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Our Funds

How Can You Support the ILCA?

The ILCA has established many alternatives to enable members and friends to make special gifts and bequests of lasting significance—to help ensure the long-term viability, vitality and mission of the Class. The ILCA is a 501c3 charitable organization, and as such your gifts may be tax-deductible. Your support is truly appreciated!

The ILCA Fund

The ILCA Fund was established in 1981 as a way to guarantee the long-range operations of our Class. Contributions to the Fund may be used to pay for the ordinary operating expenses of the ILCA, to advertise and promote the sport of Lightning Class sailing or for any other purpose approved by its Board of Directors.

The ILCA Fund supports the US Sailing award winning Lightning Boat Grant Program and the International Fleet Development Initiative.

Fund Directors: Steve Davis (Committee Chair), Bill Fastiggi, Lenny Krawcheck, Paco Sola, David Starck

Previous initiatives supported by the ILCA Fund include:

Purchase of 2 boats for Finland, and container expenses
Chilean Boat Grant

Current goals of the ILCA Fund include:

International Fleet Development
Ship a container of donated boats to Finland and one to Greece
Lightning Lab and Mentor Programs
Support growth of Legacy program to rotate Boat Grant and other good boats to new sailors

William N Baxter, Jr.

“The answer to the question of why I support the Lightning Class is I have received so much from the International Lightning Class. The fun of competition from the local level all the way to the Worlds Championships. The life long friends and sailors I have met through the various sailing events and regattas is vast and I owe it all to the Lightning Class. I give and will continue to give because without the class and all it does my life would be dull and uneventful. I get so much enjoyment from racing Lightnings it is only right to give back to the class."

The Boat Grant Fund

You can donate cash, boats, covers, sails, trailers, etc. to support this innovative program to attract young racers to the Lightning. Designed to help young sailors experience the high level of competition offered by the class, this revolutionary program offers a unique opportunity among one-design classes.

While many one-design classes struggle to attract and retain young sailors, the Lightning Class is taking active steps to give young adults a leg up. Since 2007 the class has provided fully rigged, insured and competitive boats for worthy teams for the sailing season. The recipients participated in Fleet, District and National regattas. Many of the recipients remain active in the Class.

Fund Directors: Ryan Davidson (Committee Chair)

Previous initiatives supported by the Boat Grant Fund include:

•Brand new boats and sails
•Regatta and travel expenses, insurance

Current goals of the Boat Grant Fund include:

A new boat every 3 years
A new set of sails for each boat every 2 years
Insurance, regatta fees, travel expenses for Boat Grant teams

Bill Faude

“I am a longstanding member of the Lightning Boat Grant Committee. We review applications for the program and grant the boats. In the meantime we manage the lives of the boats in the program so they are optimal magnets for the Class ownership experience and are, after their lives in the program, attractive to new owners.

In 2024, I also mentored a team of University of Wisconsin students who were granted a boat. The Lightning Class does not have a standing fleet in Madison, WI but there are a lot of college students and college sailors who probably saw a Lightning for the first time there. Our District had a couple of benefits beyond those we might have expected from the boat grant kids last year. First, the boat grant boat was on the starting line at every District event last season. That is noteworthy because only one other boat in the District can claim that. That fact was particularly important last year because having them interested enough in sailing the Lightning as much as possible will pay dividends for our District long after that team has gone on to other phases of life...or bought a Lightning. This past year the Lightning was offered a starting slot in a multi-class event in Wilmette, IL at Sheridan Shore Yacht Club. There is one Lightning at SSYC and no local fleet. Fleet 5, the City of Chicago Lightning Fleet had gone inactive several years prior and with it the Lightning Red Flannels had also gone from our District schedule. Because we had the Boat Grant boat of motivated sailors, we had enough boats to fill our offered starting fleet start. The regatta turns out to be VERY well run. There was a fun party and it was a much easier regatta to navigate for those not in love with downtown Chicago challenges.

Long story short: this year, we will host the Midwest District Regatta at that event. We see that event as an opportunity to add a regatta to our schedule where for years we watched some events fade away. I don’t think we could have had the start without the Boat Grant kids. They brought energy we didn’t have.

One more thing: once in a great while, we do a one-day regatta in the Fall after the regular season is finished. It’s called the Wandering Moose regatta and it might pop up anywhere...it just depends on who is psyched to host. This next Fall, our Boat Grant team is offered for The Moose to get loose in Madison...where we’ve never had a regatta. I don’t know if it will happen. I don’t know how many people will be around in September and not in Wrightsville Beach at the NAs. But I do know that the Boat Grant team is willing and has offered. There again...more energy than we would have otherwise had.”

