Official Blog of the TCA

2008 MWW Write Up

2008-02-28T15:51:00.000-05:00

To say the 2008 version of the Thistle Mid-Winters West Regatta was a success is being modest to the extreme. Dave Bloomberg, regatta chairman and member of MBYC Thistle Fleet 13 ran the most memorable regatta in recent history. We had crack race committee, dedicated volunteers, fantastic food, live entertainment, great raffle gifts, warm weather, 7-12 knots of wind over a slow rolling 2-4 foot ocean swell – great conditions for a thistle regatta.

This year, Fleet 13 broke tradition and scheduled 3 days of ocean racing beginning Thursday, February 7, 2008 and the Larry Klein Memorial Match Racing Championship on Sunday, February 10, 2008 in the bay. By Wednesday, the parking lot was full of boats, trailers, sails, gear and 110 plus sailors who traveled from all parts of the United States to compete. We are truly blessed to live in San Diego which enables us to sail just about every weekend. Several of the competitors told me they are unable sail between November and April due to the severity of the weather on their home waters.

The MWW competition was intense especially at the starts as Roger Patterson, regatta PRO found it necessary to display the “I” and eventually the “Z” flags to control the aggressive sailors. I was amazed as Doug Hart, driving 3852 “hovered” 2-3 boat lengths off the line 45 seconds before the start diving down to save the leeward hole and then driving back up to control the boat to windward. All the good sailors did this and it was fun to watch it up close.

Memorable this year was the ocean wild life. During race three of the second day, four to five of the lead boats began yelling and pointing upwind. Apparently, a whale had surfaced on the race course right in the middle of converging boats. He or she dove for cover as we approached and no one reported hitting the leviathan on its migration south.

MWW was won by Paul Abdulla of Florida and the Larry Klein Memorial was won by defending champion Mike Ingham of Rochester, New York. Plans are in the works for the 2009 MWW and Larry Klein Memorial regattas and the regatta committee is planning for 40-plus boats.

See you on the water.
Cesar Romero, Captain, Thistle Fleet 13

2008 Larry Klein Winner Mike Ingham

2008-02-28T15:36:00.002-05:00

One of the reasons we like to go to the MWW is the Larry Klein Memorial Match race regatta. This year after sailing 3 great days in the Pacific Ocean swells, it was a nice change of pace to first do the qualifying in the bay followed by the elimination match race ladder. Here is how it worked:

-Twenty some boats sailed 3 short races in the bay Sunday morning

-Then we came in for a civilized lunch while the RC calculated the scores

-The top 8 qualified for the single elimination match race series

-We sailed our matches that afternoon

It’s a lot of fun because if you did not qualify, or when you were waiting for your match, you could hang out on the porch of the YC and watch the races. The weather mark is set very near the club, so you are overlooking the race course.

It is also great that Leslie Klein and her son Alex are still involved after all these years. She hosts the event and always hosts a great dinner on Wed night of the MWW.

We discovered the MWW about 5 years ago and hope to keep making it back! See you there next year!

Article by Mike Ingham

(Mike was the Top Seed after the morning Fleet Race. He defeated Chris Gedrose and Team in the 1st round, Team Lettemeir in the 2nd and Mike Gillum in the Finals.)

2008 Orange Peel ONLY 2 WEEKS AWAY!

2008-02-27T18:34:00.008-05:00

2008 Thistle Orange Peel Regatta and Clinic

March 14 - 16 2008JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA

Official Website

Once again, the Orange Peel Regatta will have great coaches to help out for the Coach TCA Concentrate session on Friday March 14th - including for the 5th straight year - the MWW Champions. Here are a few that have committed:

Paul Abdullah 2008 MWW Champion
Nick Turney 2008 MWW Champion
Skip Dieball Quantum Sails(Past MWE and MWW Champion)
Jim Kincaid
Greg Griffin
2007 Thistle National Champion Mike Ingham
2007 second place finisher Scott Griffin
ACC Champion Erik Goethert

We have a great program planned for Friday with Tuning, Classroom, and On the Water sessions. If you can't take the whole week off for MWE - this is a great opportunity to learn how to sail faster from some class veterans.

Thanks to our sponsors (Quantum Sails, North Sails, Layline, Zhik, and Coral Reef Sailing Apparel) we will have lots of good stuff to give away Saturday night at the party. Need a new centerboard or rudder cover? How about a fleece or hat? What about custom hiking straps for your boat? There will be a lot of great stuff given away.

Contact Greg Griffin for more details!

Check out all the fun plans on the website: http://www.thistlefleet133.com/orangepeel/

Thistle #929 (the Paisley's)

2008-02-25T14:12:00.004-05:00

Here's some insight on some of the work my good friend Mark Paisley is doing. He lives in Maine with his beautiful bride Jen. They've bought a woodie (929) and are in the process of restoring it. Mark is one of the best woodsmiths I know. He works for Thomas Mosier (check out the stuff! http://www.thosmoser.com/?campaign=1&gclid=CNS4io6H4JECFQsYkgodjFgwcA). I expect some great things from Mark and Jen with this boat.

The name explains the color, or maybe it is the other way around...who knows.
I started stripping paint from on the bow below the waterline, mainly because it was my greatest area of concern.
Centerboard--Than new peice of mahogany attached to the base of the trunk makes me nervous, I hope it's not really ugly behind there.
I started my removing all the old hardware. Not much has changed on this boat since the early 60's from what I can tell.
The Interior

After removing the patches the previous owner had screwed to the centerboard trunk I had to think optimistic.

We invited some friends over to help flip the boat over. I stress tested the clear-span building frame by hoisting the boat up with block and tackle and spinning it in the slings. It actually worked pretty slick and the tent frame didn't seem to mind much.

I cut out the bow tank, which I have come to the conclusion was put there specifically to induce rot.

Mark has more photos on Facebook if you want to check them out.

Ease, Hike, Trim (it's science)

Karl D. Felger

The Art of Crewing

2008-02-25T11:11:00.001-05:00

The art of crewing is highly overlooked. As Dave Perry says, “"....it's damned hard to be a crew. You have to be a contortionist, a psychic, and a glutton for verbal abuse, not to mention flawless...." Not only, as he so clearly states, do you have to be at your physical peek; manipulating your body into awkward and uncomfortable positions, performing physically draining tasks for hours on end, and doing so while wet, hot/cold (hello Musto???) and God forbid occasionally hung-over; you clearly have to be on top of your mental game too. If crew let the skipper do all the thinking they’d be going in a straight line for hours because the one on the tiller says “he/she’s in the grove.”

Read more:
http://thedailyswerve.blogspot.com/

Thistle MWW Recap

2008-02-12T10:24:00.000-05:00

Thistle Midwinters West - 2008The Mission Bay Yacht Club was faced with some tough decisions after the 2007 event. The event wasn't growing, many were having a tough time with the timing (holidays). The gang at Fleet 13 decided to push the date back, tweak the venue with all ocean sailing and see how the masses would react. With nearly 40 boats this year, they've made the right call!

read more:
http://quantumtoledo.blogspot.com/2008/02/thistle-midwinters-west-2008-mission.html

Thistle MWW Final Results 2008

2008-02-10T12:41:00.000-05:00

Congrats for Paul Abdullah and Team for winning the 2008 Thistle Class Association's Midwinters West Regatta, hosted by the Mission Bay Yacht Club in San Diego, CA.

Final Results:
http://www.mbyc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=321&Itemid=51

Thistle MWW Race Results 2008

2008-02-08T11:32:00.000-05:00

Day One:

http://www.mbyc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=319&Itemid=51

Pensacola – Jubilee 2007

2007-11-15T10:53:00.000-05:00

How early would you plan for a big regatta? That’s an interesting question as it varies for many sailors. I usually try to hit a few events in the spring/summer with my Nationals team, but sometimes it doesn’t always work out with busy schedules, work, etc. This year I sensed an opportunity to at least do some homework for the ’08 Nationals in Pensacola by attending the Jubilee in November. Pretty easy decision to head down to warm, sunny Florida as the days grow colder here in Ohio!

The plan was pretty simple. Show up a day early to practice and learn and then do the event, all the while taking in the sites, sounds, atmosphere of Pensacola and the yacht club. Plans seem to always get goofed up with “life”. For the team on 1049, this meant forgoing the practice day due to a death in my family. The anticipation of relaxing, learning and enjoying the Friday was now an afterthought.

Nick Turney made the trip from Toledo solo. An unbelievable task and greatly appreciated. The good news is that he could take his time, which he did and got there safely.

We had a new addition to Team 1049 in Emily Pulos. It is a great story on how we met. Ben Mercer (North Cape, exceptional Thistle crew) and I were racing with Chris Carroll at the Beneteau 36.7 NAs in Buffalo. The boat we were rafted off was a boat from Rochester and we got to know them pretty well throughout the week. One evening, over cocktails, we met Emily and her entourage and learned that she LOVED sailing, but didn’t have many opportunities, so Ben signed her up for some Jet 14 regattas and I promised that we’d get her out on the Thistle….which led her to Pensacola. Emily fit in quickly with the Thistle gang and we look forward to having her sail more in the coming year.

As Friday evening wore on, the Southeast characters started showing up. We had a great time tailgating behind Dave Van Cleef’s truck and everyone was anticipating a great weekend with nice breeze and sunshine. We learned that night that the Blue Angels were giving a show on Saturday…we were very much looking forward to that!!!

As we rigged on Saturday and started sizing up the fleet, it became apparent that this was going to be a fabulous practice weekend. Blair & Bryce Dryden teamed up, Vlasta came down from Tennessee, the JAX teams came over, Atlanta sent a number of great sailors….I was looking forward to the sailing and my team was very much eager to hit the water early.

We practiced a bit with both Dave Van Cleef’s team and Paul Abdullah’s team before the racing on Saturday. It was fun matching up and speed comparisons were so close that Nick, Emily and I quickly knew that it was going to be tough racing and having heads out of the boat would yield consistent scores.

Races 1,2,3 were held in a dying Easterly going Southeast. The wind didn’t make any big moves until we took a break between races 1 & 2. There it went more SE and did a bit of shifting. I was looking for an increase build to the right as it appeared “seabreeze”. We raced Paul Abdullah and Bryan Anderson to the right only to see the wind go hard left. Curious, for sure. But chalk that mistake up to me trying to “guess” what was happening, rather than recognizing what had happened….oscillations.

