Thistling by Mr. Thistle

Douglas presents a comprehensive historical essay on the origins and design philosophy of the Thistle class, tracing its ancestry to early 20th century small boat sailing and the economic depression that created demand for affordable sailboats. He discusses the design objectives, construction innovations using the Vidal process, and the Thistle's unique characteristics that have made it one of the largest and most active one-design classes.

This is a summary. The full article text is © the Thistle Class Association — read the original scan via the link above.

• Thistle history
• design
• boat design
• one-design racing
• Thistle origins