John Sulzbach, of Killingworth, CT, is the owner of Proper Tree, a company that provides tree care and removal. Outside of work, John Sulzbach, of Killingworth, CT, participates in lightning class sailing.

1. POPULAR LIGHTENING CLASS SAILBOATS
ORIGINATED IN NEW YORK
By John Sulzbach, Killingworth CT

2. INTRODUCTION
 John Sulzbach, of Killingworth, CT, is the owner
of Proper Tree, a company that provides tree
care and removal. Outside of work, John
Sulzbach, of Killingworth, CT, participates in
lightning class sailing.
Lightning sailboats are essentially sloop-rigged
dinghies. The cockpit can accommodate four
passengers, but during races, there are only
three crewmembers on board. The boat design
features a hard chine hull (defined by a sharp
angle) and a predominantly flat bottom for
easier planning.

3. SAILBOATS
 The lightning class sailboat traces its origins
back to 1938 in the upstate New York town of
Skaneateles. Brothers George and John Barnes
bought an existing boat company there and
introduced several already-popular racing
dinghy designs to its production line. The
brothers launched a search for the perfect
combination of design features for theses boats.
After teaming up with two boat designers, Olin
and Rod Stephens, in the mid-1930s, the
Barnes brothers came up with an overall design
that would eventually be the lightning class.