Race 3 was a bit of a mess at the start. There were 7-8 teams called OCS. Some went back, some received OCS on the scorecard and some weren’t scored OCS. Apparently the RC hailed the numbers at the start and some of the numbers were recorded, some weren’t. It all seemed quite confusing, even going into Sunday AM. Our team apparently was called, but scored in the race. I knew we were pushing it, but Nick and I thought we were good on our line-sight, so we didn’t think we were over….if we were, we thought, “its just practice”. Blair and Bryce Dryden were in our shoes as they were called but not scored. Greg Griffin was called and rec’d redress. Dave Van Cleef, Vlasta, Scott Griffin and Mike Ross all were scored OCS.

At the hoist most were confused with the scoring, but that didn’t cloud the next task at hand….DINNER. What a crowd we had going out to Maguire’s. Put that place on your list for Nationals. It is exceptional and rumored to be owned or managed by a Thistle sailor. Great food, good atmosphere and killer drinks! The Thistle crowd took over one of the rooms and had a great time!

Sunday’s racing started in better breeze than Saturday’s 7-10. I think at times we had 3 up and hiking w/a little vang to depower. That freshness didn’t last long as the temperature went up. We ended up with 5-7 by the end of the racing.

The curious thing, to me, was how the left side of the course (East wind) paid in a flood tide and 5 degree oscillations. I can’t explain it, but will be looking at charts, maps, etc. to see if there’s anything more to it. We got burned in the 1st race, but battled back nicely. Nick made some great calls and we recovered for a nice finish.The last race saw some fleet inversion about mid-way through. Our team and Abdullah’s team had some good downwind pace for the last run to cut Greg Griffin’s horizon job in half and then benefited from a large righty (remember the left paying in the 1st race!!!) and jumped him. This proved to me that anything can/could happen at Nationals next year. So be prepared.Congrats to all the teams. If you check out the scores you’ll see that this fleet was incredibly stacked!!! Blair & Bryce Dryden benefited from consistent scores and a slightly lighter boat as they were one of two boats that sailed 2-up. The gamble paid and they made the most of it. For the rest of us sailing 3-up, it proved to be a great preview for next summer’s Nationals….it’ll be a good one!

A personal thanks to Nick Turney and Emily Pulos for a fun weekend. Nick did the cannonball run solo down and I joined him for the return home. We didn’t get back until 6:AM on Monday and he was in the loft working at 8:AM. INCREDIBLE! Emily learned faster than anyone I know. She’s keen to sail more and we’ll no doubt have her more involved this winter/spring!

http://www.pensacolayachtclub.org/CFRacing/2007racing/2007Jubileeresults.pdf

Article By: Skip Dieball

Photos By: The Lovely Christy Illius

Thistle Invitational Regatta

2007-11-15T09:37:00.000-05:00

The San Diego Area Thistle Fleet #13 Invitational Regatta was a great success and a stepping stone to more excitement for next year. The 13’s Invite demanded a mix of sailing skills to challenge the competitors. Large course open ocean sailing and tight course, hand-to-hand combat, bay sailing.
We had 11 teams this year for the regatta. All of the 13ers should pat themselves on the back for the turnout. The growth of our fleet in one year has been lead by P3, aka-Pied Piper Poltorak. With great enthusiasm from all of the fleet we have brought not only newer racers but also seasoned experts into the fleet. We have great potential to make it to 20 boats for next years Invite Regatta and might even make that with just Fleet 13.
The Thistle showed its diversity this weekend ghosting through the light stuff. Saturday, four races were sailed in the ocean with windward-leeward courses. The weather predictors said light air and for a change unfortunately they were right. Quick quiz, I’m not a surfer so when I saw waves predicted at .8 meters with 13 second intervals is that A) Yee haw B) skating rink? The answer is B, except coming out of the channel was a washing machine and I hear that there might be some good fishing around that area after a few boats chummed the water.
The conditions on the ocean turned out to be 4-7 kts with flat gentle swell. Boat speed and finesses, never a bad thing, were at a premium. Half of the boats sailed 2 up and it was evident that the light boats could accelerate more easily with each pressure change. Hunting pressure was the game all day with the added bonus of 15-degree shifts just for excitement. Surprisingly, even with the opportunity for big pitfalls the marks were crowded and often the first weather mark had the top 3 or 4 boats rounding together and delicately setting their chutes. Downwind angles were high and several times the fleet spread out almost to half a mile from one side to the other at the outside gybing angles.
Points after Saturday reinforced that 2 person teams had a distinct advantage. After 4 races, Dave and Era Bloomberg had 7 points holding a tenuous 2 point lead over fleet champion Mike Poltorak with Amy Cook. Kirsten Cummings with aspiring welterweight Jane Engleman followed closely with 10 points. All three teams didn’t top 400 lb team weights with Kirsten and Jane under 300 lbs!
Sunday arrived and the weather looked to even the score with the lightweight optimized teams as we set out for three sprints in the bay. The weather came up and the wind for the first race and a half was 8-11 knots. The lighter weight teams needed to eat their Wheaties to compete. We even had a light rain during the second race! Remember, this is San Diego where people buy canned foods and careen off the highway if it mists. Team Cummings crushed the fleet in the first two races with commanding bullets. They worked flawlessly and may have actually been eating sandwiches while racing. Several teams surged ahead in the tight racing in the bay with George and Becky Samuels coming on strong and scoring a pair of seconds. We are excited to have Stu Robertson join our fleet, this was kind of his inaugural event in his new boat and he had moments showing what lies ahead. George Spoerri, a new boat owner this year, stole the intrepid Jane Engleman on Sunday and scored a bullet as he and Stu battled for 1-2 in the final race, way to go George! Of course, do it more often and we’ll be less happy for you ;)
The final scores showed Team Kirsten Cummings 1st, Team Bloomberg 2nd, and Team Poltorak 3rd with less than 6 points separating 1st and 3rd after 7 races. The points were close and the racing fun and exciting. But better yet, we had almost 30 people racing and we didn’t even have all of Fleet 13 participating. We had three beautiful natural sided woodies racing this weekend with another one soon to join the fleet being restored by Nigel, no pun intended, Wood. We are also expecting a brand new boat to arrive soon to join the fleet (don’t scratch the new boat). Remember, Thistle Midwinters West is February 7-9 and we are planning for 40 Thistles on the line this year.

Sailing in the “D”. Detroit, that is!

2007-10-01T10:50:00.000-05:00

What a treat to sail close to home in one of my favorite boats….the Thistle! I have been traveling so much, racing so many different boats, so it was a treat to sail my Thistle again. What made it even more fun was sailing with and against so many of my friends. Craig Koschalk and his team (Lauren and Rick) came in a day early to practice, test, hang out….we had a great time. We took the opportunity to catch up Friday Night as well, at a local establishment called Muggzies! Apparently we were quite entertaining as the band did everything they could to shame us into staying!

The racing up at Crescent Sail Yacht Club is a great combination of close racing proximity and open water excitement. Todd Tigges and his team set great courses close to the club, which made the “commute time” low and allowed us to pile in 3 great races on Saturday and 2 on Sunday.
Saturday was light winds and heavy chop (lots of fishermen and freighter traffic), so it was a good test of concentration. The wind was a bit shifty as well….which made the day tough on the mind. My team (myself and Nick Turney) had a great score line of 4,1,1 to lead Ron Sherry’s team by 2 points. They sailed great in those conditions as they were 3-up with a team ready for big breeze!

Sunday’s racing was in fresher winds, but still in the range where those sailing 2-up could handle it. Nick and I won the 1st race and finished 3rd in the second race to win the event. Team Horseshack had a great day moving from 4th to 2nd. Ron Sherry and his team were 3rd. Champ Glover was 4th and Ken Swetka was 5th.

The Crescent Thistle Fleet was hospitable as always. They’ve got a great group up there and know how to have a good time. We appreciate all that they did for us and look forward to sailing there more!

HOTLINK: http://www.swetka.net/thistlefleet/2007IceBreakerResults.htm

Article by: Skip Dieball

Photos courtesy of Skip Dieball

That White Guy Wins Again

2007-09-17T07:28:00.000-05:00

Sailing in the best conditions the Midwest could throw at us, Steve White and crew won the 2007 Dornin Memorial held at Pymatuning Yacht Club. The temperatures ranged anywhere from cold to colder and as my good friend Ben Mercer would say "the breeze ranged anywhere from light to frightening."

We were blessed with a race committee that had a "Go Big or Go Home" attitude and they took us out Saturday in winds around 16-20 knots. After they clocked a sustained gust at 28 knots, some of us thought we just should have stayed home. A warm thanks goes to the rescue boats and their teams as safety was never an issue and they were always on the spot. Saturday's dinner and hospitality was up to par with any Pymatuning regatta and the festivities were much enjoyed late into the evening.

Sunday was much more pleasant, though the breeze was a little light. After leading the first day with a 1st and 2nd, Craig Kolschalk and crew had a rough day and finished the regatta 3rd overall. Kyle Finefrock and team finished 2nd overall while sailing consistently and overcoming a few mistakes along the way.

There is at least one new Thistle sailor among us these days, as my crew Rick Banning seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself and even got to drive the last race! Rick is an advid Flying Scot sailor, and one of the best in the Midwest! He kept wondering how he was going to tell his wife he wanted to buy another boat. I told him, "What's the worst that can happen?"

Special thanks to Rick and his daughter, the Lovely Brooke Banning, for sailing and swimming with me on 1049 this past weekend. I wouldn't have enjoyed it with anyone else. Also, thanks to Skip Dieball for letting me wash his boat out ;-)

Respectfully,

Karl D. Felger

TCA Press Officer

Hey Goat!... Yea old man?

2007-09-11T14:32:00.000-05:00

The Old Goat Regatta had another successful year. We had about 10 boats for the Greg Fisher Clinic and a great BBQ that evening.

Saturday and Sunday brought light breezes but 5 races were completed by all 37 boats. The awards are below, but for full race results you can visit http://www.llsc.com/ under the RESULTS or you can visitwww.thistleclass.com http://www.thistleclass.comand go to the CALANDER section.

