October/November 1985

Combined column featuring the President's message and Growth and Promotion updates. The President reflects on a successful year including the managed Nationals and site selection for 1987, and discusses the Class's continued growth and visibility.

Official minutes from the Governing Board meeting held at North Cape Yacht Club on Saturday, August 10, 1985, covering officer reports, site selection decisions, financial reports, and various committee updates.

Official minutes from the Thistle Class Association Annual Meeting held on Tuesday, August 13, 1985, including reports of officers, site selection, trophy announcements, amendments discussion, and election of new officers.

Letters to the editor including correspondence about the 1986 Nationals location, concerns about Lake Norman's facilities, Thistle family boats, and requests for boat name changes and boat-related advice.

Comprehensive coverage of the 1985 Thistle Nationals held at Monroe, Michigan, featuring David Dellenbaugh's championship victory, detailed race reports from all seven races, analysis of sailing conditions, and profiles of top competitors.

Humorous poem set to the tune of 'In My Merry Oldsmobile' about sailing a speedy Thistle, winning races and impressing people.

Humorous poem from the perspective of a Thistle sailor's wife describing the challenges of sailing with her husband and his quirks.

Complete race results table for the Championship Division of the 1985 Thistle Nationals at Monroe, Michigan, showing final placements for all 38 skippers across seven races.

Complete race results for the Presidents Division and listing of all special awards won at the 1985 Nationals, including trophies for various achievement categories.

Profile of Dave Keran, 2nd Vice-President and Bagpipe Editor, covering his introduction to Thistles in the 1950s, his competitive sailing career on the West Coast, and his dedication to fleet building and promotion.

Announcement and registration information for the 15th Annual Mid Winters West regatta hosted by Mission Bay Yacht Club in San Diego, January 16-19, 1986, including schedule, fees, and entry requirements.

Comprehensive information for the 31st Mid-Winters East regatta in St. Petersburg, March 1-6, 1986, including housing, camping, boat registration, racing schedules, and entry form.

Feature article by David Dellenbaugh about developing a better attitude toward racing, emphasizing learning and enjoyment over pure competition, with lessons on sportsmanship and resilience from personal sailing experiences.

Advertisement for a new educational videotape series that explains yacht racing rules through demonstrations and animation, narrated by top sailor David Dellenbaugh and produced by SEA-TV.

Comprehensive regatta reports covering multiple events: High Sierra Regatta in Northern California, Hells Canyon Regatta in Idaho, Huntington Lake Northern California event, and Michiana Championship Regatta, with race results and event summaries.

Report on the Pacific Coast Championships held at Huntington Lake where Bruce Gosse won with scores of 11, 3/4, 3, 2, 4, with Dave Keran second and Dean Iwahaski third in a competitive fleet of 25 boats.

Report on the Michiana Championship Regatta held at Edge Lake, Michigan in September where Dick Otter repeated his championship victory with strong consistent sailing throughout the event.

Reports on regional regattas and fleet championships including New Castle Sailing Club's Delripett, Delaware River Perpetual Thistle Trophy, Winnetka Yacht Club Supersail, and other district racing events.

List of newly registered Thistle Class members organized by region and district, welcoming them to the Class community.

Classified advertisements and boat listings for Thistle sailboats and related equipment, including boats for sale across various regions and boat maintenance services.