bench as they watch their team play

As the new kids on the block, the Mavericks have already won over the netball community with the signings of former England 2018 Commonwealth Games-winning head coach Tracey Neville, as well as a bunch of much-loved stars like Amy Parmenter and Eleanor Cardwell.

But the side has already been hit hard with injuries before it has even been able to take the court for its inaugural Super Netball game. During a pre-season friendly, shooter Sasha Glasgow went down with a compound leg fracture that is likely to rule her out for the season and at the Team Girls Cup we saw defender Lauren Moore helped off the court after she suffered a knee injury.

Moore will go for scans on Monday and many are hoping she will avoid the dreaded season-ending ACL injury that is unfortunately so common in our sport, but if that is to be the case, that'll be two senior players wiped out for the Mavs.

The team was already up against it as a start-up franchise thanks to the quick turnaround Super Netball required to fill Collingwood's spot when it was announced it would no longer continue in the league last May, as well as the drawn-out pay negotiations that meant nobody could officially be signed until December.

Streutker stretches her arms up as she holds the ball to shoot

Factoring in Christmas and the involvement of some of its players at January's Nations Cup overseas, the side has only had a couple of months at best to prepare. Unfortunately, that context coupled with these major injuries will have people questioning if their side is perhaps a little under-conditioned, to no fault of its own.

Despite a pretty good first hit-out at the Team Girls Cup, where it registered a draw and suffered two tight losses before battling against the Giants in the last-place play-off, the team was unable to avoid the bottom of the ladder in the pre-season tournament.

There were patches of brilliance and Neville has done an incredible job pulling this team together in such a short time. But in the wake of those injuries, there is worry about how it will perform come the season start on April 13.

As we know from the Pies example, early success is key to building a fan base and longevity in a city already occupied by a foundation club like the Melbourne Vixens.

Will Lightning live up to the hype?

Liz Watson chases after a ball while playing wing attack

Maybe it was the drawn-out pay negotiations that left players sitting on their hands without pay for 11 weeks, with too much time to think about their future. Maybe there was just something in the air? But this off-season has been the most interesting in Super Netball's history with some shock movement and big-name signings.

The Sunshine Coast Lightning was the biggest winner, managing to nab Australian captain Liz Watson from the Vixens, before luring Diamonds goalkeeper Courtney Bruce across the country from the West Coast Fever.

Both are late into their careers, debuted for their home clubs, spent the past 10 years representing those teams as one-club players and made their way into a captaincy position. Their faces not only felt synonymous with those franchises and the colours they wear but also their respective state pathways. It was a surprise to see them move on and watching them in yellow this weekend felt a bit strange.

However, their signings have brought a sense of hope and excitement to a team that wowed everyone when it won back-to-back premierships in the first two years of Super Netball (2017/18) but has now missed the finals two years straight.

Courtney Bruce shows a shocked face as she questions a call from the umpire

At Lightning, Watson and Bruce will link up with their Netball World Cup-winning teammates Steph Fretwell (née Wood) and Cara Koenen at a domestic level, so there was plenty of curiosity around how this side stacked with Diamonds talent is gelling in club land.

It was entertaining watching Watson match up directly against her former co-captain Kate Moloney in the midcourt when Lightning played against the Vixens, where plenty of bumps between their bodies made for a bruising encounter. Same goes for Bruce's encounter against her old teammate, Jamaican goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard in the circle on the final day, as Lightning and Fever played off for fifth place.

Bruce looked sharp (13 gains) across the weekend and was the difference in this particular match, as her hold over Shanice Beckford's two-point shot put off the goal attack's chance to steal the lead in the final 30 seconds, before Bruce pounced on the missed attempt to send possession back up the Lightning's end to seal a two-goal win.

Watson's connections in the midcourt still need some work (12 general play turnovers), as there were moments over the three days where there was a breakdown in communication, or she was caught in the same hole as another player. Either way, the team many have tipped as "favourites" this season is tracking nicely and should be better placed come the season start.

Can the Team Girls Cup become a destination event?

Netball Australia was happy with the 7,707 total attendance for the Team Girls Cup, as it managed to get its best result at the event since the pandemic and doubled the previous crowd at last year's tournament on the Gold Coast. But there's certainly room for growth, as a similar pre-season tournament in basketball for the 2023 NBL Blitz last September saw more than 20,000 fans attend.

The Team Girls Cup is finding it tough to lure people interstate and although the NSW clubs generally do a good job at filling the stands, Sydneysiders may have been put off attending with the annual Easter Show on and limited parking available at Homebush.

The event served its purpose though for this year, allowing teams to trial a whole range of combinations and expose their training partners with such limited preparation for teams in a short pre-season. But as a result, it was difficult for many fans to get a proper gauge on who might be in the running this year, with vastly different line-ups run from quarter to quarter and fatigue management meaning some of the biggest stars sat out games.

The top two finishers, the Swifts and Vixens, had no strong desire to win the tournament and the $10,000 prize money, instead focusing on their goals to test out their squads.

