LIGHTNING RACING

Fleet 430 was formed in 1970 when PCs George Glenn and William Lindsey along with Drs. Buzby, Robinson and Pfister left Fleet 99 in OC to join OCYC. The remaining members of Fleet 99 which included the late William Clausen, a pillar in the Lightning Class and perennial fleet champion, continued to sail out of 11th St. until it was retired.

The Fleet has grown over the years and has been host to several important Lightning races including 2 Central Atlantic District Regatta’s which were a qualifier for the North American Championships and more recently the New Jersey State Championship in 2019.

Racing takes place most Sunday afternoons with 3-4 consecutive races along with specific regattas including the Independence Day Regatta on July 4th weekend, the MAYRA Regatta in mid-August, and The Flag Officers Regatta on Labor Day. For the close of the season the Fleet gathers with the Offshore and Friday Night Fleets for an awards banquet at the club.

Fleet 430 is open to all who want to learn to crew on a Lightning. We welcome skippers who want to buy a boat and join the Fleet. The Lightning is a very versatile boat that can accommodate up to 5 people for a leisurely sail or raced with 3 people. Competitive racing can be found throughout the US. 

We could not enjoy racing without the help of our race committee volunteers who help set the marks, score the race, and make it possible for the fleet to compete.