Awards:

1st Place - Greg Griffin and Mark Reddaway

2nd Place - Scott Griffin and Brad Russell

3rd Place - Bryce Dryden and Will Paschal

4th Place - Mike Ross and Clayton Dixon

5th Place - Paul Abdullah, Nick Turney, and Ashley Saylor

6th Place - Ed Hill and Buddy Wainright took the "OLD GOAT" as well as the"FARTHEST TRAVELED" and "FASTEST OVER 50" awards! Way to go Ed and Buddy!

Also we had a "FASTEST OLD BOAT" award which went to Bob McCormack (8thPlace) from Atlanta Yacht Club who was in boat 1167 which is circa 1955!

Tuesday Night at the Race

2007-09-07T13:04:00.000-05:00

In a yacht club dominated by PHRF sailors that sometimes get 50 boats on a Wednesday bouy race, the dinghy sailors are keepin it real. At North Cape Yacht Club the local Thistle Fleet, which consists of all the boys at the local Quantum loft and numerous others, get together on Tuesday nights for some beer can races (most often literally).

They welcome all takers, and I've never seen anyone turned down. Race committee usually consists of Skip Dieball, Ernie Dieball and John Griener all offering their services. There are 2 boats that are only 3 years old, and 2 woodies competing regularly, with a few mixed in between.

No one keeps score because that's not the point. It's all about getting together, sharing some laughs, and busting off a few roll tacks in between. Afterwards they mingle at the yacht club bar and cheer at the PHRF boats as they arrive from racing up the lake. Chicken wings and bragging right usually follow.

Photos provided by Skip Dieball

Respectfully Submitted

Karl D. Felger

Thistle Class Press Officer

Tuesday Night Regular

ABYC Labor Day Regatta

2007-09-05T07:01:00.000-05:00

Ron Smith totally dominates the 2007 ABYC Labor Day Regatta.

Armed with Jim Moyer, and Jill Moritz as crew, Ron Smith (former Thistle Class President) easily wins the regatta with straight bullets. The Race Committee and the army of volunteers at the club all did a fantastic job in dealing with a lot of boats, cars and participants. The conditions on the race course though a little lighter than normal still provided for a great regatta. The winds were in the 5-15 kn. range and we had moderate chop and really no swells to speak of.

The scores don’t tell the whole story, Ron not only won every race, he did so with a healthy margin between him and the 2nd place boat every time. The 2nd -6th place boat probably had more fun while they were able to fight it out in very tight racing with lots of position changing on the very square and well set W-L courses. My crew Kory Smith asked Ron why he was so fast? Ron humbly replied, well Kory, “I think it’s because I replaced my centerboard gasket”. So there you have it! If you want to win a regatta all you have to do is replace your centerboard gasket.

With many boats in the LA and Orange county area we really should have been able to have 4 times as many boats at this event. It really is one of the finest venues on the west coast. There are three major events at ABYC that the Thistles should be looking to participate in:

Turkey Day Regatta November 17-18, 2007
Memorial Day Regatta May 24-25, 2008
Labor Day Regatta August 30-31, 2008
.
So if you have a thistle out west, go ahead and put these dates into you calendars now.
Let’s get back to “the days” when we get 20 thistles at these ABYC events.

Written by Michael Poltorak, Thistle 3410

Thistles All the Rage in Jr Sailing

2007-08-22T13:47:00.000-05:00

The last few years I have had the privilege of coaching Jr. Sailing Team from all over Lake Erie (Cleveland Yacht Club, Edgewater Yacht Club and North Cape Yacht Club). One of the best parts for them, and for me is they sail their Triple-handed regattas in Thistles. This year was no different.

At North Cape Yacht Club our Junior Triplehanded Team consisted of Brian Goldberg, Ben Goldberg and Kate Gladieux.

Armed with the best resources possible... 1. A woodie (#2020) rebuilt by their grandfater John Griener 2. Me as their coach 3. Wunderkind Skip Dieball... these kids took the I-LYA Jr Circuit by storm.

Having little to no experience in Thistles it was fun to have Brian, Ben and Kate lean on me so heavily for knowledge. As we progressed thru the summer we discussed and practiced incorporating some old techniques (they're all old 420 sailors) into their sailing style. This involved unlearning some bad habits, but also encouraging good technique and dialogue! It was quite the transformation they took over the summer... from asking questions like "When should I pull on the van" progressing to conversations about twist off on the main and mast rigging.

These kids then went on to sail the US Jr. Championship Quarter-finals at Put-In-Bay, Ohio; where they finished first in a very up and coming fleet of young Thistle Sailors! They then sailed int he US Jr. Championshipo Semi-finals in Rochcester, NY. This regatta was sailed in Sonars. They won this regatta also, and proceded onto the the US Jr. Championships in LAVALLETTE, NJ (i'm sure many of us remember this place). All said they ended up 5th against some of the best junior sailors in the country.

Just goes to show that Thistle sailors are the can hang with the best of them.

Karl D. Felger
Head Coach
NCYC Jr. Race Team

TCA Press Officer

Thistle Nationals Media

2007-08-06T07:09:00.000-05:00

Here's some great video footage from Thistle Nationals.

Thanks to everyone that posted!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4621590588304988087&q=thistle&total=835&start=0&num=100&so=0&type=search&plindex=71

2007 Thistle Nationals Final Results

2007-08-06T07:04:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Mike Ingham and Team for winning the 2007 Thistle Nationals in Eugene Oregon.

Matt Sonderlund won the President's Division

Nationals Finals results located under 2007 Event and Results:

http://www.thistle2007.com/

Scott Griffin and Skip Dieball On YouTube: 2007 TCA Nationals

2007-08-02T06:43:00.000-05:00

This is courtesy of Craig Smith!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=v9zP2J7K6Ek

2007 TCA Nationals: DAY ONE

2007-07-31T07:50:00.000-05:00

The weekend was full of measurement and all that good stuff. The winds we had 5 years ago were not here and things were looking bleek for the Nationals. The practice race was postponed and was sailed later in the day as winds blew in. We had about 5kts and shifty, but Scott did a great job focusing on boat speed and we popped out into the lead pack. Of course we didn't finish...... that just the way it is.
Monday morning it was brisk (65 degrees) and clear.... just what I remembered about Eugene. The wind was forcasted to be 10-15 kts and building all day. Just was Scott and I wanted!!
We were 2nd start, race #1. We got hung up with a slower boat on the line that wanted to stay head to wind, but we were able to get going and use our Quantum boat speed to get up into the lead pack. We rounded 4th and kept moving forward the whole race. Bullet!!! We all high fived each other and said one down, six to go. PS. Mike Ingham won the first race in Division 1.
Race two we were first start and we saw a little lefty at the start. 1minute into the leg a HUGE righty sheered the fleet off of us and we got a little uneasy feeling. We stayed focused and waited for the left to come back in before we tacked to consolidate our losses. We found ourselves in around 8th and knew what we had to do. A couple boat here and there and one on the finish leg gave us another bullet!!! Two in a row!! Unfortunately for us there's another guy that is sailing very well......Ingham had a bullet in Division 2.

More to follow later
Paul Abdullah
Scott Griffin
Sarah Paisley
#3997 "Team Southeast"

How do you celebrate our Independence????

2007-07-05T11:54:00.000-05:00

With the mother of all parties... The Pymatuning 4th of July Regatta!

While some of you may have been shooting off illegal fireworks (is there such thing as "legal" fireworks?) or enjoying a nice relaxing weekend Thistle sailors from around the country (thanks largely to Scott Latham's roadtrip and Kawl Bwadwey being Kawl Bwadwey), along with Lightning, Highlander, J22 and Fireball sailors celebrated the 4th the only sensible way... with lots of libations, loud music, good friends and bench dancing!

Pictures are truly worth a thousand words... I believe their worth a lot more since they help me and many others remember what "fun" we got ourselves into the night before. In that regard I will let the pictures do the talking!

Oh... and Kyle Finefrock won the regatta, followed by George Allen in 2nd (GO GEORGE!) and Ben "Girly Pants" France!

Thistle Great Lakes 2007

2007-06-25T06:50:00.000-05:00

TCA Great Lakes was held at the Vermilion Boat Club in Vermilion, OH this past weekend. 43 boats made the trek to Ohio and were welcomed witha wide range of conditions. The first race was a three hour drifting marathon... honestly I've sailed shorter legs on the Chicago to Mackinac Race. Scott Griffin showed incredible patience and sight as he pulled of a much deserved bullet. As the breezed filled for the 2nd race (3 hiking!) Steve White showed off some of that Pymatuning speed and won the 2nd race... Steve later found out he was OCS in the 1st race. John Lovett, driving the much revered Sled (1055) won the day with two 2nd place finishes!

Sailors retired to shore as it was nearing 6 p.m. and were welcomed with cool beverages, good music and spectacular food. Dinner consisted of all you could eat BBQ chicken, broiled shrimp and jambalaya over rice. I say this all to make you extremely jealous, as you should be. I judge most regattas on their food and this one is definitely up there in my book.

Sunday morning were were welcomed with a southern breeze blowing 12-15 meaning big breeze and small waves (go fast mode upwind!). Lovett once again showed superior form in winning race 3. Race 4 may have typified the weekend. We sailed the first 3 legs in 10-15 knots. Then we sailed both reaches in 0-5 knots of breeze (reinforcing the fact that most Thistle sailor really don't care of reaches). Finally, we sailed the final beat in 6-10 knots with 20 degree shifts. Jack Finefrock made the most of the conditions and won race 4 handily. Unfortunately he was unable to keep Ben Mercer's personal Thistle winning streak alive, and ended up 2nd in the regatta... no small task.

The big winner was Daddio, John Lovett! He won the 2007 Thsitle Great Lakes by 14 points! In the last race along there are stories of him climbing back from 30th place to finish 5th... incredible!

This also continues a trend in which a wooden boat has won the last 3 of 4 regattas I have attending. This should delight the class and make Doug Labor sweat a bit because the older (more experienced? wiser?) boats are still highly competitive.

Thanks to the Vermilion Boat Club for hosting a great Great Lakes (haha).

Respectfully Submitted,

Karl D. Felger

Here's To...

