May-July 2025

The president advocates for class-supported childcare at Thistle events to enable parents with young children to participate in racing. He argues that childcare services strengthen the class by increasing participation, boosting boat counts, and introducing new generations to Thistle sailing. The 2025 Nationals in August will offer childcare as a pilot program.

The Second VP reports on his efforts maintaining the Thistle Class website and coordinating the Bagpipe publication. He describes ongoing technical work to combat spam, fix integrations, and add new content. He invites Thistlers to contribute blog posts, especially evergreen articles about sailing technique and boat maintenance, and seeks marketing expertise to enhance the website and its integration with the Bagpipe.

The 3rd VP shares two practical lessons from his fleet's experience in growing Thistle sailing participation. Lesson 1 emphasizes introducing children ages 6-8 to Thistles through Saturday morning races with rotating winners to keep kids engaged. Lesson 2 describes a pairing program where top finishers mentor last-place competitors to improve skills and provide learning opportunities. Both approaches aim to build sustainable fleet growth.

A comprehensive calendar of Thistle Class regattas and events from May through November 2025, including district championships, regional championships, and national events. Lists regatta dates, locations, contacts, and notes 2024 winners where applicable.

The 2025 Mid Winters West Championship at Mission Bay Yacht Club featured nine races over three days in the Pacific Ocean with varying conditions—sun and dolphins on Wednesday, rain and fog on Thursday, and sun again on Friday. Grant Gridley, Claire Siegel-Wilson, and Casey Pruitt won the championship. Multiple race reports detail individual experiences and tactical lessons learned in ocean racing. The Larry Klein Memorial Match Race was held on a fifth day in the bay.

Two Thistle Class Association past presidents were honored at the US Sailing Leadership Symposium in Coronado on February 8th. Carol Robinson, TCA president in 1988, received the Community Sailing Award for Volunteer of the Year. John Howell, TCA president in 2022-2023, received the John H. Gardiner Jr. Trophy for One Design Service and Leadership. Both awards recognize exceptional service to sailing and the Thistle Class.

A detailed profile of John Howell's exceptional service to the Thistle Class from 2018-2024. His major contributions include developing a 10-year strategic plan with 12 projects, launching a boat grant program and fleet boat program, redesigning the class website, creating a regatta reimbursement program for sailors under 26, establishing financial stability through a spending policy and fundraising, creating the $80,000 Endowment Fund, and dedicating hundreds of hours to restoring old Thistle boats. Gerry Christman also won this award in 2024.

A detailed guide to the Thistle Class Association's Youth Member Regatta Reimbursement Program for sailors under 26. The program reimburses registration fees for eligible major regattas including Nationals, Midwinters, and Interdistrict Championships. It covers program eligibility, qualifying events, reimbursement procedures, and what expenses are covered.

The 2025 Orange Peel Regatta at Florida Yacht Club in Jacksonville drew 33 boats, a larger turnout than the concurrent Mid Winters East. Five races were completed in good wind conditions. Paul Abdullah's team won with strong performance, followed by Greg Griffin's team in second place. The article notes the presence of multiple class presidents, national champions, and new sailors. It describes the challenges of racing on the tidal St. Johns River and highlights standout racing moments.

A photographic essay capturing the 2025 Midwinters East Championship at Fort Walton Yacht Club in March. The article features coaching from Mike Ingham and Greg Fisher in coach boats, highlights individual race moments and teams, and includes detailed race results. Paul Abdullah's Crime Scene team dominated with a 20-point score. The article emphasizes the value of coach TCA support and celebrates various participating teams.

The NWSA is hosting a three-day conference June 6-8 at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg. The event features keynote speakers Tracy Edwards and Doris Colgate, plus 30+ workshop classes on sailing skills, navigation, and leadership. The conference celebrates NWSA's 35th anniversary and includes facility tours, social events, and a fundraising raffle for girls' scholarships.

The 2024 Oyster Roast regatta at Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis was held October 12-13 with fifteen Thistles competing in fickle westerly winds. The regatta featured seven races with varied wind conditions that challenged the fleet. Team Barbehenn led after Saturday with three bullets and a second place. Team Duffett won Sunday with three bullets. The event is famous for its post-race oyster roast dinner featuring 400 steamed and raw oysters, oyster stew, and appetizers. The Parramore Perpetual trophy was awarded to Brent Barbehenn, Ben Yannelli, and Adam Gesner. The regatta was registered as a Platinum Level Clean Regatta with Sailors for the Sea.

