District Governors & Class Governance

The Executive Committee has established five districts to promote inter-fleet races among Thistle sailors. Districts are organized by geographic location: Western Lake Michigan, Eastern Michigan, South Shore Lake Erie, and Southern California, with one fleet per district.

Association President John Lovett has appointed secretaries to all seven districts, completing the T.C.A. organizational structure. This move enables Larry Waldrip's Development Committee to promote district growth and launches plans for mailing owner lists, organizing fleets, instituting championship competitions, and implementing a national point-scoring system.

Directory listing the newly appointed district secretaries and their addresses for the T.C.A.'s seven districts: New England, Long Island Sound, Central Atlantic, South Atlantic, Niagara Frontier, Lake Erie, Detroit River, Lake Michigan, California, and Pacific Northwest.

The Secretary's Office announces the Association's membership in the NAYRU and provides important updates on yacht registration, fleet structure, spinnaker regulations, and annual meeting procedures. It includes membership statistics by district and clarifications on registration requirements.

President Tony Herrmann appoints a committee to study the districting of midwestern, southern, and western areas, with recommendations to be presented at the Annual Meeting.

Announces Howard Boston's election as District Secretary for Detroit District. Reports merger of Grosse Ile Thistle Fleet with Detroit River Fleet and notes Ancle Collick's election as Fleet Secretary.

The Executive Committee has begun reorganizing Thistle Class districts. Actions include adding states to existing districts, removing Florida from the South Atlantic District to create a new Florida District, and establishing a new Delta District.

Warning that District Secretaries must elect a new District Director before the Annual Meeting of the Championships. Election must happen before the name of the newly elected President has been turned in, per TCA bylaws.

The TCA Executive Committee reminds all Fleet Captains and Fleet Secretaries that per the bylaws, skippers must be paid-up members to participate in fleet series and open races. Non-compliance jeopardizes the fleet's charter.

The TCA Executive Committee announces a 13-member Development Committee with representatives from each district. Dr. Paul Fletcher of St. Louis chairs the committee charged with developing new Thistle fleets.

Tom Lenhart of Fleet 13 in San Diego has been elected secretary of the California District, replacing Tom Walker. The article humorously notes Lenhart's persuasive abilities in recruiting racers.

Frank Greenman of Fleet 17 was elected Secretary of the Central Atlantic District for 1954, with Jack Schalz elected Fleet Captain and Jack Fordhase and Jack Smith as successors.

Notice to all District Secretaries that officers for the 1954-55 term must be elected and their names sent to the National Secretary prior to August 26 Annual Meeting.

President Ron Small appointed a committee to study redistricting the country, examining proposals for new districts including areas like the Pacific Northwest and New Jersey. The committee is considering how to better serve growing fleets across different regions.

Jim McGregor of Fleet 25, Shreveport, has been appointed secretary of the Delta District, and Charlie Clarke of Fleet 53, Sarasota, has been appointed secretary of the Florida District. Deane Ranney of St. Petersburg will serve as Clarke's alternate.

Jack Fordyce of Falls Church, Virginia, has been appointed secretary of the Central Atlantic District, replacing Frank Greenman who relocated to Florida. Fordyce also serves as secretary for Fleets 17 and 34 and sits on the National Race Committee.

Dick Parker of Fleet 54 was named New Jersey State District Secretary at a meeting in early December. Parker is an active fleet member and skipper, with plans to include benefit boat plans for this year's Atlantic Coast Championships and a complete scheduling of all intra-regattas.

Marlin and Honey Abramson are relocating to Illinois, and their address will be announced in the next issue of The Bagpipe with instructions for mailing dues and correspondence.

Marlin and Honey Abramson are relocating to Illinois, with a new address to be announced in the next issue of The Bagpipe. Readers should update their mailing lists and send correspondence to Honey at the previous address until the new address is confirmed.

The Secretary-Treasurer, Henry Abramson, is relocating from Leawood, Kansas to Illinois. New address information will be available in the next issue of Bagpipe, and members are urged to send return addresses and include 'Please Forward' on mail sent to his previous location during the transition period.

Response to Fleet 21's challenge from the Scioto Narrows (Fleet 65) sailing association. Molly Wilson recounts the Pre-Tuncup Smashup Challenge between the Cowan Lake Sailing Association and Leatherlips Yacht Club, discussing previous sailing statistics and defending their sailing practices against criticism.

Announces that the faithful Secretary-Treasurer, Honey Abramson, has moved from Urbana, Illinois to Chicago, and provides her new address for correspondence.