2007-06-19T21:04:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I learned a valuable lesson. Some would call it a lesson in sail boat racing; some would call it a lesson in life; maybe even a lesson in love, or at least passion towards something you enjoy doing. Either way everything came to a head and the point of this lesson is… “Oh, it’s just sailboat racing.”
This was no more apparent this past weekend at the Berlin Yacht Club Regatta in rural Ohio. I’m not sure many of you have been to Berlin, but I spent much of my misspent youth toiling about on a lake that is 1.5 by 5 miles. Berlin is known for a wide range of wind conditions that vary from spit-polished mirror finish to full on blowing the cousins off the cousins nuclear breeze. This weekend wasn’t much different as we experienced near drifter conditions on Saturday to “three hiking hard” conditions on Sunday. Oh, and don’t forget the 30 degree wind shifts…
Going back to Berlin Yacht Club is like a pilgrimage to paradise for myself. I loathe the place for it’s volatile conditions but yearn for those gorgeous days spent at “home.” Every morning I’ll crawl out of my tent and saunter down to the lake and just sit there. And that’s it. I have no expectations of something that will happen; I just take it all in. The smell; the sound; the sight. Some may say that there’s not much to see there, but it’s a little different when you know it’s someplace you belong.
I have family at Berlin, though I’m not related to anyone. I have 15 or more different mom’s; some older and wiser than others; some more ornery; some more accepting; most just happy to get that long awaited hug form their wayward “son.” I have brothers and sisters that I’ve known all my life, but have never been to a family reunion with. I have dad’s who would move mountains for you if you would just get them a beer once in a while and who are always there with a strong handshake and hearty pat on the back. I may not be the smartest, the most well behaved, the best… but that never matters once you start driving down that gravel road. I’m just Karl.
All being said, 19 Thistles showed up for the Berlin Regatta. We shared some great racing in trying conditions, some cool beverages at the World Famous BYC Cocktail Party, drank the BAC dry (Big A$$ Cooler) enjoyed a classic Berlin Sunset, and the smooth sounds of live music. Oh, and I think a cup or two was flipped.
I sailed with Ben Mercer and the lovely Ms. Brooke Banning. We had visions of grandeur and delusions of glory. But most of all we had fun. I would sail with these two again any day, any where, any race… hopefully they feel the same way. I can’t say enough about how enjoyable it is to see all those friendly faces again. I may not be able to make it back as often as I would like, but I revel in every moment. Sometimes you just need to stop and let life pass you by. If you’re always worried about what’s next, you kind forget about the present. And let me tell you, the present is pretty damn enjoyable.

…Oh, and we won the regatta. I guess it is good to go home again.

Here’s to all the moms and dads; brothers and sisters, friends and family who have always been there.
Thank you.

Karl D. Felger

Hitchin' Up... The New Wife, Not the Wagon

2007-05-03T14:10:00.000-05:00

Proving once again that there must be something in the water, a few sailors you may all know and some of you love recently got hitched. While initially this lead to quite a few sailors missing out on a couple gorgeous weekends of sailing it did lead to a few enjoyble things...

1. Dressing up in our spiffy suits

2. A rousing rendition of Piano Man

3. JOURNEY

4. .....Oh, and the newly married

Mark and Jen Paisley (Left)

Brian and Bre Logue (Right)

For those of you who know these individuals and for those who await the pleasure of meeting them, these are 4 of my favorite people in the entire world. Watching these 2 relationships grow has taught me a lesson... Falling in love is easy, as many of us have done that often enough. But it is hard quest worth making to find a partner through whose steady presence one becomes the person one desires to be. With these 2 couples I see hope and I see faith. They've taught me that when love smiles at you, you must smile back.

Thistle Sails Take a Beating

2007-04-26T08:52:00.000-05:00

Here's some great discussion from our leading sailmakers on Thistle Jibs. It's a great education on what goes into your sails and the philosophy behind their construction. Thanks Greg and Skip, for your time!

Greg Fisher of North Sails:
http://thedailyswerve.blogspot.com/2007/04/greg-fisher-speaks-on-thistle-jibs.html

Skip Dieball of Quantum Sails:
www.quantumtoledo.blogspot.com

On a side note: I am great friends with both Skip and Greg. And while they are "professional" sailors they are also raising great families. They sail Thistles because they are passionate about the class, not because their job demands it. Personally, I hope one day I can say the same this for myself. Please, before you judge someone take the time to get to know these wonderful people.

Respectufully,
Karl D. Felger
Thistle Class Press Officer

Getting Out From Behind the 8-ball

2007-04-23T11:28:00.000-05:00

It was about time the midwest enjoyed a sunny weekend. Twenty nine boats drove from Kansas City, Chicago, Columbus, Louisville, as far as Philadelphia and many other places scattered across the midwest to visit in the Indianapolis Sailing Club. As has become the custom, we were welcomed with complimentary lunch Saturday before the races began. Several of the racers must have forgotten the effects of the sun, even when Midwinters East should still be fresh in their minds. Most of us came of the water a pleasant shade of pink, Barret especially. The sun took a lot out of most of the competitors, but that never stopped the beer from flowing and a campfire from growing. Some of us took advantage of the clear night sky to see the International Space Station go streaking across from west to east at precisely 10:03 PM. The RC woke us up bright and early to take advantage of the morning breeze and help those of us with a long drive home get on the road. Thank you ISC for another great regatta, we'll be back for more in the fall.

Article by: Kyle Finefrock

Interview with Scott Griffin (3997)

2007-04-09T10:17:00.000-05:00

Nick Turney- Scott, Great Job at Thistle Midwinter’s East. You are a very accomplished sailor yourself, but we all know that sailing is very much a team sport. You always seem to be sailing with a good team. How do you choose your team? What sort of things do you look for when choosing your team from event to event?

Scott Griffen- Thanks for sailing with me again at Midwinter’s East Nick, I had a great time. When I am searching for crew for a regatta I am of course looking for good sailors but also people I can have fun with on and off the water. I look for a crew who is on the same page as I am, they want to have fun but being serious on the racecourse is also important. It is crucial to get along with your teammates especially when things get heated on the racecourse.

NT- Scott, you are a middle crew, or tactician, on a J 24. Your team has been sailing together for quite some time now. Why is this? What is the advantage of sailing with the same team for that long?

SG- Our J 24 team has sailed together for a while now. The main advantage for this is the compatibility. We know our jobs; we know who is going to move where on the boat during maneuvers. It is experience as a team at events also. We don’t have to show a new crewmember their job on the boat. We can trust each member on our boat to get his or her job done. I try to carry the same principles on to my thistle.

NT- There are a lot of jobs to hand out to your crew. Big picture tactics, sail trim, compass, boat speed, the lists can go on. How do you determine who does what on your boat?

SG- I encourage every on my boat to speak up. Every bit of information is good. I want my crew to have confidence in what they say. I try to have my middle crew talk to me about the big picture. What side is favored, where is the next shift coming from. I also depend on my middle crew to put me in good lanes to get to the next shift, information along those lines. My forward crew is more local. I look for information like boat speed compared to other boats around us, puff and wave calls, numbers on the compass. There is constantly a lot of information being fed to me. The less I have to look around the more I can focus on driving the boat at top speed.

NT- I am a big believer of setting goals for myself for a regatta. Example, I set three different goals for self at every regatta I sail. If I reach these goals then is was a successful regatta for me. Do you set goals for your team from regatta to regatta?

SG- I am also a big believer in setting goals. I feel it is important to challenge your self to become better. The same principles apply for a team. There are two different types of regattas. Small weekend regattas, and major regattas like districts, midwinter’s, and nationals. For the smaller events we can focus more on goals for boat handling, or mark roundings, things along that nature. For the major regattas I feel it is more important to set smaller goals to take away from the pressure of doing well.

NT- Thanks for your time Scott. Good luck to you at future events.

SG- Thanks Nick. See you at the next one.

Inteview by Nick Turney

A Day in the Life... @ QST (Office Space Style)

2007-04-05T12:07:00.000-05:00

You see, what we’re actually trying to do here is, we’re trying to give you a feel for how people spend their day at the loft… so, if you’d consider, a typical day at Quantum Sails Toledo.

Skip Dieball: Karl, we're gonna need to go ahead and move you outside into the storage shed. We have some new sail cloth coming in, and we need all the space we can get. So if you could just go ahead and pack up your stuff and move it out there, that would be terrific, OK?
Ernie Dieball: What if - and believe me this is a hypothetical - but what if you were offered some kind of a stock option sharing program. Would that do anything for you? Oh, and remember: next Friday... is Hawaiian shirt day. So, you know, if you want to, go ahead and wear a Hawaiian shirt and jeans.
Karl Felger: Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late… and I use the side door – that way Skip can’t see me. And after that I go to my computer, pretend like I’m checking my email and just sorta space out for an hour or so. I just stare at my computer screen; but it looks like I’m working and dealing with customers. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I’d say in a given week I probably only do about thirty minutes of real, actual sail-making.
Nick Turney: Yeah, well at least your name isn’t Nick Turney. People confuse me with Nick Lachey all the time. I told Skip and Ernie I celebrate his entire collection. There was nothing wrong with my name… until I was 16 years old and that no-talent @$$ clown became famous and started dating Jessica Simpson. Why should I change my name? He’s the one who sucks!
Dan Synowiec: And I said, I don't care if they lay me off either, because I told, I told Skip that if they move my stool one more time, then, then I'm, I'm quitting, I'm going to quit. And, and I told Ernie too, because they've moved my stool four times already this year, and I used to be over by the door, and I could reach high places, and I as merry, but then, they switched from the new plotting machine, but I keep using the old plotter because it didn't lock up as much, and I kept the designs on the old plotter and it's not okay because if they take my plotting machine then I'll set the building on fire...
Rick Rothenbuhler: Well-well look. I already told you: I deal with the gosh darn customers so the engineers don't have to. I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people? I am a people person!
Shari Berger: Corporate accounts payable, Shari speaking. Just a moment… Corporate accounts payable, Shari speaking. Just a moment.
Tot Huynh: No one in this country can ever understand a word I’m saying. It's not that hard: Sansdfnfdsa Na-gheen-an-a-jar. Nagheenanajar.

