International Lightning Class Association Boat Grant recipients

by International Lightning Class Association on 25 Mar 2010 The award winning Lightning Boat Grant program enters its fourth season with the strongest applicant pool to date. Seventeen teams from the US and Canada applied for grants this year and the International Lightning Class Association is proud to announce the recipients for the 2010 sailing season:

Hailing from Chicago, 23 year old skipper Andy Camarda and teammates Michael Barry and RJ Trejo will be sailing with the Chicago fleet 5 and traveling to events around the Midwest. Local Lightning ace David Stix will serve as the teams mentor and they will be sailing a brand new Lightning that has been loaned to the program by Nickels Boat Works.

Also based out of the Midwest will be Rob Linden (26) and his team of Steve Griffith and Meghan Walter. They will be sailing out of North Cape Yacht Club with Fleet 42. The three began sailing together as teammates on the Michigan State University sailing team and are looking forward to attending many events this summer. Michigan District Commodore George Sipel will be working with this team as their mentor and they will be sailing a 2009 Nickels Lightning that the ILCA recently purchased for the program.

Tyler Keyworth (24) of Annapolis, MD is a graduate of St. Mary's College of Maryland where he sailed on the offshore team with his teammates Jill Bradley, Ryan Niland, and Mark Allegrini. They will be sailing a nearly new boat loaned to the program by the Allen Boat Company. They will be practicing and racing in the Annapolis area as well as hitting much of the east coast circuit. Steve Constants, one of the top Lightning sailors in the middle atlantic region will serve as this team's mentor for the season.

According to Co-Chair Debbie Probst 'This was the toughest year yet. We really had a great group of young sailors apply for grants this year. We are really excited about the three teams, they are really quality individuals!'

Co-Chair Bill Fastiggi added 'The ILCA is very fortunate to be able to run this program for the fourth consecutive season. We have had some very generous loans and donations over the past few years from class members, boat builders and sailmakers. The whole Lightning family has been so supportive of the program.'

More information about the ILCA grant program can be found on the ILCA website www.lightningclass.org,