A comprehensive listing of Thistle Class District Secretaries and their contact information organized by district region across North America, from Central Atlantic to Southern California.

Announcement of the annual party of the New Jersey District, inviting all Thistlers in the area and surrounding regions to gather for a social event.

Directory of contact information for newly appointed district secretaries for the 1967-1968 season, covering all Thistle Class districts across North America and Canada.

Complete listing of district secretaries and alternates for 1967-1968, with contact information including addresses and phone numbers for all regional representatives.

Brief notice of administrative change with William Fausset unable to complete his term as Northern California District Secretary, replaced by Al Smeds.

A comprehensive list of district secretaries for the Thistle Class across various regions including Carolinas, Central Atlantic, Florida, Hawaii, Lake Erie, Lakes, Long Island, Midwest, New England, New Jersey, Niagara Frontier, Northern California, Ontario/Canada, Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, South Atlantic, and Southern California.

Information about the United States International Sailing Association's efforts to train amateur yachtsmen and promote competitive sailing events, including Pan American and Olympic Games training.

Directory listing of regional and district governors for the Thistle Class Association across the United States, including names and contact information.

Directory listing of the Thistle Class District Governors for 1973-1974, organized by geographic region including photos and mailing addresses for each district governor across North America.

Column discussing the role and importance of the North American Yacht Racing Union in supporting yacht racing classes and ensuring fair competition.

A high-quality racing instruction program for young sailors is being offered at the North American Sailing Center at Association Island, New York. The clinic features four one-week courses with instruction from acclaimed sailor Gary Jobson and focuses on on-water training, racing, and shore-based discussions.

Complete listing of District Governor contact information for the Thistle Class Association organized by region.

The North American Yacht Racing Union formally changed its name to U.S. Yacht Racing Union to better serve U.S. sailors and meet the needs of a National Yachting Federation. The reorganization involved establishing a coordinating committee chaired by Paul J. Phelan to oversee various yacht clubs and sailing organizations.

Editorial summary of the recent NAYRU annual meeting, highlighting the work that has been done to change NAYRU's image from an offshore-oriented eastern establishment to a more inclusive organization serving all sailors.

The North American Yacht Racing Union changed its name to the U.S. Yacht Racing Union and restructured to better serve all sailors through direct representation of one-design sailors, offshore sailors, and yacht clubs.

Billie Gaenzle discusses the Women's Crewing Union from a skipper's perspective, advocating for separating the roles of skipper and crew, improving communication with female crew members, and emphasizing that the WCU aims to improve sailing conditions for all.

Commentary on Women's Crewing Union's mission to establish equal rights for female crews in Thistle racing, addressing pre-race psychology, physical conditions on boats, and demanding specific accommodations for crew comfort and safety.

Continuation of administrative discussion about the NAYRU/USYRU reorganization, including trophies, restructuring plans, and funding for yachting organizations.

Continuation of national federation articles covering championships, trophy awards, funds for yachting, offshore administration, and rating council matters.

A comprehensive listing of all district governors and their alternates for the 1975-76 Thistle Class season, including contact information organized by district code.

Detailed explanation of USYRU's mission, roles, and recent structural reorganization. Discusses its relationship with international yacht racing, Olympic programs, development of racing rules, and efforts to expand services to small boat sailors and individual yacht clubs.

Comprehensive article about the U.S. Yacht Racing Union's role, services, and structure. Discusses USYRU's objectives in providing national authority for yacht racing, governance of international and national classes, and programs for sailors of all levels.

A directory listing of district governors and their contact information for the 1976-77 sailing season across multiple districts.

Comprehensive guide outlining District Governor responsibilities including regatta organization, communication, compliance with bylaws, and management of District affairs.

A comprehensive guide for district governors outlining their responsibilities, including researching the district, coordinating regattas, managing communications, ensuring fair racing practices, and promoting district membership and activities.

An explanation of the roles and responsibilities of Regional Vice-Presidents in the Thistle Class Association, detailing their coordination duties, schedule management, and administrative functions across geographic regions.

Readers share correspondence on topics including memories of Connie Westin, centerboard specifications and design debates, sail selection for different conditions, junior nationals planning, and archival management.

A comprehensive listing of all district governors for the Thistle Class Association for the 1978-79 season, organized by geographical region.

Directory listing of TCA District Governors for 1978-79 season, organized by region with names, addresses, and phone numbers for all geographic districts.