This approach was common in the old NRL Nines series before rugby league dangled a $1 million cheque over the winner's heads if a team was able to finish on top of both the pre-season and official competition, in a bid to try and encourage clubs to field their best teams and therefore attract fans.

That amount of money may never quite be available in netball, a sport still in debt and in the process of trying to turn its financial status around after the pandemic, but perhaps there is something in this that netball could learn from. Up the stakes and the clubs may be more dogged in their desire to win it, enticing more fans to come along.

The past two Super Netball grand finals were sold off to state governments to generate better prize money and create a destination event. If we sit tight, perhaps the Team Girls Cup could one day follow suit.

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Netball Australia raises the white flag in long and bitter pay dispute with players

A woman stands in front of several microphones and smiles as she listens

'You wouldn't even know they had a netball team': former Pies coach saddened by seven-year erasure from club's history

Nicole Richardson looks upwards as she sits on stage with the Diamonds team at a World Cup farewell event

Ruthless Diamonds claim Nations Cup with dominant victory over England

A woman celebrates winning a netball match

Super Netball is on deadline for a new team — what's the blueprint and is an eighth side achievable?

Captains from each Super Netball team pose together with the Sydney Opera House in the background

National Netball League

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Restoration of Skaneateles Lightning #167

The Lightning sailboat was designed by the Naval Architectural firm of Sparkman & Stephens in response to a request from John and George Barnes, owners of Skaneateles Boats, Inc. The Barnes brothers were interested in building a one-design sailboat which could be used both for racing as well as family day sailing. The two firms collaborated closely on the design of the sailboat over a two-year period, and prototype Lightning #1 (now part of the watercraft Collection at Mystic Seaport Museum) was built in 1938. The boat received an enthusiastic response from the yachting world, and production began in earnest the following year.

Lightning Class Supporters

IMAGES

Wooden lightning sailboat ~ Plans for boat
Image result for lightning sailboat
Building a wooden model sailboat made simple. Enjoy the pleasure of
Lightning Sailboat by Woody S
Wooden lightning sailboat ~ Plans for boat
Lightning Sailboat by Woody S

VIDEO

Lightning Sailboat capsize part 2
Wooden Boat Building Ep. 19: Gluing Sanding Finishing Painting
Amazing building lightning In Kuwait 🇰🇼🇰🇼
Lightning Sailboat Model
Lightning Regatta 2007
Chicago Harbor- Boat struck by lightning, (wait for second strike) 6-18-10

