Here is another interesting Fleet 50 tidbit

[Bob Astrove]

An article in the October 1943 issue of Lightning Flashes, written by Arthur Godfrey (yes the 1940's & 1950's TV and Radio star).  

He was a member of Fleet 50

https://lightningclass.clubexpress.com/docs.ashx?id=703582

[Lindsay Bach]

Bobby:

Very interesting! So many linkages and connections in this copy of Flashes in addition to our own connection to Arthur Godfrey.

For example, I note the results of the wartime Nationals at Barnegat Bay where Karl Smither took first and William Straub took third. Karl Smither (aka “Mr. Lightning”) was the father-in-law of the legendary Tom Allen and founder of Allen Boats -- and thus the grandfather of the current proprietor of Allen Boats, Tom Allen, Jr. 

It is also personally interesting to me that William Straub was racing Lightning #79, a Skaneateles hull I crewed on in the late 1960s at Newport Yacht Club in Rochester, NY.  Straub was a charter member of Fleets 46 and Fleet 77 both located on Irondequoit Bay in Rochester, NY.  I suspect that Straub probably sold #79 to Dr. John McIntosh around the same year as the Barnegat Bay Nationals. Doc McIntosh sailed her as “Blue Jacket” until 1950 or 1951 when it was sold to Gene Midnight and Bob Schwarz (both nearby neighbors of mine growing up), who renamed her "Black Knight” --the name it still held under its fourth owner, Tom Hafner, when I crewed on her in the late 1960s. 

Doc McIntosh was my father’s childhood doctor and lived to to be 100 years old, passing away about 25 years ago. He was fleet champion of Fleet 46 and then, after Fleet 46 merged with Fleet 77, of the Fleet 77 Lightnings all the way up through the 1980s. Doc McIntosh sailed many subsequent "Blue Jackets” --all of which usually included the number “79." For example, Blue Jacket II was #4879 and Blue Jacket IV was #10679.

I should note that the same William Straub who took third at the 1943 Nationals also built Lightning #936 from a kit that year. My father purchased #936 for $600 in 1949 from its second owner and renamed her “Ungawa,” invoking Tarzan’s call to the elephants. Dad raced her first at Fleet 46 and later at Fleet 77 up through about 1955 until kids (starting with me), a mortgage, and other family responsibilities took over. However, he rebuilt her in the mid-1960s and took her to Charleston Lake, Ontario, where we had a cottage. “Ungawa” was the boat I learned to sail on. Dad kept “Ungawa" all the way until 1974 when he sold her and moved on to big boats several years later.

Best,

LB

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[JOHN HART]

Bobby,

If I'm remembering correctly, one of our Fleet 50 trophies, the one that is made from the bow section of a woodie, was from Arthur Godfrey's boat.

Hey Frank, can you confirm this?

John

[Bob Astrove]

You are going to love the new tool we are trying to get on line.  We are using AI to help us build a searchable index w links to the old copies of Lightning Flashes.  Hopefully done before the end of the year.  Will be accessed via the Lightning Class website

Bobby

Sent from my iPad, Bob Astrove

On Sep 11, 2025, at 5:38 PM, Lindsay Bach <lmba...@gmail.com> wrote:

 Bobby:

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fleet50/8E894956-C70A-4AA5-AEBF-13770E9E8454%40gmail.com.

[Aaron P. Boesenecker]

That’s awesome Bobby — thanks for your work on this!  The historian in me (part of my profession, part of just stuff I love) is loving all of these links and stories and recollections!

Cheers,

Aaron

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Aaron P. Boesenecker, Ph.D.

Potomac River Sailing Association
Lightning Fleet 50 / Lightning #14592

aaronp.bo...@gmail.com

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fleet50/A9481E6F-B578-4AA6-A559-562F3BC1037E%40gmail.com.

[Lisa-Marie Lane]

That is fantastic!!! Thank you for everything you do for the class!!!

Cheers,

Lisa-Marie Lane

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 11, 2025, at 7:26 PM, Bob Astrove <bob.a...@gmail.com> wrote:

You are going to love the new tool we are trying to get on line.  We are using AI to help us build a searchable index w links to the old copies of Lightning Flashes.  Hopefully done before the end of the year.  Will be accessed via the Lightning Class website

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fleet50/A9481E6F-B578-4AA6-A559-562F3BC1037E%40gmail.com.