Cleveland Fleet One History

The Toledo Thistle Fleet concluded its 1946 racing season on September 28-29, with Miller & Seifert winning the first series and Bassett & Snell winning the second series and Fleet Championship. The Toledo fleet participated in 33 Thistle races and achieved significant placements at the ILYA Regatta and National Championship Races, including hosting the first Thistle race ever staged on May 30, 1946.

Report on the Cleveland Yacht Club's fleet of 13 Thistles which hosted the 1947 National Championship and engaged in a full season of five major racing series. John Lovett dominated the competition, winning multiple series including the September Winds Trophy, while Ken Glor and Bob Clabault also performed well across different series.

Edgewater Y.C. held an early trophy presentation where a syndicate of Ted Nussbaum, John Delti and Bob Gorman won with HIGHLAND LASS, No. 52. Harvey Busch's NAN TOO finished runner-up. In a subsequent Young Trophy race under handicap rules, an International 21 won overall, with Harvey Busch finishing third in the Thistle fleet results.

Beulah Scifort recounts the formation and early history of the Toledo Yacht Club Thistle Fleet, describing how members chartered boats, selected designs and colors, built three boats, and held their first race on Memorial Day 1946. The fleet has grown to include nine boats with various owners and sailors.

The Toledo Thistle fleet completed a competitive season with ten championship races. Snell & Bassett's THIS'LL DO finished first with 236 points, followed by Bill Schwalbert's TWINS with 235 points, Bill Miller's CAMTIE COO with 232 points, and Bollin & Seyrang's BARTIE BIT with 228 points. The fleet conducted 22 total races including regular Sunday events, night races, long distance races, and picnic races.

John Lovett claimed the National Championship sailing WES LOVETT TOO (Thistle No. 3) with 105 points over the Labor Day weekend. The competition featured three races held at the Cleveland Yachting Club in Rocky River, Ohio, with Lovett's consistent performance earning him the prestigious perpetual trophy.

Toledo Thistlers report on winter improvements to their raft facility and active spring fitting-out. Bill Miller is the first to launch and ready his boat for racing. Charles Broome is recovering from surgery. Bus Seyfang and Bob Rollin are busy with their new 47-foot cutter and preparing for the racing season, with Rollin planning to marry a sailor bride in June.

The Cleveland Yacht Club's "Shaving Brush" fleet, the largest in the Thistle class, has completed its 1948 racing schedule. Twenty-five races will be conducted starting in May, including Saturday and Club Championship series, special trophy races for the Bill Williams Trophy, and a fall series. The schedule accommodates many regional regattas and the Nationals.

The editor had intended to publish an article by Toledo's Jack "Whispering" Snell about his racing strategy with Bill Miller for the Nationals, but the relaxing atmosphere at Put-in-Bay caused them to miss the deadline. Nevertheless, both remain top competitors despite needing to revise their racing program.

In a two-race match at Cleveland Y.C. Regatta on July 31-August 1, John Lovett again won the Bagatelle trophy with a first and fourth place finish. Webb Brumbaugh took second with his new Willis, while Chuck Williams' Pusat Tasek finished third in races featuring shifting winds and challenging mark roundings.

John Lovett won the Vermilion Ninth Shore Regatta one-race meet in his Lovett Too with new heavy Ratsey sails. Harvey Busch led until fouling his spinnaker during the final mark, allowing Lovett to pass and win. Fred Dest's Jade finished second.

Report from Cleveland Y.C. fleet wrapping up the season after poor fall weather prevented further racing. Thirteen skippers participated in twenty races across two series. John Lovett won the Club Championship and Bagpipe Trophy, Bob Claboult won the Williams Trophy, and Chuck Williams won both Fall and Saturday series.

Toledo Thistlers have planned an ambitious racing program for 1948 with fifteen scheduled races plus a long distance race, skippers race, and other events on Maumee Bay. The fleet welcomes new member Dr. Crosby Keller and is designing a super raft to accommodate three new boats, providing additional docking space for visiting Thistlers.

Fleet standings in the Toledo Y.C. Thistle fleet after five races show Bill Schwalberg's TIMES in first place, with Bill Miller's CANOE COO second. A new recruit from Harbor is joining the fleet, and several Toledo boats will compete at the National Championship.