COMMENTS

Lightning Sailboat 19' build
Fiberglass transoms shall have a minimum thickness of 3.175 mm (1/8"). There may be a maximum of two transom ports, and they shall not exceed 32 sq. inches area per port. 19.The centerboard trunk shall be constructed of glass reinforced plastic not less than 4.7625 mm (3/16") thick, or 12.70 mm (1/2") solid wood.
Build a Wooden Lightning
1528 Big Bass Dr Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 Phone: 727-942-7969 Skype: ilcaoffice
Lightning Model Kit
Couple of building tips: clothespins make great clamps, and styrofoam (not the corn-starch based type) peanuts make great flotation under the foreward and aft decks. This model is not designed for remote control. If you sail on a larger pond and don't have a chase boat, kite string/spool are very handy. Scale: 1" =1' LOA: 19" Beam: 6 1/2 ...
About Lightning
Lightning, a nineteen-foot trailerable centerboard sloop, was originally designed by Sparkman & Stephens as an affordable family day-sailor and racing boat. She has evolved into one of the most popular and competitive one-design racing classes in the world. Awarded ISAF International Class status, the Lightning is sailed in more than thirteen ...
Lightning Sailboat by Woody S
My children learned to sail in the 1960's on Lightning #5138. I would like to create a model of that sailboat. I have built scratch models of 1850's schooners before. But on this project I decided to take some shortcuts and start with the Dumas plans. The fun will be in the changes in rigging and paint to match the 1960's boat.
Lightning
Lightning is a 18 ′ 11 ″ / 5.8 m monohull sailboat designed by Sparkman & Stephens and built by Nickels Boat Works, Inc., Skaneateles Boat & Canoe Co., Helms - Jack A. Helms Co., Siddons & Sindle, Lippincott Boat Works, J.J. Taylor and Sons Ltd., Lockley Newport Boats, Eichenlaub Boat Co., Mobjack Manufacturing Corp., Clark Boat Company, Allen Boat Co., and Loftland Sail-craft Inc ...
Lightning Sailboat by Andrew J.
Lightning Sailboat by Andrew J. - Small - Scale 1:12 - Sparkman & Stevens Plans Facebook; MSW Spring Donation Drive. ... (International Lightning Class Association), scale them down, and scratch build a Lightning in the same way the real thing would be done. Once I had just about finished the hull, I got hung up in overthinking how the next ...
Sailing in lightning: how to keep your yacht safe
A lightning protection system (LPS) is designed to divert lightning energy to ground (in this case the sea), in such a way that no damage occurs to the boat or to people. Ideally, this also includes protecting a boat's electrical and electronic systems, but marine electronics are sensitive and this level of protection is hard to achieve.
Lightning (dinghy)
The Lightning is an American sailing dinghy that was designed by Olin Stephens of Sparkman & Stephens, as a one-design racer and first built in 1938.. An accepted World Sailing class, the boat is one of the most popular one-design sailing classes in the United States and is also raced in several other countries.. The design was developed into a smaller boat, as a trainer for the Lightning, the ...
Dumas Products Inc Lightning Sailboat Model Kit
Lightning Sailboat Model Kit. $79.99. Add to Cart. Details. Reviews. Buy the Lightning Sailboat Model Kit for sale online from Woodcraft. Visit us to order online or find your local Woodcraft store today!
Lightning
The International Lightning Get The Best Of Both Worlds Without Compromising Either One The Lightning, a 19 foot trailerable centerboard sloop, was originally designed by Sparkman & Stephens as an affordable family day-sailor and racing boat. She has evolved into one of the most popular and competitive one-design racing classes in the world. Awarded ISAF […]
Storefront
In Stock. $ 150.00. Complete plans for building a Lightning. Entitles you to build one Lightning boat and to have an official ILCA number assigned to your hull. Included is a copy of the Wooden Boat Magazine article and Hamlin & Smith supplement plans, as well as the original Sparkman & Stephens plans. Price: $100.00 — Boat Number.
Lightning class sailboat RC 1/5 or 1/6
With this build log I intend to build an RC lightning class sailboat. 1/5 or 1/6 scale so it is big enough to sail well. 1/6 would be 38" long and 1/5 would be 45.6". Being this a relatively easy construction hull, I think it is a good model for my building experience, however not so good for my knowledge since I will be building this from ...
International Lightning Class Association
The International Lightning Class Association is one of the oldest and best organized class associations in sailboat racing. Its primary purpose is to serve its membership, preserve the integrity of the Lightning and provide high-quality competitive events. In addition, the Lightning Class publishes monthly e-blasts and a quarterly newsletter ...
Home
The Lightning, a 19-foot trailerable centerboard sloop, was originally designed by Sparkman & Stephens as an affordable family day-sailor and racing boat. She has evolved into one of the most popular
Plans & Inst.-Kit #1110-Lightning
SKU: 1110 Categories: Plans & Inst. Sailboats, Plans & Instructions-Boats. Description Description. Plans & Instructions for Kit #1110-Lightning **Please Note** Plans are not suited for scratch build. Related products. Plans & Inst.-Kit #1225-Victory Tug $ 15.00 Add to cart;
LIGHTNING
40 to 50 indicates a heavy bluewater boat; over 50 indicates an extremely heavy bluewater boat. Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam^1.33), where displacement is expressed in pounds, and length is expressed in feet. Capsize Screening Formula (CSF): Designed to determine if a boat has blue water capability.
Building A Sailboat From SCRATCH
Check out my Patreon to help support the boat build! - https://www.patreon.com/jackwood25Guten Morgen! After months of building and filming, I'm finally post...
Build your system
Our objective is to design your boat lightning protection system to resemble that on a building where air terminals are around the roof perimeter, multiple down conductors are on the outside, and multiple ground rods buried outside the footings. ... The distinctive feature in a sailboat is the pre-existing lightning rod that carries the sails ...
First-Time Buyers Guide
The boat can be sailed dry. It can however turtle. If this occurs, external help will be needed. Don't buy a Lightning if you don't EVER want to go swimming or get wet, but don't be afraid of a capsize either, particularly in a post 1985 boat. Other details the first time buyer should know about include saltwater.
Lightning 19' mast stepping, help need..
Lightning 19' mast stepping, help need.. I bought a Lightning Class 19' sailboat. The seller, a friend and myself nearly killed ourselves stepping the mast. The mast is 26 ft long and must be dropped vertically into a small hole in fore deck. We nearly dropped it on the seller's car. I was told to use a gin pole, is that the best and safest way.
More Building a lightning class sailboat ~ Go boating
Info Building a lightning class sailboat. Lightning class sailing montage - youtube, Awesome video of lightning class sailing. Amazon.com: dumas lightning sailboat, 19": toys & games, If you prefer the leisurely pace of free sailing (just watching your boat go where the wind takes it), the lightning is for you. this one inch equals one foot (1:12.
2024 Team Girls Cup quick hits
It's almost that time of year again, as we inch closer to an eighth season of Super Netball and the world's best league held its pre-season tournament in Sydney for the first time over the weekend ...
#167
The Lightning sailboat was designed by the Naval Architectural firm of Sparkman & Stephens in response to a request from John and George Barnes, owners of Skaneateles Boats, Inc. The Barnes brothers were interested in building a one-design sailboat which could be used both for racing as well as family day sailing. The two firms collaborated ...