An Interview with George Allen - 1st place"B" Division Thistle MWE

2007-04-05T11:55:00.000-05:00

How long have you been sailing?
About 10 years.
In the Thistle?
10 years
What other boats do/have you sailed?
I have sailed Flying Scots, Highlanders, Sunfish, and a Nacra 20 catamaran.
Tell us about your home fleet and district and how that plays into your sailing.
At Berlin, we have about 14 boats that actively sail. Our fleet is extremely active in fleet racing, volunteering for club events, and traveling to other regattas. We have a great bunch of people that really make it fun and competative to sail in the club races. Also, it is real easy to find crew, due to the 20 somethings that are part of our club(Sarah Paisley, John & Steve Bauer, Karl Felger, Kyle & Nicole Finefrock and others). This is how I came across Brian Logue and Christine Rice who have crewed for me several times. By being in the Lake Erie District, I get to race against some of the top sailors in the class on a regular basis at the local regattas and we do not have to travel far to attend. That makes it easy to do as many regattas as possible. So we sail several regattas and club races during the season.
What made you decide to attend MWE 2007 and will you consider going back?
I have been wanting to go to MWE since I purchased my first Thistle and this year everything fell into place. Also, Tom Hubble, Jack Finefrock, and Warren Duckworth have always talked about how fun it is and how much I would learn by going. They were right. So, we already made reservations for next year.
What were you most impressed with at MWE?
I think it was how St. Pete Yacht Club welcomes the Thistle Class. They are able to combine good race management along with having a good time.
Thoughts on sailing in a 70 boat fleet?
Were to begin? 70 boats really gets the adrelin pumping at the start. The starts are amazing. Also, there are alot of great sailors to sail against. It's great when you are racing and you say "Hey, There's Skip and Greg". You can really measure yourself and find out what things you are good at and what needs to be worked on. I surprised by how much you can actually learn.
What did you enjoy most about the social atmosphere (group gatherings, hanging out in parking lot, etc)?
Most of the people that know me, know that I do not talk alot and that my wife, Gretchen, is the exact opposite and she makes up for it. But we both enjoy meeting the other members in the class going to the get togethers. What I enjoyed most was just being there and the astmosphere it creates. It helps me get out of my shell and relax.
You took delivery of brand new Quantum Sails. How did they set up for you?
It was easier than I thought. Nick and Karl helped by answering any questions I had with tuning the rig. Also, one of the batten pockets in the main did not have a spring, but they fixed it right there. So, I was already to go. On Sunday, Skip gave me some advice on sail trim and things I should be doing. I like how easy it is to approach him and how willing he is to answer your questions. Sailing wise, the sails worked great, it did not take as long as I thought to get use to them and we had a very successful week . At times, we were in the top 20 during the races and we were very consistent after Monday.[George Allen] We ended up wining the "B" fleet @ Midwinters East.
You know Karl Felger pretty well….what can you provide us with that would thoroughly embarrass him? (fun question)
A few years ago during the Labor Day series at Berlin, I remember the beer god appearing on the bow of a thistle dancing around and hanging on to the forestay. He had a spinnaker pole in his right hand and an empty cardboard Bud Lite carton on his head. We could hear some type of chanting, but it sure sounded alot like Karl.
What do you have planned for the coming season?
I' m going to try to do as many regattas this year as possible. Buckeye Lake, Wet Your Thistle @ Hoover, Lake Erie Districts, Great Lakes, Berlin Invitational, 4th of July @ Pymatuning, and Lake Erie Fall Series. We're even talking about going to The Dixie in Atlanta and ACC's @ Toms River if things work out.

Interview by Skip Dieball

Translation: Fisher Wins J/22 Midwinters

2007-03-23T09:08:00.000-05:00

Tell us about your week:
A week after the Thistle Midwinters East my same team of my wife Jo Ann, Jeff Eiber with the addition of Meg Muller, made the trek to New Orleans for the J/22 Midwinters. 37 boats sailed in the varied conditions on Lake Ponchatrain. The regatta was hosted by Southern Y C, the club so heavily filmed during Katrina as it burned to the ground 18 months ago. Although the club lives in a series of temporary trailers presently, their tremendous southern hospitality certainly was at an all time high. Dwight LeBlanc, Peter Gambel and the rest of their team did a great job hosting a superb event from the first class race management to the crawfish boil Friday night!The sailing conditions were tricky to say the least with predominately light breeze and super flat water ( tough flat out boat speed conditions) to some medium, almost heavy lumpy stuff the last race on Saturday. Sunday the fleet was greeted to 6-8 mph breeze with some good old Lake Ponchatrain lump. When the racing was all over my team, composed of my wife Jo Ann, Jeff, Meg and myself was fortunate to win. 5 points back was Kelson Elam, last years winner, from Rockwall, Texas followed by Terry Flynn, 2006 NA champ of Houston, Texas.
Here are the final results: http://www.southernyachtclub.org/gui/syc21825/pageimages/sailingevents/238/07J22Mids%20day3%20-%20results.mht

And how does this translate to the Thistle Class?
As always you come away from a big regatta like this learning something new...for me it was the importance of sailing the boat super flat whenever we could maintain speed. This absolute flat attitude meant we could trim the main very hard when there was enough breeze ( everyone nearly on the highside) which helped produce some great height. At times the boat was so flat that we actually developed lee helm and I had to push the helm away to keepthe boat tracking. Interestingly enough, this was when we felt the quickest! When the breeze died we'd ease the mainsheet a fair bit, develop some series of twist and switch to a first-gear-bow-down mode to keep speed up....though still sailing the boat very flat. At all times ( unless we were overpowered)we set the traveler to windward to ensure the boom was on center. Jeff would regularly lean in to check. Kelson, too, enjoyed the same height and he sailed exceptionally flat as well. It was interesting that this techniqueand "feel" is quite similar and effective in the Thistle. Other than theleeward helm that develops in the J/22 (we never want that in the Thistle)sailing flat is super important. It is interesting how such dissimilar boats can sail so similar! Good sailing!

Greg Fisher
North Sails One Design

Sportin' It in the Thistle Class

2007-03-21T07:52:00.002-05:00

For those who do not get Scuttlebutt, this was published today:

This past weekend at the Orange Peel Thistle Regatta14 year old Thistle sailor, JD Reddaway was awarded the US SAILING National Sportsmanship Award; otherwise known as the W. Van Alan Clark Jr. Trophy. The Award was presented by Skip Dieball of US SAILING’s One Design Class Council. JD hails from Suwanee, GA and was competing in the 2006 Orange Bowl Junior Olympic Festival when he made the unselfish decision to abandon a race and help a fellow sailor in need. JD Reddaway is now among fellow sailors Buddy Melges, Olin J. Stephens, Dave Perry and Harry Carpenter.
Also at the Orange Peel regatta new Thistle Sailor, Mike Funsch withdrew from the final race of the regatta after being informed by another competitor that he had hit a mark with his mainsheet once ashore. Mike promptly informed the regatta officials and the scores were revised to reflect his decision. While this did not affect many of the results overall (dropping Mike from 7th to a well earned 15th) it truly affected how many will view Mike. He acted with class and dignity, and will have the respect of his peers for many years to come.
These two examples are among many that are exhibited not only by the Thistle Class but many other one-design classes around the world. Every sailor has been known to get caught up in the heat of the moment at one point or another, but hopefully we’re all displaying a sense of sportsmanship and dignity on and off the race course. It’s not all about who wins and who loses. It’s about what we’ve learned and how much we enjoy and appreciate the sport of sailing.
We must remember that sportsmanship is also reflected not only in winning, but also in losing. No one wins every regatta; we must acknowledge that our eyes are not only on the winners, but also the competitor’s who finish 2nd, 3rd, 10th, 33rd and so forth. Sailing is a one of the most humbling sports on the planet, as there are so many factors that are out of our control. One thing we can control is our attitude and the appreciation we have for the sport and the respect we keep of our fellow competitors.

Respect the rules; respect the sport; respect your fellow sailor. Remember… we’re watching.

“Winning is no victory if, in doing so, you have lost the respect of your competitors.”
~Paul Elvstrom~

Respectfully,
Karl D. Felger

JD Reddaway Awarded US SAILING Sportsmanship Award

2007-03-19T12:59:00.000-05:00

US SAILING PRESS RELEASE

Portsmouth, R.I. (March 19, 2007) - US SAILING, national governing bodyfor the sport, presented its National Sportsmanship award, the W. VanAlan Clark Jr. Trophy, to J.D. Reddaway (Suwanee, Ga.) for hisoutstanding display of sportsmanship behavior at the Orange Bowl JuniorOlympic Sailing Festival last December. Reddaway, who at the age of 14is the youngest-ever recipient of the trophy, was presented with thetrophy at Florida Yacht Club in Jacksonville last Saturday where he wascompeting in the Thistle Orange Peel Regatta as crew for his father.
Reddaway was selected for the National Sportsmanship award based on anincident that occurred in the final race of the Orange Bowl regatta,where he was competing in the 85-boat Optimist Red fleet. During thestarting sequence, a younger sailor capsized shortly after the raisingof the class flag. J.D. was aware that the sailor was not readilyrighting his boat and sailed over to communicate with him. Recognizingthe boy was distraught and potentially injured, J.D. promptly stood upin his boat and signaled for assistance. Since the race was in astarting sequence, there was no one immediately available to assist thissailor. J.D. made a quick and unselfish decision to abandon his boat andswam to the sailor in need. The fellow competitor was tangled in hismainsheet so J.D. helped clear the entanglement and stayed with theyoung sailor to comfort him while waiting for assistance.
The US SAILING W. Van Alan Clark Jr. Trophy was presented to Reddaway bySkip Dieball, Chair of US SAILING's One-Design Class Council onSaturday. Moments after the presentation, Reddaway received a surprisecongratulatory telephone call from US SAILING President Jim Capron,Executive Director Charlie Leighton, Vice President Tom Hubbell, as wellas past Presidents Janet Baxter, Dave Rosekrans, and Jim Muldoon whowere meeting in Newport, R.I.
Reddaway now joins a long list of highly respected sailors who havereceived US SAILING's W. Van Alan Clark Jr. Sportsmanship Trophy sincethe award was first presented 20 years ago. The list includes suchwell-known sailors as Olin J Stephens, Dave Perry, Harry Carpenter, andBuddy Melges.
Sportsmanship is difficult to define but easily recognizable. The highstandards exemplified by the true sportsperson are vital to the healthof sailing, which is why each year US SAILING presents its prestigiousW. Van Alan Clark, Jr. Trophy. This award honors those people who areoutstanding examples of dedication and graciousness in the sport ofsailing, and for sharing these talents with others. Nominees includesailors who have performed a single exemplary act or who haveconsistently exemplified the finest tradition of the sport both on andoff the water, through instruction and encouragement of others.
More information about the W. Van Alan Clark, Jr. National SportsmanshipTrophy can be found on US SAILING's website atwww.ussailing.org/sportsmanship.
About US SAILING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for sailing. Founded in 1897 and headquartered inPortsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization provides leadership for thesport of sailing in the U.S. US SAILING offers training and educationprograms for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range ofsailing organizations and communities, issues offshore ratingcertificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitivesailing across the country, including National Championships and theU.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.

