Lightning strikes catamaran, man hurt

A sailor has been hurt in a lightning strike just after organisers of a sailing
regatta on the NSW central coast cleared competitors off the water during a severe
storm.
The 50-year-old man from Victoria had his hand on the mast of a moored racing
catamaran when it was struck, giving him a severe shock at about 2.15pm (AEDT) on
Monday at Belmont, south of Newcastle.
The man was competing in the Australian National Championships for A-class
catamarans when the race was stopped due to the storm.
Regatta spokeswoman Vicky Endert said that when bad weather set in, steps were taken
to protect competitors.
"We thought the storm was getting close so we finished the race immediately," she said.
"The fleet was off the water when the lightning struck the water in the boat park
next to the club and in the heavy rain the sailor who had his hand on the carbon
fibre mast of his boat received a very severe shock."
The man was taken to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital where he was in a stable
condition.