Twenty-one Thistlers and their crews participated in the first USYRU Class Tune-Up Clinic at St. Petersburg before the Mid-Winters. Gary Jobson, senior member of the Union's Racing Clinic staff, was the instructor. The article describes the two days of intensive practice that improved participants' sailing skills and techniques.

Listing of Thistle Class district governors and regional representatives for the 1981-82 season across all U.S. regions and some international areas.

Report from the U.S.Y.R.U. Annual Meeting held October 16-19 at St. Petersburg Yacht Club, covering discussions of sponsorships, safety issues, rule modifications, and resolutions from the championship meeting.

A report on the inaugural women's racing clinic held at North Cape Yacht Club. Seventeen sailors attended and learned sailing fundamentals from experts including Amy Gretchen Loper, and Sue Potter, covering topics like sail shape, starts, navigation, rules, boat handling, and tactics over three days of practical instruction.

Profile of Heidi Backus from Vermilion, Ohio, who shared the prestigious Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award with another sailor due to receiving equal votes from a panel of sailing journalists. Backus has had a meteoric rise in competitive sailing since graduating from Boston University in 1983.

Contact information and addresses for district governors throughout the Thistle Class regions, organized by geographical district.

Complete directory listing of regional representatives managing Thistle Class districts across the United States.

Burnham proposes a universal Sail Identification Device (SID) program to fund USYRU operations rather than increasing membership dues. Each sail would carry a small plastic button bearing a serial number, purchased for $5, allowing sailmakers to pass the cost to sailors and helping USYRU fund its racing, training, and insurance programs.

Collection of letters from readers addressing various topics including governing board procedures, Thistle chassis selection, women's participation in sailing, measurement protests, and encouragement for new sailors. Topics include rules interpretation, boat design appreciation, and welcoming new members to the class.

A detailed account of Lynn Bream's experience crewing in Women's Nationals at Jacksonville, describing her efforts to find crew members, build confidence, and eventually finish strong in the regatta.

Article explaining that the United States Yacht Racing Union changed its name to the United States Sailing Association to better reflect its broader mission beyond racing and to eliminate confusion about its role as the National Governing Body for sailing.

An announcement of a junior sailing seminar for Thistles, Flying Juniors, and Lasers to be held June 12-15 at North Cape Yacht Club, featuring instruction from Greg Fisher, Derrick Fries, and Alex & Gazelle Camet.

A retired couple recounts their experience sailing in Taiwan after relocating there for work, describing the unique boating culture, challenges with sailing regulations, and their discovery that private sailing is virtually nonexistent in Taiwan.

A report on the Sail Expo held in Atlantic City, NJ from February 3-11, 1996, featuring a new Thistle 3892 built by Doug Laber and a successful display with many volunteers representing the class.

Charlie Kraft provides information about the 1996 Sail Expo in Atlantic City, NJ from February 3-11. The Thistle Class will have a booth and is seeking volunteers to help staff it and talk with interested sailing enthusiasts.

Directory of Thistle Class district governors and their contact information organized by region.

Lawrence encourages women to take on leadership roles in Thistle sailing, discussing how skippering builds confidence and sailing skills. She advocates for women's participation in Women's Nationals and the support of the Governing Board for gender equality in the class.

Contact list of TCA District Governors representing all regional districts including Atlantic Coast, Central Atlantic, Delta, Florida, Lake Erie East/West, Lake Michigan, Long Island Sound, Michiana, Mid America, New England, New Jersey, Niagra Frontier, Northern California, Pacific Northwest, South Atlantic, and Southern California.

Guide for encouraging women sailors to participate in Women's Nationals. Provides strategies for fleet organizers, skippers, and individual women to increase participation, including finding crew, planning logistics, and forming teams.

Directory of Thistle Class Association District Governors with names and contact information for all regional districts.

Young discusses strategies to promote women's participation in Thistle sailing, drawing from her experience with the successful 1997 Women's Nationals. She outlines ways to improve the Women's Nationals, addresses barriers to participation, and suggests methods to get more women involved in Thistling.

A directory listing of district governors and their contact information for the Thistle Class Association, organized by geographic region across North America.

President Lawrence discusses sailing as a unique family sport where children and parents can participate equally, highlighting the importance of women's and junior nationals, and emphasizing family crew opportunities and inclusive participation.

Report on the US Sailing annual meeting held in Baltimore October 28-31, focusing on the One Design Class Council's activities. Discusses web space for classes, listing of sailing publications for press releases, and plans for a growth seminar at the March Chicago meeting. Mentions the Championship of Champions invitational regatta and leadership awards.