Dieball Squeezes Out an Orange Peel Victory

2007-03-18T18:05:00.000-05:00

Skip Dieball, with crew Ryanne “Mom” Gallagher and Mike “Mighty Mouse” Stark beat out Team Mike Ingham on a tie breaker to win the 33rd Annual Orange Peel. The Orange Peel, hosted by the storied Florida Yacht Club, welcomed 55 boats with sunny skies and big breeze. Greg Griffin and his helpers once again did tremendous job facilitating an incredible event.

Saturday’s races started in epic conditions for sailboat racing, as the breeze was a steady 15-18 with some puffs in the low 20’s. The breeze subsided and the left paid dividends in the end as Robby Brown (3983) won the race, followed closely by Paul Abdullah (3985) and Scott Griffin (3997). Race two was sailed in a steady 12-15 knots of breeze out of the northwest. A clean start was key and Mike Ingham used some of his mojo to escape free and clear and continue on the win the race. Making big gains were Skip Dieball (3995) and Robby Brown who finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Just before the start of Race three, a few competitors noticed a 35 degree left shift and immediately tacked to port, getting an early advantage on the rest of the fleet. Skip Dieball was patient and made his move on the second beat hooking a huge righty all the while passing 4 boats and extending into a 300 yard lead to win the race. Finishing not far back was Mike Ingham followed by Robby Brown. The evenings festivities included dinner at the Yacht Club, raffle prized provided by Layline, Quantum Sails One Design, North Sails, and Great Midwest Boat Works. DJ Hitman (Paul Abdullah) spun some tunes as we all enjoyed told stories of the days racing, some true, and began making plans for the summer’s sailing schedule.

Sunday races were sailed in less pressure and the wind had veered slightly to the right of Saturday’s direction. Mike Ingham showed that his consistency on Saturday was no fluke as he won the first race of the day; overtaking Skip Dieball who finished 2nd on the final leg of the race. Chris Klotz (1) came on strong to finish 3rd and showed that his ol’ woody still had some wheels. Sunday’s second race was a test of determination and patience. Skip Dieball, not always known for his patience, displayed both these skills to a tee and won the race and the regatta. Nothing is more exciting than when a regatta comes down to the last beat of the last race on the last day! Scott Griffin and Erik Goethert rounded out the top three, finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

Skip said his team really jelled since sailing together at MWE two weeks ago and that was a key to his victory. The ability to execute maneuvers with confidence and keep their heads out of the boat really paid dividends in the end. Congratulations to all the competitors some intense sailing and a warm thank you goes to Greg Griffin and the Florida Yacht Club for another marvelous regatta.

Top Five:
1. Skip Dieball 13 pts
2. Mike Ingham 13 pts
3. Robby Brown 24 pts
4. Scott Griffin 24 pts
5. Paul Abdullah 27 pts

Full results: http://www.thistlefleet133.com/elibrary/documents/2007Results(Revised).htm

K-Notes: Mike Funsch (3926) finished 7th overall in his first Thistle regatta. Sara Paisner (2902) was the highest placing female skipper with a 42nd overall. Chris Klotz was the placing woody, finishing 9th overall. Matias Heinrich was the highest placing illegal immigrant, placing 21st overall. Hull number 4005 was in attendance, owned by Pete Frissell. Jack Mahaney, new owner of 3818, wowed us with his bagpipe skills. Amy Roberts won the party by showing us all how to cut a rug.

Respectfully,
Karl D. Felger

Thistle Class Press Officer

Thistle Sailors Get Around

2007-03-15T08:43:00.000-05:00

Congrats to some Thistler’s who have been tearing up events in other classes….

Greg Fisher won the J22 Midwinters in New Orleans!
Greg Fisher once smoothly shifted through all his gears (he’s got an extra one, I just know it) to win the 2007 J22 Midwinters hosted by the Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans. Greg proved amazingly consisted in tricky conditions and his throw out race (a 13th) proved that as it was the lowest in the fleet. Greg’s team consisted of his wife Jo Ann, super crew Jeff Eiber and Meg Mueller.
http://www.southernyachtclub.org/gui/syc21825/pageimages/sailingevents/238/07J22Mids%20day3%20-%20results.mht

Greg Griffin finished 4th at the Lightning Deep South Regatta in Savannah.
Greg Griffin, of legend already in the south, finished 4th on the 1st Leg of the Lightning Southern Circuit at the Savannah Yacht Club in Savannah, GA. Teaming up with “Big” Ernie Dieball and Sarah Paisley, Greg fought the notorious Savannah current and big breeze to finish behind Super Dave Starck, Jeff Linton and Ched Proctor; all top shelf Lightning sailors in their own right.
http://www.lightningclass.org/Results/results07/Southern%20Circuit/DeepSouth.htm

Skip Dieball finished 1st at the Lightning Midwinters in Miami.
Proving once again there is no substitute for speed, Skip Dieball won the 2nd Leg of the Lightning Southern Circuit hosted by the Coral Reef Yacht Club in Miami, FL. Skip reported that, “The weather was, as expected, BEAUTIFUL! Having great starts makes racing so much easier. My crew, Ernie Dieball and Anne Marie Shewfelt, did a great job. I cannot emphasis this enough… Biscayne Bay is the best place to sail in North America!”
http://www.coralreefyachtclub.org/gui/coralreefyc22244/pageimages/Public_Home/2007midwintersRACES15.htm

Spotted not too far off the pace where other Thistle lifers Paul Abdullah, Nick Turney, and the great Sarah Paisley. (I’m sure I am forgetting some…)

Respectfully Submitted,
Karl D. Felger
Thistle Class Press Officer

Class Crew Finder

2007-03-14T14:21:00.000-05:00

A great way to find crew in numerous classes for numerous events.
Please keep messages short, precise and simple. Do not respond to post on message board, please us contact information. Thank you.

http://com1.runboard.com/bclasscrewfinder.f1

Youth Sailing at the Orange Peel

2007-03-07T08:30:00.000-05:00

Thistlers,
The Orange Peel Regatta Youth Sailing Scholarship will cover the registration fee for the first 5 boats with skippers under 24 who respond to this email. The only other requirement of the scholarship will be a summary of your team's experience at the regatta. Each summary will be reviewed and judged with the best receiving a $100 gas card to help cover expenses. The winning summary will be submitted to the Bagpipe. Please forward this email to any skippers you think would be interested.
Good Luck,
Greg Griffin
thistle3746@comcast.net

Go Get 'Em Dave

2007-03-06T14:36:00.000-05:00

Dave Dellenbaugh returns to the America's Cup!

http://www.americascup.com/en/news/detail.php?idIndex=&idContent=13756

Great MWE Links

2007-03-05T17:14:00.000-05:00

Michael Lovett’s Sailing World articles – AND PHOTOS
http://sailingworld.com/racing-views/editorscorrespondents/thistle-midwinters-east-report-beware-the-flag-zulu-50196.html
http://sailingworld.com/racing-views/editorscorrespondents/thistle-midwinters-east-report-this-rc-deserves-a-cola-50271.html
http://sailingworld.com/racing-views/editorscorrespondents/thistle-midwinters-east-report-fortunes-swing-with-the-breeze-50136.html
http://sailingworld.com/racing-views/editorscorrespondents/thistle-midwinters-east-report-so-far-so-okay--50113.html

Scores
http://www.spyc.org/club/scripts/view/view_insert.asp?GRP=5564&pg=section&IID=60033&NS=REGP&APP=106

Thistle Class Blog site
http://thistleclass.blogspot.com/

Saturday video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyJ8tMhiFGM

Sunday video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXLZ9Vkagws

Monday video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrkbGYtos5I

Tuesday video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U25y5_T3Dg

Wednesday video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9HA1O04Fko

Thursday video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_9pBF1Jud4

Friday video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4Aoiu9hoM8

MWE Day 4

2007-03-01T17:06:00.000-05:00

Greg Griffin showed us all how to get on our horse today as he was quite impressive in the breeze with a 2nd and 1st. Greg Fisher continues to lead the regatta with more consistent finishes. Racing for the day was abandoned after the 2nd race to increased velocity. TALK ABOUT AN EPIC RIDE IN! There's nothing that quite compares to planing for 2 miles on a beam reach. Winds were reported to be in the high 20's. AMAZING!

Tonight's festivities include a Blender Party sponsored by the Thistle Fleet 2 (Crescent Sail Yacht Club). If those of you haven't seen this contraption it's a gas powered blender! Afterwards teams are planning on rallying together for dinner at numerous locations around town. Tomorrow's forecast is for EPIC sailing conditions as the breeze will be in the high teens.

Stay Tuned!

MWE Day 3

2007-02-28T15:16:00.000-05:00

Racing started on time (9:30 am) on Day 3 of MWE. We sailed out with 8-12 knots of breeze and we primed of an epic day of sailboat racing. Meanwhile... the fickle Bay of Tampa had another agenda. THREE general recalls, numerous Z Flag penalties and a dying northeasterly made for an interesting day of sailboat racing. Robby Brown (3983) won the race in convincing fashion and Greg Fisher continues to lead the regatta. The Race Committee showed discretion was the better part of valor and decided to send the fleet in after the first race. Competitors were greeted with a form of alphabet soup when they got to shore as the ZFP and OCS were posted for over 25 boats. Races for the day were canceled shortly after and many Coach TCA sailors and coaches took advantage of this by getting back on the water. This was actually quite pleasant for it was the first time all week that most of us had a chance to sail in clear air without 70 boats trying to tack on us.

Tonight's festivities include chillin under the parking lot and Mexican Fiesta at SPYC. Tonight we also celebrate Elmer's 50th consecutive trip to MWE! GO ELMER!

