August/September 2011

The TCA President reflects on the sailing season as summer winds down, encouraging sailors to enjoy the remaining months. He notes the season extends longer in many regions and promotes fall series regattas while urging participation at the upcoming Nationals in Pensacola.

The Growth and Promotion VP addresses common excuses for not sailing more often and counters them with solutions. He encourages sailors to make sailing a priority and to bring new people into the sport, noting that memories created on the water last a lifetime.

The First VP discusses the Thistle Family and what makes the class special compared to other sailing classes. He encourages ambassadors to promote the class by getting boats on the water and developing new crews, and announces the 2012 Nationals in San Diego at Mission Bay Yacht Club.

Various advertisements and classified listings for Thistle-related products and services, including insurance, boat covers, sails, components, and related sailing products and companies.

A detailed feature about the history and development of Great Midwest Yacht Company (GMW) through an interview with owner Doug Laber. The article traces the company from its 1975 founding through its evolution as a Thistle builder, including the notable 1972 Nationals victory and the development of innovative boat designs.

A comprehensive article about the second annual Seattle Women's Racing Clinic held on June 18, 2011, which attracted 40 women of all skill levels. The clinic featured hands-on instruction, practice starts, and casual racing, with positive feedback from participants about learning and camaraderie. Includes a US Sailing feature on lead organizer Haley Lhamon.

A colorful account of the Voodoo Dixie Regatta held at Atlanta Yacht Club's Fleet 48 over Memorial Day weekend with 60 boats and a theme-party atmosphere. Despite challenging and light winds limiting racing to two incomplete races, the event featured excellent social activities, themed costumes, and junior sailor participation with Kaitlyn Norton winning the junior competition.

An article about preserving Thistle regatta t-shirts by creating a quilt. Joyce Gustavson describes how she collected t-shirts from Elmer Richards and created a quilt as a keepsake, encouraging other sailors to preserve their regatta t-shirt collections through quilts or other artistic formats.

A report on the 2011 Midwest Double D regatta held on June 25 at IBYC in Springfield, Illinois, combining Lake Michigan and Mid-America districts with 15 boats. The event featured two races on Saturday in shifty winds with coaching by Mike Ingham of North Sails, and three races on Sunday, with strong performances by Team Fitzgerald, Team Gillian, and Team O'Hara.

A report from the Great Pond Regatta held in Ohio with favorable wind conditions on Saturday and calm conditions on Sunday. The regatta featured two fleets (A and B) with competitive racing, social gatherings with food and drinks, and victories by Steve Lavender, Bob France, and the Snyder & James team in the B fleet.

An introduction to JahSail, a new website designed to make sailing more accessible and easier to organize. The platform aims to reduce barriers to participation by simplifying event promotion, improving communication among sailors, providing crew matching, and centralizing event information like notices, results, and location details.

A technical article with photos explaining mast inversion in Thistles during gusty conditions. The piece features advice from Mike Ingham on how to minimize inversion by maintaining mainsail tension, easing the spinnaker sheet, and bearing off to keep mainsheet tension rather than dumping the vang completely.