February 1954

The Thistle Class approved new hull specifications allowing the use of laminated plywood construction and synthetic sailcloth in place of traditionally required materials. These changes, voted at a Special Meeting in New York on January 23, will allow British and European builders to construct legal Thistles and provide more flexibility in sail materials.

The TCA Secretary reports on membership delinquencies and fleet reporting. Fleets that fail to submit reports are subject to suspension, and those not paying dues by the March issue will be deleted from the mailing list. The secretary acknowledges those fleets that have paid their dues in full.

The Secretary urges members to promptly pay their dues using the enclosed bill and to fill out all requested information for verification purposes. Payment must arrive by the time the March issue is published to avoid deletion from the mailing list.

Frank Greenman won the Mid-Winter Championships in Miami January 8-10 with impressive sailing technique, while Shep Smith took the Sunshine Regatta trophy. The regatta featured strong competition among top sailors including Dick Brainard and others, with memorable social events at the home of Ray and Maggie Millikin.

A brief commentary noting the historic significance of seeing female Thistle skippers at recent regattas in Florida, suggesting this represents a milestone for the class.

Three new Thistle fleets were chartered last month: Fleet 59 at Pequist Yacht Club (Long Island Sound), Fleet 60 at Raritan Yacht Club (Long Island Sound), and Fleet 61 on Puget Sound, which is the first fleet organized on the West Coast outside California.

Race results from the Mid-Winter Championships and Sunshine Regatta held in Miami in January, showing the finishing positions for all competing Thistles.

Fleet 21 (Columbus, Ohio) elected Dave Minton as Fleet Captain and re-elected Clyde Gump as Fleet Secretary. Several new boat acquisitions are expected for the upcoming season.

Three new perpetual trophies were donated for third, fourth, and fifth-place winners in the National Championship series. The trophies were announced at the January 23 New York meeting and awarded to winners from the 1953 season.

A humorous account of the recent New York meeting, describing the trip to the city, the prestigious attendees, and a lighthearted athletic competition held after the business meeting featuring notable sailors.

An editorial encouraging unattached Thistle boats to organize into fleets, noting that the process is simple and requires only three registered boat skippers to apply to the Secretary. Three new fleets were chartered in January, with hopes for more.

Fleet 1 (Rocky River, Ohio) completed 28 of 30 scheduled races during 1953, covering approximately 2,300 miles collectively. The season culminated in a celebration at the home of Charlie Williams, with various series winners crowned and the Marksnappper retained as Fleet Captain and Secretary.

Fleet 46's home club held its annual meeting and awards night in November. George Angle was recognized as the new champion. Will Libby was elected Commodore, with new leadership in all positions. New awards were established to recognize contributions to the fleet.

Fleet 47 in Louisville reports an active 1953 season on the Ohio River with a doubled membership including recent arrivals from out of state. The fleet has the third-largest Penguin fleet and actively promotes Thistle sailing.