Stay tuned true believers

Snapshots of MWE Part I

2007-02-27T19:00:00.000-05:00

Piss on a plate, Mate

2007-02-27T18:53:00.000-05:00

Day Two of Thistle MWE got off to a gloomy start as we were postponed on shore due to foggy conditions and a severe lack of breeze. Always the opportunistic bunch, the members of the Coach TCA Program took this chance to discuss goals, strategy and plans for the rest of the week. They talked about starts, upwind strategy, spinnaker trimming technique and where to find the best mixed drink in town... the debate rages on between the SPYC Bar and Mastry's. Mnay sailors huddled under the green tent checking the weather as storm cells moved through the area. 11 a.m. came and went and finally the race commitee decided to send out the fleet of 69 boats. Race 3 started in 5 to 8 knots of breeze with a heading of 20 degrees. Both sides of the race course seemed to pay off as the fleet converged at the top mark. While most sailors were getting their swerve on during the final run the wind completely shut off and swung 180 degrees. With much poise and determination Steve Lavender took the bullet, with Greg Fisher continuing to show much needed consistency (2nd). A late finish and lack of breeze brought about the fleet sailing in and socializing in the parking lot once again.
Tonight consisted of video and cocktails at the club, and a free night on the town. For us this means 4th St. Crab Shack!

Stay tuned for further updates true believers!
Karl D. Felger

That's how I roll

2007-02-27T09:26:00.000-05:00

I almost feel bad about missing work... but I wouldn't say I've been missing it, Bob.

A great day of moderate breeze at 210-215 deg started out the first day of the 2007 Thistle WME Regatta. The day began with the right side paying big dividends. Greg Fisher got off to a great start with a 1-2 for the day. Unfortunately, for the 4th time in 3 years the practice race was blown out with too much breeze they day before but it provided the fleet some time to work on those Winter projects that may not have been completed.
Both days of the Coach TCA were once again a success with Skip Dieball, Greg Griffin, Greg Fisher and Tom Hubbell giving discussions on starting and upwind strategy. I know for one I learned a thing or two. (Like not to miss the hiking straps, huh Skip?)
The forecast looks great for the rest of the week so stay tuned to the Official Thistle Class Blog!!!

Chip Till
#3911

Action Shots!

2007-02-09T13:37:00.000-05:00

Why is this man smiling?
Scott Griffin and Team 3997

The Moose!

Winter Training Testimonials

2007-02-06T12:54:00.000-05:00

A little feedback from our first Thistle Training Weekend (Feb. 3-4)

"Being new to the class and a new Thistle boat co-owner, it's nice to meet some of the great folks that have made the class so successful. Just like Skip and I were talking about on Sunday, I view the class as a very competitive one on the water, but a sort-of J/24'ish social scene off the water...AWESOME!!! People seem very willing to help and coach others as we do in the J/24 class. "
Cheers!
Chip Till
#3911

-----------------------

"Chip & I both came away with some great ideas & much needed practice.
We appreciate your efforts to get others up to speed with the leaders."
-Pierce Barden
#3911

------------------------

"A great big thanks for putting together what was definitely the most educational weekend of sailboat racing I have ever spent. Going through the drills on Saturday, the hour or so that Craig sailed with us on Sunday and the discussion at your house Saturday night of the video that had been taken during the day were definitely the highlights from my point of view."
-Eric Motter

The drills & time in the boat were extremely beneficialand fun. Although, the best part about it was seeingmy crew, the Gregory Boys, become that much moreexcitted about the Thislte Class. Each regatta andevent we hit they become more and more drawn intosailing the boat and becoming invloved in the class.
-Scott McCormack
#3741

Tricks of the Travel

2007-02-05T10:10:00.000-05:00

Thistle Training Weekend #1 in Jacksonville was a huge success. 9 boats were on the water, with many more crew and skippers helping out running the event. A good majority of sailors arrived Friday night, and since we're no stranger to the barbeque, we headed over to BW3's for some chicken wings and debauchory. It was all good in the hood until Horseshack and Greg Griffen showed up and Nick and I simultaniously proclaimed "SHOTS!" Needless to say, we have super fun time with super fun people as the party continued back at the Griffen estate.

Saturday we awoke to gray skies, but bearibly warm weather. Skip Dieball and Greg Griffen, along with help from numerous volunteers, ran an excellent training session. The main emphasis was on eliminating mistakes and boathandling. Many of the drills were highlighted by close encounters and exciting race situations. One of the most intense drills of the day was the downwind sprints; where 2 boats raced down side-by-side lanes drag race style. The "winners" of each drill were awarded wine and Colt 45 (Works everytime). Saturday night we headed back to the Griffen estate for delicous bowls of chili and corn bread. Oh, and we ate more chicken wings (putting my streak up to 5 days in a row).

A major part of this trip was spent in the Magic Bus. I'm sure you'll hear and see plenty more of the Magic Bus as it is our favored form of transportation. Since traveling is always half the battle in sailboat racing, we emphasis making the trip as fun and as safe as possible. Follow these few steps and traveling no longer becomes a chore, but a welcome part of the regatta experience.

1. Make sure to have enough drivers/passengers. Put an emphasis on NOT DRIVING WHILE TIRED. A rotation is always key, even if it's every hour or two.
2. Get a laptop or portable DVD player. Watching DVD's while driving makes the trip go rather smoothly and seem faster. Also, when choosing a DVD to watching pick something that is enjoyable to listen to, so the driver can remained involved and not put you in the ditch. (We choose season 1 and 2 of "Entourage")
3. Travel with fun people.
4. Don't drive recklessly. Getting there half an hour early is not worth the risk.
5. Don't skimp on the chicken wings!

This is how a 16 hour drive to Jacksonville/St. Pete every weekend in February is just another day at the office.

Journey to Jacksonville

2007-02-02T13:52:00.000-05:00

Since the forecast for Toledo, OH this weekend calls for NEGATIVE FIVE DEGREES! Skip Dieball, Nick Turner, Mike Stark, Ryanne Gallagher and I decided to head down to Jacksonville, FL for some Thistle practice sessions with the Southern Boys. After a brief layover in Athens, OH for a beer we continued our 11 hour trek through snow, sleet, hail, rain, and tornados. Much like the United State Postal Service we could not be detered. Right now we are on Interstate 95 heading southbound (South Carolina/Georgia border). Plan is to arrive in Jax in a few hours, rig the boats, and get on the water for some Friday afternoon practice sessions. We'll keep you posted as the day goes on.

Karl D. Felger

We're Kind of a Big Deal Around Here

2007-01-24T13:20:00.000-05:00

The 2007 Thistle Midwinters West was held at Mission Bay Yacht Club in San Diego, CA. Dave Bloomberg organized the event and continued the tradition of having an incredible event with excellent race management and off the shore activities that were more fun than you can shake a stick at.

Tuning Day
The tuning day was fantastic to say the least. Greg Fisher of North Sails and Skip Dieball of Quantum Sails provided expert tuning advice and informative on the water coaching. Three short but needed races were sailed to knock off the rust and acclimatize to the local conditions. After a short debrief we moseyed over the Leslie Klein’s house for a filling spaghetti dinner accompanied by fine wine and beer.

Larry Klein Match Race Regatta
The Match Race Regatta was held on Thursday. It was sailed in Mission Bay which always makes for intense racing. Three qualifying fleet races were run to set up a bracket of 8 competitors. Mike Ingham won the event beating out Terry Lettenmaier in the finals. After racing we headed over to the Fiddler’s Green (the local America’s Cup restaurant) and were treated to dinner by Uncle Pete Bellin. Full to the gills, we headed over to the heralded San Diego Yacht Club and basked in the America’s Cup aura that surrounded the building (and the yacht club bar, yum.)

MWW Day One
One of the most incredible benefits of sailing at the Mission Bay Yacht Club is the numerous venues they provide. Day One and Two of MWW are sailed on the Specific Ocean (actually the Pacific, but we all like to pretend we’re still 2). Light to medium breeze accompanied by three to four foot rollers offered a treat to some Midwesterners who where making their first Specific Ocean experience. Taking many by surprise Team Super Joe (3994) got off to a hot start leading the likes of Mike Ingham, Terry Lettenmaier, Mike Gillum and the rest around the top mark. An ensuing tense but fun battle had Ingham and Super Joe punched out, with Ingham taking the bullet at the finish. Ingham showed good form my sweeping the day and setting the tone for the week.

Day One “The After Party”
As per custom at most sailing events, we sipped on some cocktails before heading to the hot tub. Arriving casually late because that’s how we roll, we were greeted at the yacht club bar with more cocktails. Friday night’s dinner theme was a Plaid Party, with some dressed to the nines (or was it eights?) wearing kilts, and others coming straight out of the eighties with their plaid suits. Dinner came shortly thereafter though not without its own adventure because some of us only thought the “Anger Chef” lived in Annapolis. Upon deciding that “Yes, indeed… we are kind of a big deal around here,” we headed over to the local dance club, The Sand Bar. We rocked the night away using what our momma’s gave us and shaking it like some one was gonna pay us. Oh, and Joe went streaking.

MWW Day Two
After our mandatory three hours of sleep (we can sleep when we’re dead) we arose to another great day of sailboat racing. Team Ingham once again won the day with three bullets. Races were once again sailed on the Specific Ocean, in four to five foot rollers and a more consistent medium breeze. Some Midwesterners, not to name any names, got a little sea sick (or a lot hung-over) and had to boot and rally before the start.

Day Two “The After Party”
Once again enjoying good cocktails and great company in the hot tub was the first priority of Team Super Joe. Unfortunately, Super Joe found his kryptonite the night before and decided to take a nap instead. Another excellent dinner (which put my beer consumption up to about 40 lbs for the week) was welcomed and we shared stories and damn lies at the Yacht Club. Soon after we woke Super Joe from under the dinner table and headed back to The Sand Bar, where we were beginning to become legendary. We VIPed our way inside and were welcomed to the smooth stylings of JOURNEY and some old school Madonna. I thought it would have been tough to top our big night on Friday, but boy was I wrong. One should never doubt their ability to have a good time… GO BIG OR GO HOME!

MWW Day Three
Breakfast throughout the week consisted of daily stops to the Mission Bay Boardwalk Café, and I recommend this should be routine for all returning teams. MWW’s wrapped up with three races in Mission Bay. Thirty degree wind shifts and sailing ten feet from short was not uncommon. Team Ingham finished up a solid week another strong set.

