July-August 1958

The Annual Cotton Carnival regatta was held at McKellar Lake in Memphis, Tennessee on May 10-11, with sixteen Thistles participating in a joint event. Howard Boston won the overall event in a borrowed new boat, while Eugene Walet III and John Martin Jr. finished among the top competitors.

A comprehensive listing of upcoming Thistle regattas across the United States from late July through September 1958, including the 13th Annual National Championships at Fairhope in August, Great Lakes Championships, and regional events at various lakes and yacht clubs.

The annual Dam Full Regatta was held June 14-15 at Leatherlips with variable winds, resulting in Bob Johns winning overall. The regatta featured a steak roast and social activities, with close racing throughout the competition.

The editor's column discusses how many Thistlers are traveling and competing at various regattas, mentions a humorous sailing book recommendation, and reports on club news including incidents from various fleets and the missing Gold Trophy.

The Ohio Inter Club Yachting Association affiliates 11 Ohio clubs that hold an all-class regatta at a different lake each year. Indian Lake, one of Ohio's largest inland lakes, hosted the 1958 event with thousands of boats from various classes, making it one of the worst drifters ever sailed.

Specifications for new measurement checks to be conducted at the forthcoming Nationals in Fairhope, including M and I dimension requirements, spinnaker and sail specifications, and batten pocket requirements.

Fleet #1 at the Cleveland Yachting Club will host the Great Lakes Championships, limiting eligibility to the top 25% of each fleet to ensure keen competition. The event will feature meals, social events, and the famous OVC fast beer boats that meet each boat crossing the finish line.

Fleet 31 at Pymatuning Yacht Club had a fine racing year in 1957 with spring and summer series. Will Frissell won the Fourth of July Regatta for the fourth consecutive time, and Harry White had an exciting finish catching a vicious gust while jibing.

Advertisement for the book "To Hell With Sailing" by Doris Sawyer, Editor of The Highlander, a humorous and illustrated guide to boating and sailing mishaps, available for $2.25 plus tax.

A request for assistance from a new sailing club on Lake Texoma, Texas that is trying to establish a Thistle racing fleet. They have 8-10 boats of various classes including one Thistle and seek advice from experienced Thistlers to foster fleet growth.

Detroit Thistle Fleet #2 held their third annual shake-down regatta on May 25 at Crescent Sail Y.C. on Lake St. Clair, attracting competitors from Ohio and Michigan. Dr. Douglas Wake won first place in this spirited regatta with good winds and social events.

The Richmond County Yacht Club's Fleet 81 had a very active first year in Thisting. After heated debate, they chose the Thistle over 20 other boat designs. By season's end they had six active boats and competed in several regattas, culminating in a successful Labor Day event.

Fleet #11 at Watkins Lake held regular weekly races from Memorial Day through September 1957, divided into spring and summer series with a final sailoff. Though consisting of only six boats, the fleet achieved nearly 100% attendance and concluded the season with an annual banquet.

Cowan Lake's Thistle Regatta was held June 28-29 with Dave Minton of Leatherlips winning with a narrow two-point lead over McCullough. The regatta featured close racing, social activities at the Snow Hill Country Club, and spirited competition.

City Island Thistle Fleet conducted a drawing for the 36 completed Thistle kits with appropriate ceremonies and festivities. Individual prizes and gifts were awarded for meritorious service, with movies of the drawing added to the construction films.

The Lake Erie Districts regatta was held July 12 & 18 at Mentor Harbor Yachting Club. Saturday's race was postponed due to gun problems but eventually completed, with George Butts and Harvey Busch winning the day. Harvey Busch won the overall event with a 3/4 point lead.

An article about automatic bailers recently introduced for Thistle boats. The author describes testing two varieties of bailers, which required specific conditions and speeds to work properly, including mishaps and eventual success at boat speeds over 8 knots.