The Limbaugh Fund

The Limbaugh Fund was established in honor of two of our most avid supporters. Helen was our Executive Director from 1965 to 1982. Jay was our Class President in 1964. Both remained strong supporters of the Class long after their tenures were completed. Because of Helen & Jay's strong interest in Junior sailing, and their belief that our Juniors are the future members and officers of our Class, the organizers of the fund have dedicated these funds toward Junior activities.

The available monies in the Limbaugh Fund are restricted to support of education, training, and the promotion of Junior sailing. Uses of these funds have included support for the Youth World Championships, the Sears Cup, funding Junior racing clinics, trophies, promotion of youth regattas, etc.

Fund Directors: Michael Huffman, Matt Fisher, Debbie Probst and current Class Treasurer Bertie Werley

Current goals of the Limbaugh Fund include:

Award grants for fleet programs to attract and retain junior sailors
Town Hall/Panel discussions on building Junior fleet
Regatta Fee subsidies for Juniors

Previous initiatives supported by the Limbaugh Fund include:

Support for the Youth World Championships
Funding junior racing clinics
Trophies and promotion and registration fees for youth regattas

Mitch Hnatt, Metedeconk YC Lightning Junior Sailing Program

“I can't thank you enough for your approval of helping us fund the repairs of one of our Jr. Club Lightnings. I have been personally contributing to the class for probably close to 25 years. I hope that you may share this so the membership can see first hand how giving a little can really go a long way when needs arise.

Through our very generous membership our Jr. Lighting fleet has grown to include 5 boats. We regularly get close to 20 kids out every Wednesday night. Over the last few years our fleet has been used extensively, and some of the boats even traveled to Jr. NA's and other events. However, they started to show their age, and things started to break. After close review one of our boats had a laundry list of problems. We were faced with an estimate that was way over our club budget. This is where the Limbaugh Fund stepped up and really saved the day. They were quick to approve the assistance. There is no way we could have come up with the additional funds.

Thank you to the Limbaugh Fund Committee, and all those who may have contributed over the years. Your generous donation no matter how much has been put to good use. For those that have not contributed before please consider one of the Lightning Class Funds. Just remember a few extra dollars may go towards a young kid getting their first crack at sailing in our beloved lightning somewhere, in fact anywhere around the world. ”

The Mary Huntsman History Fund

The Mary Huntsman History Fund's primary objective is to help recover and properly preserve the Lightning Class heritage. The Fund is named after Mrs. Mary Huntsman, Past President and Officer of the Class, and who was the first to hold the Historian VP position when it was established. Under her Presidency, Mary secured the purchase of Lightning number one and subsequently coordinated its donation to the Mystic Seaport Museum, where the boat has been restored and is displayed.

The Mary Huntsman Lightning History Fund was formed in 2004. Its primary objective is to help recover Lightning memorabilia and properly preserve Class heritage.

Fund Directors: Clayton Gray, Bill Bogardus, Hugh Hutchison

Previous initiatives supported by the History Fund include:

Acquisition of Lightning #1
Digitized and posted online all issues of Flashes
Digitized and posted online all Lightning class yearbooks

Current goals of the History Fund include:

Support the Lightning Hall of Fame proposal (Finger Lakes Boating Museum - FLBM)
Acquisition and display of Lightning #5, first boat built on the mold displayed at the FLBM
Digitize and making available online the boat files

Edward Duffy, Lightning 14175

"I grew up sailing lightnings and have made many friends in the Lightning Class over the years. I want to help keep this great class going strong.”

The Annual Operations Fund

Helps support the historical record keeping, communication with the members and fleets world-wide, website maintenance and the ability to service the membership and respond to new inquiries about the Class.

Donations to the Annual Operations Fund help to keep membership dues affordable, and allow the Class to adjust for rising expenses and other needs. The Fund is currently supporting the website upgrade effort.

David & Jody Starck

“Donations allow the class leadership to invest in future class members, equipment, and our brand.”

Doug Steffenson

“I consider it to be important to support ILCA because, like many in the class, I have been around Lightning sailing my entire life. With my donation, I want to ensure that ILCA can continue to welcome new sailors into the Class that spans nearly a century.”

Jim Force

“I have enjoyed sailing Lightnings since I was in high school. I donate to the Limbaugh Fund to help other young sailors get into Lightnings and experience the joy of sailing and caring for them, as I have.”