December 2006 / January 2007

President Hale urges all Thistle owners to prioritize TCA membership as the organization reversed its 2005 membership decline but remains below peak levels. He highlights the importance of local fleets recruiting inactive Thistle owners through personal outreach and social events, and announces new regional vice presidents and other class officer appointments.

Craig Smith addresses the shortage of competent crew at regattas and proposes that crew members become more proactive in recruiting themselves onto boats rather than waiting for skippers to ask them. He encourages crews to contact skippers directly, improve their sailing skills through videos and practice, and emphasize their contributions to racing success.

Collection of advertisements and marketplace items including TCA membership application, sailing gear and equipment (boat covers, jib cleats, jibmaster systems), regatta promotions (Orange Peel), sailing goods retailers (Rooke Sails, Quantum Sails, APS Ltd.), and custom boat services (Great Midwest Yacht Company Sunbury Thistle Clinic).

The 44th Annual Old Goat Regatta at Lake Lanier Sailing Club in Atlanta drew 46 Thistle teams from across the Southeast on September 9-10, 2006. Mark Gise and Rob Sweet won the event after light and shifting Saturday conditions and stronger Sunday winds. The weekend featured a popular Friday golf tournament, live bluegrass music Saturday night, and traditional post-race beverages.

Craig Koschalk chronicles an extraordinary cross-country journey transporting three Thistle sailboats on a single truck with ladder racks, traveling 30,000 miles through multiple regattas from the Midwest to Canada to the East Coast. The narrative includes colorful anecdotes about improvisations like swim noodles to solve wind noise, connections with the sailing community, broken masts, and the camaraderie of the Thistle family.

The Long Island Sound and New England District Championships at Cedar Point Yacht Club in Westport, Connecticut on June 10-11 featured thirteen competitors racing in strong northern winds on Sunday. Brad Thompson won the LIS trophy while Team Wallace took NE honors. The regatta emphasized fun and camaraderie through lawn games, local lobster lunch specials, and evening festivities.

Fleet 48 in Atlanta hosted the Rock Lobster Bash in October featuring three on-water Thistle clinics coached by Bryce Dryden, with 17 boats competing in a fleet record. The evening celebration showcased a 65-foot charcoal grill cooking lobster, clams, and mussels, creating a magical atmosphere complete with harvest moon and live entertainment.

The Old Salty Regatta at Lake Norman Yacht Club in Mooresville, North Carolina on October 14-15 featured 15 boats racing in cool fall conditions with shifty, unpredictable winds. Paul Abdullah dominated the series despite light winds on Saturday and more challenging conditions on Sunday, demonstrating consistent, strategic sailing.

Twenty-one Thistle teams from across the Northeast gathered at Tupper Lake, New York for the Eighth Annual Lumberjack Regatta, experiencing the unique charm of the Adirondacks and a one-of-a-kind "Around-the-Islands" course on Sunday. Erik Goethert and his crew won with light-to-moderate Saturday conditions contrasting with stronger Sunday winds.

Mike McBride's selected descriptions from weblog postings chronicle the 2006 East Coast Fall Series across six venues, featuring narratives about crew recruitment, shifting winds, dramatic weather cancellations, and camaraderie among competitors. John Baker ultimately won the series with 77 different skippers competing across near or above 20-boat fleets at most venues.

The Goetz Regatta at Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club in Mt. Arlington, New Jersey on September 23-24 featured 24 boats racing in consistently strong southerly winds. John Baker won the series, demonstrating tactical superiority, while the lake's sheltered nature produced gusty and challenging conditions for crews.

Jim Trinisewski describes a recreational sailing adventure on August 20, 2006, from Great Kills Harbor in Staten Island to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. The 10-mile journey combined downwind sailing with spinnaker flying and challenging upwind return work, offering practical advice for similar coastal cruising expeditions.

Greg Griffin describes the second year of the Thistle Southern Circuit, designed to encourage participation in two early-season events, Midwinters East and the Orange Peel Regatta. The series format offers awards for both skippers and crew members who race in both events, with free boat storage and housing options at the Florida Yacht Club.

The 2007 Thistle National Championships will be held July 28 - August 3 at Eugene Yacht Club on Fern Ridge Reservoir in Oregon. The announcement highlights the exceptional venue with ideal weather, family-friendly amenities, and abundance of nearby activities including fly fishing, river rafting, and coastal recreation.

Comprehensive listing of the 2007 Thistle Class regatta schedule with dates, venues, and contact information, ranging from January Sunkist events in California through December races, including the Nationals in Eugene in July and significant regional championships throughout the year.

Nancy Molitor pays tribute to Kay Redmond, a devoted Atlanta Fleet 48 skipper who passed away after battling cancer. Kay was known for her competitive spirit, tireless work as a USSA sailing instructor for 14 years, and her instrumental role in growing Fleet 48's membership by recruiting and teaching hundreds of new sailors.

Editor John Duckworth presents a satirical column addressing climate change and its potential impacts on Thistle sailing, humorously imagining venue relocations for eastern regattas and predicting Great Lakes water level changes while suggesting creative solutions like anchoring yacht clubs to tectonic plates.

Reader photo submission page featuring images of Thistle sailing activities, including a wedding reception at a yacht club and a photograph from the High Sierra Regatta, inviting readers to share sailing-related photographs.