The Toledo Y.C. Frostbite Sweepstakes regatta in June 1948 brought together competing Thistles from various sailing centers. Doc Keller's boat won the event, with specific race results highlighting the performances of top competitors including Stan Bassett and other well-known sailors. The event featured both open racing and organized fleet competition.

Racing results from Cleveland's Edgewater Y.A. and other fleets show competitive activity among local sailors. Multiple Thistle boats achieved success in various races, with Dr. George Sackett, Ken Clor, and other Cleveland sailors posting wins and strong performances throughout the season.

News from the Toledo Yacht Club, highlighting Bill Miller's winning of the new Trophy of the Toledo Fleet with his boat, and noting that Walt Rudman will be the eighth member to have Thistle Fever.

Historical account of the first Thistle race on Chesapeake Bay on August 22, 1946, where five Thistles sailed from various points and converged at Corsica River Yacht Club for the first Thistle class race.

Brief note about Briggs Cunningham of Southport, Conn., owner of Thistle No. 199, who was the skipper of the Six-Meter CODS won by George Nichols in the international challenge for the Scandinavian Gold Cup.

Bill Miller with CANTIE COG No. 55 won the Glass Trophy at the Toledo Aquarama event.

Announcement of a Miami Yacht Club event on March 13, 1949, titled "World's Fastest Small Planing Class Sailboat" featuring Thistle, SUICIDE, and CRICKET class boats competing in morning heats on various courses and afternoon races, with invitations extended to all Thistle skippers.

John Lovett won the Williams Trophy Series at Cleveland Yachting Club over Independence Day weekend, reclaiming the trophy he won in 1947. Fred Best's JADE #104 placed second and Bill Irwin's PIPE DREAM #133 took third.

Fleet #1 completed their Spring Series over Memorial Day weekend. Dick Shaw's Larry Breeks won with 43.2 points. The fleet organized a social Lobster Boil and welcomed a new member who purchased Wes Too from Edgewater Y.C.

Fleet #5 held a Memorial Day race won by Busa Seyfand and Bob Bollin on Bardy Bit. New arrivals have temporarily taken some boats out of commission, but the fleet expects to travel en masse to the Lake Erie District Championship.

On July 1, 1948 there were only three Thistles in the entire Chesapeake Bay Area. They raced in the handicap class and had problems with starting procedures. Sandy Douglass visited the area from Oxford Regatta, bringing experience. The Chesapeake 20 is a round bottom centerboard with 250 square feet of sail and was considered the fastest small sailboat in the area.

Fleet #1 of Cleveland Y.C. is fully recovered from their fall haulout and ready for a busy season. The fleet has planned numerous races including the Club Championship, Williams Trophy races, and will compete in the Bagatelie Cup at the Cleveland Yacht Club Annual Regatta.

Report from John Malone of the Pymatuning Thistle Fleet on their 1950 racing season results. The fleet had six boats competing in their first year and performed well in the Club Handicap series. Results show CORONET (Hanson) as the overall champion with 28 points across 7 races.

Report from Cleveland Yachting Club covering summer racing series, trophy competitions, junior eliminations, and various spring, summer, and fall racing results. WEE LOVETT TOO emerged as Fleet Champion, while KELPIE's skipper received the hard-luck award.

The Lake Erie fleet reports on Cleveland Yachting Club's regatta, a novel joint racing event with Lightning class boats, and the addition of a new boat to the fleet. A correspondent is reporting from Washington, D.C. on competitive conditions for the National Championships.

News from Cleveland Yachting Club THISTLE Fleet #1 reporting on spring and early summer racing series. Details competitive results and notes about young sailors entering the fleet.

Report on the Cleveland Yachting Club's 1952 racing season highlighting Johnny Lovett's dominant performance across multiple racing series. Lovett won first place in all four major series competitions and the season's special trophies, with limited competition from Charlie Williams.

The Labor Day weekend saw 13 boats of Fleet 1, Rocky River, Ohio, competing for the second annual Lovett Trophy. John Lovett won the series in three races with rare sailing skill.

Fleet 1 completed their Spring Trophy series with results from multiple races held in April and May, with various skippers winning races. The article also discusses the Cleveland weather and racing conditions during the spring season.

