August 1947

Fred Best, local chairman of the 1947 National Thistle Championship in Cleveland, calls for boat owners to register. With 29 entries already received from Baltimore and Racine, entry deadline is August 30. Accommodations and meal packages remain available for $10.00.

Complete schedule for the nationals August 29-September 1, including launching, rigging, three race days, a banquet, dance, business meeting, pool party, and picnic.

Nineteen Thistles competed at Put-in-Bay August 4-6 with boats from Toledo, Cleveland, Harbor Head, Watkins Lake, and Sandusky fleets in extremely light air. Snell and Basset won the three-race championship, with each day producing a different winner. Inboard jib rigs and Nylon sails proved advantageous.

Ken Glor won the second annual Cleveland Lakefront Regatta on July 26-27 with 22 boats competing in fresh breeze on a windward-leeward 6-mile course. Glor finished 1 minute 20 seconds ahead of John Lovatt. Sunday's race was cancelled due to high winds.

Brief reports of Thistle racing victories from regattas across the country, including wins at Sandusky, Clear River Ohio, Toledo, Norwalk, and Canandaigua, New York.

Sandy Douglass recounts the imaginative genesis of his first Thistle sail, beginning as speculation while sailing International 14s about a larger, faster boat combining the best features of the class. After years of conceptualizing, drawing, and building, he launched his boat on Lake Erie to test whether it matched his original vision.

Sandy Douglass provides technical advice on the new method of sheeting jib leaders inside the main shrouds instead of outside. He explains that this rigging setup allows boats to point higher and simplifies jib trim in heavy weather, and emphasizes proper technique and sheet length.

Outgoing editor J.O. Snell signs off after publishing the Bagpipe monthly, thanking the Thistle community and inviting readers to contribute news stories for future issues under the incoming editor.