of them to move around without heehng the boat too much, small 

 enough for a low cost, simple enough to be made easily by amateurs, 

 easy for all ages to handle and enjoy, fast enough for good racing. 

 Quite an assignment! But Sparkman and Stephens took it on. They 

 also expressed a willingness, if a responsible class organization were 

 formed, to turn the plans over to that organization so that they could be 

 made available to amateur and professional builders alike at a moder- 

 ate fee. 



The first Lightning took to the water in October 1938, and the public 

 introduction to the class came at the New York Motor Boat Show in January 

 1939. By that time nine builders had acquired the plans and twenty boats 

 had been sold. The Lightning Class Association was then formed by a 

 group of owners who met at the Show. A significant feature of the associa- 

 tion's constitution is the provision: 



"To keep the Lightning class within the financial reach of a man of 

 moderate means without handicapping ability or encouraging neglect in 

 conditioning yachts" . . . and "to rigidly maintain a strictly one-design 

 class, in order to positively insure that all Lightning class races held under 

 the auspices of this Association be to determine the skill of the skipper and 

 to eliminate all variations in the constructions of the yachts." 



While the great success of the Lightning class has more than justified the 

 hopes of its promoters and designers, the tremendous vogue and growing 

 popularity of the light planing racers, as well as the catamarans, pose a 

 problem for the future. As the President of the class recently warned: 

 "Things are good— but complacency will ruin us. The Lightning class has 

 passed its period of greatest growth which took place in 1946 through 

 1950. Since then we have been losing per cent of industry at an alarming 

 rate. 



"The molded hot rods are taking the play away from us. These boats are 

 not as seaworthy as ours— not as safe— and a considerable degree of expert- 

 ness is necessary to obtain enjoyment and relaxation in them. But, they are 

 selling because of inherent advantages in construction, ease of maintenance 

 and transportation." The President might have added that the excitement 

 and speed of a modern light displacement hull appeals greatly to many, 

 especially the young and athletic. 



The racing waters of Lightnings are in too many parts of North and 

 South America to catalogue here. They are also in several European coun- 

 tries, in Australia, Japan, and the Hawaiian Islands. There are over three 

 hundred chartered fleets. Boats are now built of wood, plywood, or fiber 

 glass. Builders are many. For information on this or other class affairs, con- 



126 THE SAILBOAT CLASSES OF NORTH AMERICA 



