2016FebMar Bagpipe - Thistle Fleet 169

Transcription

JOURNAL OF THE THISTLE
CLASS ASSOCIATION
Volume LXIX, Number 2
Journal of the Thistle Class Association
Feb./Mar. 2016
1
2 thistleclass.com
Bagpipe - February/March 2016
Journal of the Thistle
Class Association
Volume LXIX, Number 2
February/March 2016
Table of Contents:
4 - President, Scott Griffin
5 - MWE
6 - Past President, Kyle Finefrock - MWE
6 - Calendar
7 - MWE
9 - Getting to Know Eugene
10- Guest Editorial - Brian Kitchin
11- Spotlight on Conor Ruppen
12- In Memoriam, Honey Abramson
14- South East Fall Series
18- Rebuilding #448
20- Astoria Cruise, 2016
21- Sandusky One Design Regatta
22- Naptown Regatta
24- Newport Halloween Regatta
25- East Coast Fall Series
35- Over the Transom
On the Cover:
Downwind at the Oyster Roast, part of the East Coast Fall Series.
Photo by Tina Deptula
This Page:
A great Father/Daughter moment of team of Eric and Claire Guion at the Naptown Regatta.
Photo by Bill Crawford
BAGPIPE
(UPS 901-280) is published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October, and December by the Thistle Class Association at 38 Flamingo
Road, Hatboro, PA 19040. Periodicals postage paid at Toledo, OH.
POSTMASTER: send address changes to Bagpipe, PO Box 741, Hatboro, PA 19040.
3
Scott Griffin, President
D
The Thistle Experience
uring a recent South East Series regatta I had separate con
versations with several people about how special the Thistle
regatta experience is to them. These weren’t casual, “Hey, what
a great weekend!” type of comments (which it was by the way), but
rather each of these individuals spoke poignantly about some aspect
of Thistle sailing that had them hooked. Each of them pointed to a different facet of
the overall experience.
One is completely taken in by the competition. This sounds pretty straightforward,
but to quote a certain college football analyst, “Not so fast, my friends.” This particular
sailor has competed in many other one design classes ranging from small family oriented dinghies to ultra competitive keel boats. He has competed with and against some
of the very best sailors in the world. However, he has found that the racing, sportsmanship, and camaraderie within the Thistle Class is rather unique. For him the Thistle
experience exemplifies the concept of Corinthian competition.
Another, who has also thrived on the competition for a long time, has recently
discovered an appreciation for the amazing venues that serve as the backdrop of our
regattas. Whether it is the ocean waters of Southern California, a coastal bay, one of
the Great Lakes, or even an inland lake reached by driving through a cow pasture, each
offers an experience that is often too easy to overlook. Well, this sailor has made it
a point to try to take in and enjoy the beauty that is our stadium.
Yet another gave a more Jimmy Buffet inspired viewpoint; for him it is a state of
mind. He told me that you cannot really explain “all of this” to outsiders (actually, I
think he called them, “normal grown-ups”). He believes that whether or not you were
introduced to it at an early age, there is a certain youthful exuberance that is infused
into all of us when we are indoctrinated (actually, I think he said, “infected”). This is
partly why this pastime is shared by people of all ages and how it becomes a lifetime
experience (actually, I think he said, “addiction”).
Finally, there was a sailor who had been away from Thistle sailing for most of the
year. His life was busy. There was no time to make it to the club for a race day, much
less to get away for a weekend regatta. He told me that he actually did not realize
how much he was missing all of it. However, this particular Saturday, he found himself
re-immersed in the experience that captivates us all. It started with a sense of calm as
he sailed out to the race course, happy to have his boat back on the water. Then there
was the excitement of the racing which was fantastic, regardless of the results. Finally,
there was contentment as he recounted old memories and planned to make new ones
with like-minded souls. This was his Thistle Experience.
“Sailors, with their built-in sense of order,
service, and discipline, should really be
running the world.”
-Nicholas Monsarrat
4 thistleclass.com
Joy Martin, 3rd VP - Growth & Promotion
A
Newport Lessons
s promised in my last article, I have reached out to folks
who were willing to tell their stories of becoming a part of
Thistle family. This month I had a chance to chat with Patrick
O’Connor (1021). I have known Pat for many years, but the recent
reinvigoration of the Newport, Rhode Island fleet made me want to
share his story. The tale he shares brings to mind a number of things we will want to
consider as we grow and nurture our Class.