Fleet 1 sailed at the Cleveland Yacht Club over July 31-August 1 in challenging and unpredictable weather. Harvey Busch won the Bagatelle Trophy race with impressive sailing. The fleet experienced the largest and most successful Thistle picnic and the highest attendance at the Dinners' Club.

Seventeen-year-old Hank Maust of Bellport won the championship of Great South Bay Thistle fleet for the second consecutive year, taking three straight firsts in the Bellport Yacht Club Labor Day series and maintaining his leadership throughout.

Bruce Goldsmith and his wife Pam sailed their Thistle 'Pearlshape' to win the 1960 National Thistle Championship held at the Detroit Sail Yacht Club in August. The boat, with scratched paint and an old set of orlon sails, proved superior in the fleet despite its weathered appearance. Goldsmith's extensive racing experience in the Nipper and Rocket classes contributed to his success.

Jim Miller finished the 1962 season with the highest score in Cleveland Yacht Club's Thistle Fleet No. 1. Includes complete season standings showing Miller narrowly ahead of John Wanenmacher in a competitive fleet.

The Bagatelle Trophy Race, an annual Thistle classic at the Cleveland Yachtting Club, was won by John Proctor in boat #1222. Proctor's 1-1-2 series performance made him the victory winner; James Milford placed second and Jim Hickerson third. The article describes Proctor's sailing expertise and the regatta atmosphere.

The Tagaliella Trophy Race, an annual Thistle classic of the Cleveland Yachting Club Regatta, was won by John Proctor sailing MAID #1222. The race was a 1-2 series with Proctor taking perfect scores.

Pete Bordes and crew won the 1964 Thistle National Championships held at Cleveland Yachting Club on Lake Erie. The competition featured eighty-seven boats from twenty states, with Bordes leading throughout the six-race series despite challenging conditions. The article covers race-by-race highlights and competition details.

Report on the 1964 Cleveland Yachting Club Regatta at Bagatelle where Ed Fracker achieved the largest Thistle regatta in history. Details his convincing lead and competitive results.

Report of Ed Fracker's victory in the 1964 Cleveland Yachting Club Regatta held July 25-26, with accounts of the races and his dominant performance throughout the competition.

Ed Fracker won the Bagatelle Trophy at Cleveland Yachting Club's 1966 regatta, held July 30-31. The first race on Saturday morning was sailed in 12-15 mph winds and seas of 2 to 4 feet.

Ed Fracker won both the sailing and sailmaking competitions at Cleveland Yachting Club's 1966 Bagatelle Regatta in July, demonstrating prowess in a 60-boat fleet with challenging wind and sea conditions.

The 29th Bagatelle on the Thistle Class 30th anniversary was hosted by Cleveland Yacht Club and Thistle Fleet No. 1. Sixty boats registered with competitive racing in the northeast breeze, featuring strong performances from top sailors including Pete Kuhn and Jack Bauer.

Report on the 1975 Bagatelle regatta held at Cleveland Yacht Club and Thistle Fleet No. 1, with details of the race results and competitive standings throughout the series.

A firsthand account by Gordon K. Douglass of the Thistle's maiden regatta in 1946 at Put-in-Bay for the InterLake Yachting Association's championship. The article recounts the boat's impressive performance despite being experimental, with unusual features like its novel rigging system and the competitors' surprise at its speed and maneuverability.

A retrospective article on the first Thistle Class championship series in 1946. The piece describes the championship races, boat performance, and early class competitors, noting the exceptional quality of the early championship events and the achievement of all early Thistles competing on equal terms.

Bauer reports on the 40th Bagatelle Regatta celebrating the Thistle Class's 40th birthday, which drew 64 boats to Fleet No. 1 at Cleveland Yachting Club. The report details the race conditions, winning boats including Chris Klotz in first place, and celebrates the continuing tradition of competitive Thistle sailing with a social event featuring a special cake and awards.

Mike Sheridan reports on the Lake Glendale Sailing Club's fleet championship, where Marty Wilt won the Chevron (trophy) for the fourth consecutive year, sailing with his wife Anne and friend John Roberts. The article notes that Wilt has sailed Thistles for many years and been Fleet Champion multiple times.

A feature article on the Bagatelle event held at Cleveland Yachting Club, which moved from its traditional July dates to June to accommodate other district events. The article highlights the exciting racing and participation of new Thistle owners joining the fleet.