April/May 2002

The 27th annual Orange Peel Regatta at Florida Yacht Club in Jacksonville attracted 19 Thistles in late March. Featuring challenging variable winds and a social cruise on the St. Johns River, Michael Lenkeit and his crew won with consistent sailing across difficult conditions.

A humorous account of a traffic incident en route to Orange County Airport after Midwinters West, where a San Diego police officer's truck collided with a Thistle mast on a double-decker trailer, resulting in surprising outcomes about flag and light requirements for masts.

Greg Griffin reflects on the Midwinters East Regatta and the importance of embracing new members of the Thistle Class. He emphasizes the lifelong friendships formed through the class and urges established members to welcome and spend time with newcomers rather than focusing exclusively on renewing old acquaintances.

Ron Smith provides detailed technical guidance on flotation requirements and calculations for Thistle hulls. The memo discusses flotation block arrangements, volume formulas for different flotation configurations, and the rationale behind a proposed amendment to increase minimum buoyancy from 700 to 1000 pounds for all Thistles.

Minutes from the March 5, 2002 Governing Board meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida, documenting decisions on flotation amendments, election results, and various committee reports regarding class governance and promotion.

Comprehensive calendar of Thistle Class regattas scheduled from January 2002 through November 2002, listing event names, locations, dates, and contact information for organizers across all regions.

Chip Balough describes his restoration and enhancement of an old Clark laminated wood boom for Thistle #2705, including reinforcement techniques, stiffening with fiberglass, and modern outhaul rigging to improve performance while maintaining traditional aesthetics.

Blair Dryden offers advice on balancing regatta attendance with family obligations and provides detailed guidelines for writing compelling regatta reports, including tips from Sailing World editors on gathering quotes, photography, and story structure.

Ted Lischer profiles efforts to build and revitalize Thistle fleets in three regions: New England (Boston area fleet), Southeast (Asheville, North Carolina), and West Coast (Mission Viejo, California), highlighting different strategies for attracting new sailors.

Two formal proposed amendments for class vote at the 2002 Nationals: Proposal #1 increases minimum buoyancy from 700-750 to 1000 pounds for both wood and fiberglass boats; Proposal #2 allows two spinnakers instead of one at championship events.

The Glimmerglass Regatta at Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, New York on September 15-16, 2001 featured challenging light and variable winds that kept the race committee changing courses. John Baker won with exceptional consistency, finishing no worse than second in any race.

The 35th annual Midwinters West at Mission Bay Yacht Club featured 33 Thistles sailing in exceptional conditions. Greg Fisher won the Championship Division, followed by Mike Gillum in second place. The Larry Klein Memorial match racing event and President's Division races are also covered.

The Larry Klein Memorial match racing event, held as part of Midwinters West, honors world-class sailor Larry Klein. Chris Snow won the single-elimination match racing tournament, with Greg Fisher providing commentary on match racing tactics during the event.

The President's Division at Midwinters West featured challenging ocean racing conditions including encounters with migrating whales. Kris Vogelsong won with tight scoring over Mike Poltorak, with multi-leg bay courses testing boat handling skills in the closing races.

Classified advertisements for Thistle boats for sale, sails, and miscellaneous equipment including carbon fiber spinnaker poles. Also includes submission instructions and corrections to previous issue race results.