Report that Past President Patty Lawrence organized and moderated a growth and promotion panel discussion at the US Sailing annual meeting in Chicago on March 24, with Thistle Third Vice President for Growth and Promotion Kerry Nielan as one of the panelists. The event brought together 44 representatives from 10 states and 13 one-design classes.

Krembel encourages women sailors and male boat owners to participate in the Women's Nationals regatta at Macatawa Bay, emphasizing the benefits of building steering confidence and team building. She references Janice Young's prior articles on women's growth in the Thistle class and proposes possible format changes to increase participation.

Report on US Sailing organization discussing eight key insights: membership appreciation, environmental concerns, sailing safety, passion for the sport, training programs, ethical conduct, communication, and the importance of people in the sailing community.

Announcement for the 2005 One-Design Sailing Symposium in Annapolis on November 19-20, featuring 25+ presenters and various topics related to fleet building, growth, promotion, and sailing education.

Comprehensive overview of US SAILING's restructuring and mission by Vice President Tom Hubbell. Covers the organization's history dating to 1897, its new streamlined board structure, five new divisions (Competition, Olympic, Education, Recreation, Administration), councils for member input, and emphasis on broadening participation across sailing disciplines.

US SAILING announces the One-Design Sailing Symposium November 17-18 in Columbus, Ohio, featuring parallel tracks for fleet building and sailing skill improvement with presentations by industry experts.

The US Sailing One-Design Sailing Symposium scheduled for November 17-18, 2007 in Columbus, Ohio will feature nationally renowned sailing rules expert Dave Perry along with Stuart Walker, Greg Fisher, Skip Dieball and 25 other presenters. The symposium offers workshops on boat handling, rules, fleet building and women's participation.

A call for women Thistlers to participate in the Women's Nationals regatta in Pensacola, challenging them to comprise 50% of all women attending the championship to compete in the women's race on Saturday.

Beth Sullivan shares her transition from kitchen volunteer at Berlin Yacht Club's Sail Camp to learning to sail on a Thistle. She describes the skills she's learned, the support from mentors Ron Fiedler and Barry Leven, and her pride in completing races despite having only two months of sailing experience.

A report on the US Sailing One-Design Symposium held in Columbus, Ohio, where two dozen Thistlers participated alongside 125 sailors from other classes. The symposium featured workshops on class marketing, high school sailing programs, PR strategies, boat loan programs, and presentations from sailing experts including Dave Perry and Dr. Stuart Walker.

Patty Lawrence reports on the 2008 One-Design Sailing Symposium (ODSS) held in Atlanta in November, which attracted sailors from 23 states. The symposium featured keynote speaker Dave Perry on winning tactics and 2009 racing rule changes, expanded "Sail-Fast" racing instruction tracks, networking opportunities, and various seminars covering topics from fleet building to insurance. Attendees praised the event's combination of educational programming and social activities.

Hudson reflects on his attendance at the US Sailing National Sailing Programs Symposium in Jacksonville, Florida. He highlights the value of networking with other sailing organizations, discusses community sailing programs as growth tools, and emphasizes the importance of safety in sailing programs.

Shedden highlights the importance of local fleet sailing alongside regatta circuit participation. She showcases examples of active fleets like Fleet 66 in Illinois, Fleet 48 near Atlanta, Fleet 31 in Pennsylvania, and others that are successfully growing participation through regular races, youth programs, and family-friendly activities.

The Green Team at North Flathead Yacht Club successfully achieved Sailors for the Sea's Gold Level Certification for the 2023 Nationals through implementing 17 of 20 best practices including water refill stations, reusable materials, invasive species checks, and food waste composting.

Feature article celebrating Gerry Christman of Clinton Lake Sailing Association, winner of the US Sailing John Gardiner One Design Service & Leadership Award. The article details his 40 years of contributions building Thistle Fleet #66, his learn-to-sail programs, fleet boat program, and his role as a mentor and fleet captain who has grown one-design sailing at CLSA.

The National Women's Sailing Association expanded its 2025 conference to three days (June 6-8) at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg. The event welcomes women sailors of all skill levels and includes the popular Take the Helm® track for sailing newcomers, industry facility tours, keynote speakers Tracy Edwards and Doris Colgate, 30+ concurrent classes, and scholarships for girls sailing programs. Early bird registration discounts run through April 14.

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.

Comprehensive history of Eugene Yacht Club from its founding in 1940 through 2026, documenting the club's relocation, construction of facilities, development of traditions, hosting of major racing events, and establishment of the sail school.