Two advertisements for Thistle boat covers by Rooke Sails (covers offered for 40+ years). Includes pricing for various cover styles including acrylic covers with Sunbrella material, options for full-sided or 6-inch skirt configurations, and accessories like rudder covers and spinnaker turtles. Multiple color options available with UV-resistant thread options.

The 2025 Thistle National Championship will be held August 2-8 at Sandusky Sailing Club in Ohio. Sandusky Sailing Club has a strong history hosting major sailing events. The championship includes registration and measurement, Women's and Juniors' Nationals, a welcome party with steel drum entertainment, four days of racing, and an awards banquet. The city offers activities like Cedar Point Amusement Park, Put In Bay, and a revitalized downtown. Housing options include RV camping, tent camping, hotels, and Airbnbs. Early registration ends May 1st.

Gerry Christman from Clinton Lake Sailing Association outlines a fleet boat program that grew CLSA from 3 active Thistles in 2017 to 18 in 2024. The program emphasizes patience, fun, and low costs for new sailors. It includes weekly Thursday night "development" sailing with rotating crew assignments and optional Sunday fleet racing. Key elements include email communication for crew management, maintaining low costs, handling boat maintenance, and addressing obstacles like crew availability and new sailor frustration. The article provides detailed implementation steps and suggests contacting Gerry for further discussion.

The Thistle Class has completed its fourth year of partnership with Sailors for the Sea's Clean Class Initiative. The program certifies regattas at various levels based on environmental practices. In 2024, 100% of registered regattas achieved certification compared to partial certification in 2023. Gold and Platinum certification levels increased significantly while Silver certifications shrunk. The TCA plans to expand by certifying more district and other regattas and launching a new "Clean Fleet Initiative" at the local fleet level in 2025.

Minutes from the TCA Governing Board meeting held via Zoom on March 10, 2025. The meeting covered membership status (380 paid members as of late February), the 2025 budget showing a $4,500 deficit, district and regional championship status, First VP Aaron Holland's reports on Midwinters and Nationals planning, Second VP Paul Cone's website maintenance work, Third VP Lloyd Kitchin's growth promotion initiatives, and several strategic projects including coach expansion, new boat builder negotiations, and Nationals qualification rule changes. A motion to allow racing at any district to qualify for Nationals was approved.

The Thistle Class Governing Board approved a one-time trial of the Vakaros RaceSense digital race management system at the 2025 Nationals. The system provides real-time OCS notifications and aims to reduce general recalls and improve race efficiency. The trial is temporary and will be evaluated by the Governing Board based on competitor feedback. Key details include the need for a Vakaros digital compass, optional rental or purchase options, and that missing electronic notifications cannot be grounds for redress.

The Thistle Class will trial Vakaros RaceSense digital race management at the 2025 Nationals. The system provides automated OCS notifications and synchronized timers to improve race efficiency and reduce general recalls. Each Thistle requires either an Atlas 2 or Atlas Edge digital compass. Rental units are available for $105, with purchase discounts offered to registered sailors. The article includes comprehensive FAQs about system functionality, mounting, compliance, and practice start opportunities scheduled for Sunday before racing begins.

Fleet #21 proposes modifying Official Plans and Specifications Sheet 6, Main Sail Notes #10 to increase the maximum sizes of reinforcing patches for reefing sails. The proposed changes would allow clew grommet patches up to 900 square inches (vs. current 50 square inches), tack grommet patches up to 100 square inches, and up to three sail-gathering grommets per reef with patches up to 30 square inches. The proposal aligns patch sizes with current sailmaker standards and improves durability without providing speed advantages.

Membership categories and dues for the Thistle Class Association for 2025. Categories include Active ($55), Family ($65), Youth ($0 for 2025), Associate ($40), Contributing ($80), Sustaining ($200), and Sandy Douglass Club Member ($500+). Instructions for joining include sending name, address, Thistle hull numbers, fleet affiliation, contact information, family members, and dues to the TCA address in Barberton, Ohio.