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Although I don't think that I was struck by lightning, I too had an interesting experience a few years back. I race LaVieve in the Chicago Mackinac Race. In 2011 the racing fleet was hit by a severe thunderstorm in northern Lake Michigan - in fact, it capsized one of the fleet resulting in the death of two sailors. The storm was predicted and we saw it coming at us around 11 p.m. There was constant lightning, most of it being cloud to cloud. Before the storm reached us, we noticed sparks jumping the insulators on the back stay which I use as an antenna for my ham radio. It is the only piece of the rigging that is not grounded. I also noticed that all my my LED flashlights down below in the cabin turned on by themselves. At that point, we took down the mailsail which stopped the phenomenon. By that time, it was pouring down rain and the wind had increased to 63 knots. Lightning was all around us and the rigging glowed. When this all started, I was taking a video of the approaching storm, but put it down to assist with racing the boat. I did not turn the camera off, so it recorded all the sounds that transpired during this period. Listening ot it was very interesting. Damage suffered was a fried gps, and damage to the vhf radio caused, according to the technician who repared it, by static electricity running to the radio via the cockpit mike. Needless to say, it created a memory. I can still see my 10 year old grandson who was on his second Mac Race, recording the storm in the log as all of this was going on.
Byron Higgin, Tartan 37 #444
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