MWW “The After Party”
One thing this week solidified to many of us was that “you can always retake a class or a get a new job, but you can never relive a Midwinters.” There is something to be said about spending a week with your favorite people enjoying spectacular weather, great racing and excellent regatta management. Dave Bloomberg and crew once again showed why San Diego will always be dear to our hearts. I will be back next year and I hope to encourage you all to do the same.

This is Karl D. Felger telling you to Stay Class, San Diego.

The Where, the When and the Why....

2007-01-10T15:21:00.000-05:00

Just recently, I’ve had discussions with John Power, long time Thistle sailor and proud owner of new Thistle 4002. We’ve put together a little Q&A Spotlight (possibly a full time feature of the blog…?). This is a great way to highlight the wonderful people so sail in and support the TCA.

Karl Felger: Why a new boat?
John Power: I absolutely love the thistle and the class, so it seemed like the thing to do! I am certainly not the level sailor that is going to give Dave Dellenbaugh and the like sleepless nights, but I have done quite a bit of sailing in dinghies and small keelboats and NOTHING, repeat NOTHING can compare to our fine little boats!
KF: Do you consider a new boat being a serious upgrade?
JP: I think we are lucky to have a builder whose quality is second to none. Doug Labor (Great Midwest) loves thistles and takes a huge amount of pride in his work. I have spent some time in his shop over the years and he is absolutely meticulous about the construction and finish of the boats. You can order with confidence knowing that he will do whatever it takes to get things done right. Every boat is built with the same care and attention to detail which has given Doug the reputation he deserves. I have previously owned two GMW thistles and I think they were equal, in quality of construction, durability, speed, and most of all beauty. Doug's fastidious attention to detail results in boats that remain competitive, hold their value, and keep the class strong with a good supply of competitive boats. I am fortunate to be able to be ordering a new boat, but I am doing it more out of a love for the class and the boat, than a need for a “more competitive" one. In short, one design sailing doesn’t get much more one design than the thistle!
KF: Considering how “anal retentive” some people are with rigging, what hardware wold you change on your new stock boat?
JP: Again, I think that GMW has it figured out. The stock boat is as competitive as any and the rigging on the GMW boats is about as simple as it gets. Whoever said "Less is more" surely must have been a Thistler. The only things I plan to change over the stock boat are: Adjustments for all three hiking straps, and a reverse purchase and line gobbler for the spin halyard. I will also upgrade the running rigging to some spectra core line, probably Yale Lite or similar.
KF: How would you characterize class support from the major supplier and sail makers?
JP:Another thing that I have come to appreciate about the Thistle Class is the support we receive from sail makers and suppliers. I like the fact that I can call suppliers like Layline, JDC or APS, and get specific answers to my rigging questions. The pros respect the Thistle and want our business -many have Thistle specific pages on their websites and in their catalogues. They also know the boat well enough to answer questions over the phone.The sailmakers have been great too. Ched Proctor and Greg Fisher have been really helpful over the years. One year I recieved a spinnaker from north that was accidentally delivered covered in glue...Of course, within minutes I was 'swearing like a sailor" because I was at a regatta and my new spin was a mess. I was still kind of new in the class at the time and didn’t know what to expect....by the time I arrived home from the regatta, I had a message from Greg on my answering machine. I sent him back the sail, and he had it repaired and made it a point to come see me at nationals to make sure that I was happy. Where else do you get this kind of service?Just this past fall, I met Quantum Team Member Craig Koschalk at Nyack Boat Club during the ECFS. We started talking about sails and I decided to give the Quantum a try. Again, the support from the sailmakers was impressive. I placed and order and made some inquiries online. Immediately I had calls from Skip Dieball and George Szabo asking if I had any questions or concerns and offering help to get the boat set up and going fast. Craig also offered to come and sail a regatta on my boat to help me get up to speed, as well as offering to let me try his NEW sails out during racing at NYACK think this kind of support is awesome. Again, the suppliers want to help get everyone up to speed and competitive and keep the class strong.
KF: But again, why the Thistle?
JP: THE PEOPLE.....THE BEST REASON TO OWN A THISTLE!!!!!!!! I learned how to sail at Regatta Point community sailing, in Worcester MA. At the time, all the kids were buying lasers and force fives, but I was just too big for those boats, so the fellow that ran the program, AL Fearn, encouraged me to buy a boat called a FIREFLY. (you will get the connection in a minute. I hope) the firefly is basically a 12 foot thistle with a deck, having been designed by UFFA FOX as a single hander for the Olympics back in the 50's. Well not only did I really learn how to sail (and swim) I also ended up with the prettiest boat at the sailing school!....Years later, I found out that Al Fearn had won the Firefly Nationals on Saratoga Lake, NY where I now do a lot of my thistle racing with NIAGRA FRONTIER FLEET 147.(The guy who came in SECOND was Stu Walker, and there is a chapter in his book on advanced racing tactics about the effect of large land mass on an inland lake, i.e. Snake hill on Lake Saratoga) Years after I bought my first thistle, I found out that AL also used to race thistles " back in the day" at Cottage Park Yacht Club in Winthrop, (Boston) MA. Coincidence? I saw my first thistle at the Newport, RI wooden boat show in the mid 80's. Phil Delaney has #376 on display. The boat was pristine and won first place for the best wood boat restoration that year. I had found a boat to replace the firefly! It was basically the same boat, but bigger, with a spin. I thought it would be a perfect day sailor......ha-ha, I still had a lot to learn. Well, Phil gave me Honey Abramson's contact info and before I knew it, I was out for a sail on Bill Poole's then brand new 3762, Adam "S". with the BRISTOL RI FLEET (If memory serves me correct, Delaney’s wood boat was there that day too and was # 376...another funny thistle coincidence 376 and 376TWO in the same fleet) I remember, after sailing the whole day with Bill, I looked over and saw another thistle just coming down from a screaming plane. I said to him, " I didn't know they could plane...I thought they were too big". He just laughed and said that we had been planing all day! At this point, I knew I had to have one. As soon as I got home that day, I wrote Bill and Honey letters thanking them for getting me out for a sail. I told them how much I had enjoyed the sail and I joined the class as an associate member. I was really excited when I got my very first BAGPIPE, only to have found out that I had already written an article! Honey had forwarded my letter ...yes, in SNAIL MAIL...to Jack Finefrock, who sent it to the Bagpipe. The point of Jack's turning my letter into an article for the BAGPIPE was to show how the efforts of people like Bill Poole helped attract new people to the boat and the class...I GUESS IT WORKED, because here I am 4 boats later...). I still remember Bill's efforts to help get me involved and I try to do the same for people that want to try the boat. I also, use my thistle while teaching the junior sailing school at Saratoga Lake. The pictures below are of my boat on with me and 3 12 year olds aboard. The girl trimming the jib, now crews for DAVE and JOHN HUDSON on 3947!
Years later I had my first thistle 3495 and the Firefly was up for sale. I was living in Amherst MA at the time, pretty far from sailing. Bill Barringer 3821 from Saratoga called and inquired about my firefly, and we started talking about thistles, and I joined the sailing club at Saratoga Lake, even though it was, and still is almost a two hour drive to get to race the thistle. Every minute spent in the boat is worth the drive I do EVERY weekend to sail!
KF: Recently you were awarded the East Coast Fall Series Recognition Trophy. How does that make you feel?
JP:I am extremely proud of the fact that my commitment to the boat is being recognized by the class, but I think it important to note that the deed on the back of the trophy is truly a description of the character of ALL THISTLERS rather than just one individual. It reads. "The recognition trophy is awarded by the East Coast Fall Series planning committee to a skipper or crew who is dedicated to and supports the East Coast Fall Series racing schedule but didn't receive recognition through awards from sailing excellence. The trophy recognizes an individual who willingly contributes to the promotion and spirit of the races, showing enthusiasm through race participation and associated social activities"
KF: We’ve witnessed what you have done for the TCA. What has it done for you?
JP: The Thistle has taught me to be a better sailor, has gotten me home safely in rough conditions, and provided me with excellent racing, but most importantly, I have made some of my closest friends sailing in the class. You will hear similar stories from just about anyone who has been associated with the TCA. We all know the people in our class are the best anywhere. Even though we sail a great boat, the real reason we keep coming back is our friends. (I have made way too many to mention here, it’s like having family all across the country!)

This could be you in '07

2007-01-06T15:34:00.000-05:00

2006 MWW Larry Klein Match Race Trophy Winners Paul Abdullah, Nick Turney and Krissy Abdullah

You've Lost That Loving Feeling

2007-01-04T17:38:00.000-05:00

We here in the untamed north are looking forward to Thistle Midwinter's West and East. If you have any good stories about either event feel free to email me at karl.d.felger@hotmail.com and I will be sure to post them. Unfortunately, most of you may be more like me than you know and luckily forget the majority of what happens at said events!

Cheers,
Karl D. Felger

Words from the Dirty South

2007-01-04T17:31:00.000-05:00

Recently, me an the boys at The Q attended the 2006 Orange Bowl Regatta in Miami, FL. This event was held between Christmas and New Years. All I have to say is that everyday down there was just another spectacular day in paradise. Throughout the week I enjoyed the company of many good Thistle sailors who shared the same sentiment with me that we NEED to have an event in Miami. It's one of the sailing capitals of the world, it's always 80 degrees and always blowing 10-15 knots. We got off 8 races in three days without a hitch and the regatta management was impeccable. I encourage us all to consider making this a possible stop on the newly baptised "TCA Southern Circuit." Yacht club officials repeatedly mentioned they would love to have us!

Karl D. Felger

Welcome Thistle Class

2006-10-19T10:29:00.000-05:00

Dear Fellow Thistle Sailors,

This Blog was created in an attempt to bring you up to date regatta reports and provide a forum in which the Thistle Class can communicate effectively. This Blog is open to all Thistle Sailors to post regatta reports, stories and memories. We encourage you to continue providing the Bagpipe with quality material, and we will do the same by possibly using your posted articles for Bagpipe material.
Once again, provide us with your articles, stories and thoughts. In an effort to keep this Blog soley to Thistle sailng content please send all posts to karl.d.felger@hotmail.com.

Respectfully Submitted,
Karl D. Felger