June/July 2002

Greg Griffin reflects on his first Nationals experience in 1984 at Sayville, New York, and how setting realistic goals—having fun and learning to sail faster—remains important for Thistlers heading to the 2002 Nationals in Eugene, Oregon.

Ron Smith provides detailed instructions for boat measurements required at the 2002 Nationals, including how to measure J, TH, boom slot length, mast height, and all-up weight, emphasizing advance preparation to avoid last-minute issues.

Ten Thistles competed in the 2002 Desert Regatta on May 4-5 at Lake Sacajawea in southeastern Washington State, with Terry Lettenmaier winning first place, Kerry Poe second, and Dan Winchester third before heavy winds forced cancellation of Sunday races.

Two Thistles fell victim to severe March 9th windstorms: Mark Weider's boat 3510 suffered significant damage while being towed on Interstate 390 in New York but will recover, while Bill and Faye Whalen's boat 3120 was crushed by a fallen tulip tree and is beyond repair.

A school essay by Vanessa Pegram describing her experience sailing her first regatta at Eagle Lake, where she overcame her fear of capsizing and realized how important she was to the team's success despite not knowing all the nautical terminology.

A comprehensive listing of new members of the Thistle Class Association organized by geographical region and fleet, representing growth across the organization.

Blair Dryden and Mary McNitt discuss the importance of meeting new people at regattas and highlight the excellent photography being published in the Bagpipe, featuring work by Kregg Miller, John Krimmel, and regattaphoto.com.

Ted Lischer celebrates how Thistle Class members are making extra efforts to grow the sport, highlighting the inaugural Buckeye Lake fleet event and the Delta and Mid America Interdistricts, demonstrating the importance of supporting nearby fleets.

Pymatuning Lake fleet successfully got 23 Thistles on the water for a special race on July 21st, exceeding their goal of 21 boats and creating a regatta-like atmosphere that encouraged several retired sailors to return to regular racing.

Comprehensive race report of the 2002 Midwinters East held at St. Petersburg, Florida in March, detailing conditions across six races, strategic decisions by top competitors, and the ultimate victory of Bill Draheim, Andy McDonald and Sue Hamilton.

Chris LaBorde describes sailing with Kasper Paulsen, a Danish student coaching Optimists in Tampa, and how the camaraderie and inclusiveness of the Thistle Class at Midwinters East helped Kasper feel more at home in America than he had during his entire U.S. stay.

Sam Secrest and Sandy Gillis attended Midwinters East specifically for the coaching program, where they received one-on-one instruction from Skip Dieball and gained knowledge about boat tuning, rigging, and racing tactics that led to immediate improvement in their performance.

Recognition of the annual awards honoring past Commodore Ted Tolson and Regatta Chair Darlene Clark, presented to Bonnie Rohrbaugh and Greg Fisher respectively for their contributions to the Thistle Class and Midwinters East tradition.

Charlie Kreitler provides a vivid account of the social events and parties during Midwinters East 2002, including trips to local attractions, the Cha Cha Coconuts party, the Red White and Blue costume party, and evening festivities at various venues.

Comprehensive scoring table for all 52 boats competing in the 2002 Midwinters East regatta, showing placements across six races and final overall standings.

Boats for sale, sails for sale, and miscellaneous equipment for sale including covers, tiller extensions, and other Thistle-related items, plus information on how to place classified ads.