The Carolina Yacht Club in Wrightsville Beach will host the 2017 Lightning North American Championships on September 21-24. Competitors qualified for the North American Championships thru their respective District Championship. There will be 5 countries and more than 15 states represented at this year’s regatta. The racing attracts some of the finest sailors in the World including, past Yachtsmen and Yachtswomen of the Year, World Champions, Olympic Medalists, America’s Cup, and Volvo Ocean Race sailors.
Founded in 1853, the Carolina Yacht Club (CYC) is the 2nd oldest continually operating yacht club in the United States. The regatta will be one of the premier events hosted by the CYC and Lightning Fleet 511 this year.
More than 80 boats have registered for the regatta and over 240 sailors in attendance. Sailing will take place in the Atlantic Ocean and there will be 8 races held over the four-day regatta.
The Lightning, a 19-foot trailerable centerboard sloop designed in 1938, is a 3-person sailboat with a mainsail, jib, and spinnaker. The class has evolved into one of the most popular and competitive one-design racing classes in the world. The International Lightning Class has fleets in more than 13 countries on 5 continents and participates in the Pan American Games.
