August/September 2006

Lawrence outlines the four key roles necessary for a successful Thistle fleet: Fleet Captain, Fleet Secretary, Growth and Promotion Officer, and Regatta Chair. She emphasizes that strong fleets depend on secretaries who collect dues and that delegation is important for sharing leadership responsibilities.

Smith encourages Thistle sailors to recruit recent college graduates by helping them purchase dormant boats on installment plans. He also solicits volunteers for a class Videographer and Press Officer position to promote the class through media and documentation.

Winchester discusses recent technical questions about Thistle sail construction, mast shimming procedures, and rudder measurement standards. He invites feedback from the class on these measurement and specification issues.

Collection of advertisements and classified listings from the issue, including boat covers, sails, rigging equipment, and other Thistle-related products and services.

The Thistle Class Association held a successful raffle for a new Thistle #4000 boat. Fred Joyce of Utica, New York won with ticket #194, and over $11,000 was raised for the class from the sale of 320 raffle tickets.

Mike Ingham won the Atlantic Coast Championships for the second consecutive year at Tred Avon Yacht Club in Oxford, Maryland. Forty-two Thistle boats competed in the July 9-10 event with boats coming from Florida, Kansas, Georgia, and Ohio, featuring a record number of Finefrock family boats.

A detailed photo essay describing the rigging configuration of Mike Ingham's winning Thistle #3969, including his jib cleat system, centerboard handling, stanchion setup, main sheet, vang, spinnaker systems, compass, and other customizations made for simplicity and functionality.

The Lake Michigan Districts were held July 15-16 at Winnetka Yacht Club, near Chicago. The regatta featured seven races with challenging light conditions on Saturday and strong southwest winds on Sunday. Jamie Gillian won the championship with his crew.

Thirteen Thistle crews sailed at the High Sierra Regatta on Huntington Lake, California July 14-16 at 7,200 feet elevation. Mike Gillum won the regatta by one point over Dave Keran with Chris Gedrose in third place.

The 50th annual Berlin Invitational Regatta was held June 17-18 with 24 Thistles competing among 54 total boats from six classes. Steve White won the championship in challenging conditions that ranged from pleasant Saturday winds to survival conditions on Sunday.

Skip Dieball won the Lake Erie Districts held June 10-11 at Pymatuning Yacht Club in Pennsylvania with 41 boats competing. Challenging northerly winds and heavy seas made for memorable racing with several capsizes, masts breaking, and rigging failures.

Ken Swetka won the 2006 Michiana Districts held June 10-11 at Crescent Sail Yacht Club in Detroit with 20 boats competing. Swetka's consistent finishes, particularly on Sunday morning, sealed the victory over Champ Glover and Andy McDonald.

The Senecanoe Regatta was held June 3-4 at Seneca Yacht Club in Geneva, New York with 20 boats competing in a seven-race series. Mike Ingham won the regatta in shifty winds, with Jim Kaukeinen in second place and Mark Gesner in third. Bobby Bryant's absence due to cold and rainy weather was humorously noted.

A Thistle sailor and his crew sail Thistle #3456 from Liberty State Park through New York Harbor and up the Hudson River to see the Intrepid, Concorde, and Growler submarine exhibits. The adventure includes light winds, thermal breezes, and memorable sightseeing.

Wayne Balsiger, TCA Pacific Coast regional vice president, has won the Pacific Northwest district trophy for the second consecutive year. The trophy is based on participation and finishing position across five regattas during 2005-2006.

Frank Flannery won the 2006 Pacific Northwest District Championship held in July at Sequim, Washington with six races on Saturday and Sunday. Ted Sumner and Michael Rees finished second, and Kerry Nielan third. The report includes detailed race narratives and descriptions of the thermal sea breeze pattern.

The Governing Board met on August 7, 2006 at North Cape Yacht Club. Key topics included raffle tickets for Thistle #4000, promotional videos, web page updates, the 2007 Nationals in Eugene, and class membership status at 1780 members.

The Annual Meeting was held August 8, 2006 at North Cape Yacht Club. The meeting covered officer reports, approval of the nominating committee's slate, ratification of new Fleet 109 on Lake Livingston, and discussion of fleet probations and future National Championship venues.

Twenty-one Thistles sailed the 36th annual Bottoms Up Regatta June 10-11 at Lake Murray Sailing Club in South Carolina. Scott Gise won the regatta with four races on Saturday and one on Sunday in light and variable conditions. No boats capsized, so Paul Abdullah won the "Bottoms Up" trophy for dropping his mast.

Duckworth's editorial column encourages broader participation in Thistle sailing beyond just racing. He calls for members to contribute articles, photos, and stories to the Bagpipe, emphasizing that member contributions make the magazine possible.

Greg Fisher dominated the 2006 Central Atlantic District Championships held June 10-11 at Baltimore, Maryland with 18 boats competing. Fisher won the first three races and took the championship, while gusty winds reaching 30 knots caused several boats to break down or drop out.