Pat attended SUNY Maritime College. Sailing was a part of that experience. Around
that time Sean Joyce (1394) from the Westport fleet extended an invitation to Pat
and some of his buddies asking them to sail in one of their “Super Saturday” summer
events. Pat found the boat and people of the Westport fleet to be friendly, generous,
and engaging. They made him want to come back for more. Through contacts made at
these events, Pat had a chance to sail with Tom Lawton and Sarah Hatsell (1485) and
later Dave and Anne Hansen (616). Pat sailed the East Coast Fall Series with both these
teams. He found the series to have good competition at a reasonable price point, and
everyone he encountered was willing to share knowledge and have a good time.
After these two fall series experiences, Morley Flynn, a good friend of Pat’s, bought
#
3728. They campaigned the Thistle in earnest, doing as many regattas as they could.
They took the boat to the Mid-Winters West, Mid-Winters East, the Orange Peel, and
then after a few spring regattas, they competed in the Nationals in Pensacola. Pat and
his team had a fabulous adventure. But time moves on and Morley sold his boat. Patrick
decided it was time to buy his own Thistle.
As Pat was looking for a boat within in his price range, he reflected on the woodies
he had sailed with the Joyce brothers, the Lawton/Hatsell team, and the Hansens. All
three wooden boats were highly competitive and reasonably priced. These attributes
were not something that other classes offered. After some investigation, Pat discovered #1021 in California. It had been restored by Hans Williams and sailed in one MidWinters West. Pat bought it and brought it to the East Coast.
Pat found himself in Newport and quickly teamed up with Ervin Grove, and later
Kira Munger (969), and Alex Liggett. They had lots of friends who sailed and set to
work to get as many as possible into Thistles. Pat and Ervin focused on making it easy
and fun. They made each time they sailed last summer one part clinic and one part easy
racing. As you will read in their regatta write up on page 24, their Halloween regatta
included a costume event. In a very short time, this group took their fleet from 2 to
11 Thistles and a 12th is about to join. Erv invites you to check out their new website:
NewportThistle.org.
When I asked Pat what the attraction of the Thistle was for him and his fleet members, his first response was the people; friendly, generous with time and information,
and willing to share no matter which fleet or venue you visit all across the country.
His next response was the boat and the racing it delivers. He sees the Thistle as one
that is relatively easy to sail, yet is lively and nimble and just technical enough to keep
it interesting. Pat has found the racing to be close and competitive yet still inviting for
all levels of sailor. He thinks the price and the competitiveness of wooden boats built
in 1950’s which can still beat boats built in 2015 adds to the attraction. Last but not
least, Pat considers the Thistle Class’s 26 and Under program, which sponsors skippers
for the Class’s chevron events, very inviting for the young Thistlers in our midst.
And so here are the lessons for growing and nurturing our Class which I take away
from Pat’s story: Strive to keep it fun and friendly. Make it a goal to meet a new person
at every fleet event and regatta. Listen to their story and share parts of yours. Find out
what folks need to get into a boat, and work to make it happen. Actively look for boats
for sale, and then try to match up the newer members of your fleet with these boats.
Engage in clinic type talks both on and off the water. Share your crew with others,
and take new team’s crew sailing with you. Pay attention to the shore activities. These
events also make people want to come back again.
Fair winds!
5
Kyle Finefrock, Past President
T
Midwinters East
Calendar
wo Great venues, one amazing week of sailing!
By now you’ve hopefully heard we are going to try something
new this March in Florida. Midwinters East will be a 3 day event
at the Saint Petersburg Yacht Club. But for those of you still hungry for
a full week of sailing, we have been welcomed to Sarasota, 45 minutes
south of Saint Pete for a Midwinters East Kick-off Regatta. This regatta will be a 3 day
event as well, beginning Sunday, February 28th.
The reason for this is two fold; first, we would like the opportunity to sail at and see
other venues on Florida’s Gulf Coast. We have had several Class members say fantastic
things about Sarasota, and they welcomed us with open arms. Second, we have had sailors mention that they would be interested in a shorter Midwinters event.
This year offers the perfect opportunity to examine these options. The best way for
us to learn what will be best for the future of the Class and the Midwinters event is to
have a large sample size this year! We need as many sailors as possible to join us this year
in Florida! This is your opportunity to help steer the Class and have a lot of fun in Florida
at the same time!
6 thistleclass.com
MIDWINTERS EAST
Two GREAT venues. One AMAZING week of sailing!
2016 Thistle MWE Prequel
February 28 - March 1
S
arasota Sailing Squadron is thrilled
to help the Thistle Class have a full
week of sailing fun in Florida.
