December, 1953

The Thistle Class Winter Championships will be held in Miami Beach on January 8-10. The Sunshine Regatta is also scheduled on the same days. Racing includes Friday afternoon races and Sunday events with short races and trophies.

A special meeting of the Thistle Class Association has been called for January 23, 1954 at the Princeton-Brown Club in New York to address constitutional amendments, by-laws changes, and sail plan modifications that are too pressing to defer to the regular Annual Meeting in August.

The Long Island District is organizing the Winter Meeting at the Princeton-Brown Club in New York in January with various social events and an exciting program featuring prominent yachting speakers and films.

Fleet 35 in Huntington, N.Y. held its annual election in November, electing Dave Thurston as Fleet Captain and another member as Secretary.

Fine motion pictures of the 1953 National Championships at Racine are available to all fleets for one-week loans. Two full reels of 16mm color film can be borrowed for a $10 deposit.

The Association is seeking volunteers to work on a TCA Year Book project, which requires a means of defraying costs (minimum $1000 for an accountable book), an advertising manager, an assistant editor, and an advertising manager. The project depends on voluntary participation and is open to all interested members.

President Ron Small emphasizes the urgency and importance of fleet secretaries obtaining proxies from all members for the Special Meeting, as the decisions made will significantly affect the Thistle Class.

A reader asks why Thistles have boat names like Glue Pot, Buzzard, The Thing, and Dirty Shame, expressing concern about derogatory nicknames and questioning abnormal psychology.

Sandy Douglass argues that the Thistle cannot achieve international class status without TCA approval of three-ply hull construction, which would reduce costs and manufacturing barriers. He discusses the technical merits of different construction methods and concerns about European builders.

Charlie Williams earned the nickname 'Mark Snapper' after overcompensating in mark rounding at Racine, bringing humor to the racing community. The story details incidents where Williams strayed from the mark while attempting to improve his line.

Hank Cowgill won the Pabst Trophy at the Nationals, a coveted prize usually won by skippers placing last. Howard Robins explains the tradition and ironically details how winning the prize often leads to calamities, including a fire incident with a Cowgill trailer.

While Trading Thistle #1 Columbus went to Racine for the Nationals, it was destroyed by fire when a cigarette butt flicked from a car window ignited a cushion and eventually the wooden hull.

Dave Ortman and Ellen Seaman, young Thistle sailors from Sandusky S.C., won the National Junior Championship by capturing the Sears Cup honors at the Cleveland Y.C. in August.

Howard Robins and George Hamilton were elected to the Executive Committee by the Governing Board in September, joining Sandy Douglass who holds permanent advisory membership.

Jack O'Shea reminds fleet secretaries about the by-laws requiring dues payments by January and accurate record-keeping. He emphasizes the need for complete member information and proper documentation.

Fleet 3 in Sandusky, Ohio has implemented a novel scoring system with multiple series and scoring based on best finishes rather than cumulative results, making racing more interesting.

Seventeen boats participated in the Detroit River Fleet's fifth annual Icebreaker Series held at the Bayview Yacht Club on October 18. Clyde Gump won the competition with top finishes in multiple races.

Chief Measurer Devlin has selected the members of the Measurement Committee who will serve as TCA's bureau of standards until September 1954.

A collection of classified advertisements for buying and selling Thistles, used sails, and related equipment. Multiple listings showcase boats in various conditions and prices.

The Labor Day weekend saw 13 boats of Fleet 1, Rocky River, Ohio, competing for the second annual Lovett Trophy. John Lovett won the series in three races with rare sailing skill.

Bud LeBoutillier won the Seneca Canoe Club Trophy after a thrilling series of races involving various national level watercraft competing at the Canoe Club Invitational Regatta.

Twenty-two Thistles answered the opening gun of Fleet 365's regatta at Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey, with the competition developing into a float-around event. Al Williams won the event after a postponement and rain.

The Red Dragon Canoe Club at Edgewater Park, N.J., hosted a seasonal handicap event where Bill Miner's Thistle, Splash, won the competition against various other boat types.

The Rochester Canoe Club with 16 Thistles enjoyed its finest season since the 1940s when sailing canoes were dominated. George and Vee Angle led the fleet with their winning sailors.