August-September 1959

Jerry Jenkins of Grosse Pointe, Michigan won the 1959 Thistle National Championship at St. Petersburg with a total of 236¼ points from five races amid challenging weather conditions including squalls, winds, and a water spout. The championship featured 53 starters and showcased new fiberglass boat construction, with Jenkins edging Johnny Jennings and Charlie Morgan.

Skip LaGarde in Cardo successfully defended the Atlantic Coast Championship in Annapolis, Maryland on August 15-16, finishing ahead of the host fleet. Dennis Posey also had to come from behind in the competition. The event included participation from regional sailing associations and set plans for future intersectional regattas.

The Governing Board met on August 24, 1959 in St. Petersburg, Florida to discuss financial matters, fleet reorganization, regional restructuring for nationals, and the controversial approval of fiberglass boat construction for evaluation purposes at the 1959 Nationals.

The editor and Governing Board thank readers for their thoughtful feedback on fiberglass construction and aluminum spars. Multiple perspectives are presented on maintaining the Thistle's one-design nature while allowing for technological advancement, with various skippers and fleet members expressing viewpoints on design changes and regulations.

The Thistle Class Association annual meeting was held on August 27, 1959 in St. Petersburg. Officers reported on yearbook progress, district reorganization, boat registrations, and fiberglass/aluminum amendments. The assembly approved fiberglass construction but defeated aluminum spars, though conditional aluminum spar evaluation was approved through the 1960 Nationals.

Jim Hendricksen won the 1959 Lake Erie District Championships held on Presque Isle Bay on July 11-12, with his boat 'Blac Jack' scoring 12¾ points. The event attracted 45 boats from locations as far as Louisville, Kentucky, sailed over a modified Gold Cup Course.

Paul Schreck of the Southern Yacht Club won all three Delta District Championship races held at Galveston Bay on June 13-14, demonstrating his ability to sail in both light and heavy weather. The championship discussion included consideration of moving the event to New Orleans for 1960.

The New Jersey Districts hosted 27 boats at Lake Hopatcong on July 25-26, the largest districts ever held in New Jersey. Bob Duff emerged victorious in a light to moderate breeze on the first day, with wind conditions and various tactically challenging moments characterizing the races.

Paul Joy won the 1959 Hawaii District Championship with his boat Joyride (1103), scoring 22 points after a series of races and consistently overcoming competitors including Bruce Walker and Tom Carpenter. Joy's performance marked his success as Hawaii's district champion.

George Young sailed in the 1959 New England District Championships at Cottage Park Yacht Club. His boat featured the characteristic qualities of lighter design, and he achieved competitive performance through tactical sailing. The event showcased various New England skippers and boats competing over the traditional course.

The Michigan District Championships were held July 11th and 12th at Crescent Sail Yacht Club, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan on Lake St. Clair. Jerry Jenkins won with boat number 1228, scoring 2 points in the first race. Herb Mainwaring was re-elected District Secretary at a Bayview Yacht Club meeting.

H. Markle Hessenbruch, Jr. passed away on July 17, 1959. He was a Thistle sailor in Fleet 36 at Lake Hopatcong and will be missed by his many friends in the Thistle community.

Tim Rice of the Host Club, Seneca Yacht Club, won the Niagara Frontier District Championships at Seneca Lake, Geneva, New York by one point over Will Libby. The event featured complex wind shifts and challenged skippers to adjust their strategy throughout multiple races.

James Hendricksen, Sandusky's veteran Thistle Class sailor, won the second Great Lakes Championship held August 1 and 2 at Sandusky Bay. Competing against 52 other starters, Hendricksen achieved first, fifth, and eighth place finishes for 13¾ total points, succeeding previous champions from earlier years.

A letter from Paul Joy encouraging Thistle sailors planning Hawaiian vacations to bring their boats or arrange for boats to be shipped. He notes the availability of finished hulls, organized sailing conditions, and the strong sailing community that would welcome visiting Thistlers.

The City Island Thistle Fleet organized its first Invitational Regatta during Independence Day weekend with ten boats from five neighboring fleets. Hal Dobson of Port Washington won the competition, with wins from Jim Robinson and Steve Jozef of City Island also placing well in this successful inaugural event.

Marblehead Race Week, sponsored by Eastern, Boston and Corinthian Yacht Clubs, was held July 25th through August 2nd with 15 Thistles appearing at least once. Over the week races featured light to heavy wind conditions with various winners, while Wednesday's Red Dragon class race saw Boston U. sailing coach Ed Bryant with Hex IV win the competition.

The Cape May Thistle Regatta was held August 8th and 9th at Cold Spring Harbor with challenging weather including rain and shifting wind. Though a severe thunderstorm prevented completion, the regatta provided memorable experiences including a rain-soaked first mark encounter and various sailing mishaps during the challenging conditions.

George McGregor won the Quincy Bay Race Week with his boat Cabbage Patch, overcoming challenging conditions of heat, humidity and variable winds. McGregor sailed in light airs early in the series before conditions shifted, with Cirrus also competing strongly in the five-race event.

The Red Grant Regatta at Raritan Yacht Club in Port Amboy featured an open regatta with 91 boats from 11 different classes, 21 of which were Thistles competing for the largest class representation. Ed Walsh won the regatta with his boat, followed by Peter Bordes and Buck Krusen placing second and third.

A collection of editorial quotes and opinions from various Thistle sailors and officials regarding the one-design class concept, fiberglass construction, aluminum spars, and the future direction of the Thistle Class.

A Hawaiian Maritime Day race featuring various boat classes saw elapsed-time results with Thistles and other classes competing. The race included interesting official elapsed-times comparisons showing how Thistles performed relative to larger boat classes.

A calendar of upcoming Thistle regattas and events scheduled from September through October 1959, including invitational races, district championships, and circuit series at various yacht clubs across the United States.

A collection of classified advertisements for Thistle boats for sale, boat parts, and services including complete boats, sails, trailers, and various equipment listings from sellers across the United States.