Craig Bridges welcomes us to Sarasota
and can be reached at the club
(941) 388-2355 or by email,
manager@sarasotasailingsquadron.org
Registration will be available at:
www.sarasotasailingsquadron.org
sarasotasailingsquadron.org
1717 Ken Thompson Pkwy,
Sarasota, FL 34236
The club website is also the best place
for visitor information including local
hotels, attractions, and directions.
Regarding housing, there is a limited
amount of camping available on site!
Schedule:
Saturday, February 27, 2016
1800 Reception Keg
Sunday, February 28, 2016
1000 Competitors’ Meeting
1200 Warning, 1st Race
1800 Keg and dinner
Monday, February 29, 2016
Open night
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
1600 Awards and BBQ Party
St. Petersburg Yacht Club
2016 Thistle Midwinters East Regatta
March 2-4, 2016
S
aint Petersburg Yacht Club is
proud to host the Thistles once again
for the Midwinters East Regatta, this
year sponsored by Pusser’s Rum!
Todd Fedyszyn will return for his
third year as PRO bringing his team’s
exceptional communication and race
management.
Registration includes 3 days of racing,
3 cookout dinner tickets, 3 Friday
Awards Banquet tickets and 1 keg
party! Registration will be discounted
to $200 for USSailing members who
register only at www.spyc.org by
February 15th.
Schedule:
For further information contact our
SPYC team,Susan Wallace,
susanhwallacefl@gmail.comor Karen
Park, crewaa@gmail.com
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
0900 - 1100 Competitor Check-in
SPYC Sailing Center
1100 Competitors’ Meeting
SPYC Sailing Center
1800 Cookout
SPYC Tiki Deck
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Todd Fedyszyn
will return for his
third year as PRO.
1800 Keg Party
SPYC Regatta Room
Friday, March 4, 2016
There will be no warning after 1430
11 Central Ave,
St Petersburg, FL 33701
1800 Awards Banquet and Pusser’s
Rum Party
7
Calendar
Calendar
Thistle National Championship
Fern Ridge Lake ~ Eugene, Oregon
July 23-29, 2016
8 thistleclass.com
GETTING TO KNOW EUGENE, OREGON - LANE COUNTY
B
eautiful Eugene, Oregon and the surrounding
area is a paradise of activity. While you’re waiting for the 2016 Thistle National Championships take a look at all Lane County, Oregon has to
offer. I promise you won’t regret
it. With options ranging from wineries and restaurants to horse back
riding and hiking, Lane County is
sure to win you over and have you
looking forward to what happens
after the 2016 Thistle National
Championships.
Less than thirty minutes from the Eugene metro
area, discover more than a dozen distinct, award winning wineries in the South Willamette Valley, often
ranked as a top wine destination.
Sip, savor and adventure your way
through Oregon Wine Country!
Follow a designated wine trail or
just look at the wine map and plan
your own wine tasting excursion.
The Eugene Ale Trail spotlights
our region’s top breweries. The
close proximity between many of
the craft beer tasting rooms makes
it uniquely easy to pub crawl
Oregon’s renowned micro-brews.
Collect stamps on the official passport and earn an exclusive prize!
The Eugene-Springfield metro area boasts a
plethora of activities. If your fancy is shopping, try
the Valley River Center or Gateway Mall. Shop to your hearts
content – there is no sales tax
in Oregon! Spend the afternoon
exploring some of the natural areas
in Eugene-Springfield. Round out
the evening by taking in a performance at one of the multitude of
performing arts venues and local food and beverage
favorites.
Prepare to be awed by nature. The Cascade Mountains, a year-round recreational paradise is only an
hour from the Eugene-Springfield metro area. Popular outdoor pursuits include mountain biking near
Oakridge, known nationally as
one of the mountain biking capitals, or discover the McKenzie
River corridor with white water
rafting, fishing, or numerous hiking trails to amazing waterfalls
and lakes. You’re guaranteed
adventure in the Cascades.
Abundant sandy beaches hug rocky cliffs, misty
pine forests, clear coastal lakes, and rolling sand
dunes harbor an amazing collection of birds, plants,
and other wildlife. Thrill seekers can sign up for dune buggy
rides or go sandboarding at the
world’s first sandboarding park.
Cycle or drive the segment of
Highway 101 from Dunes City
to Cape Perpetua, declared an
All American Road, or take to
the skies for an aerial tour of
Oregon’s distinctive coastline.
Visit Historic Old Town Florence
where the Siuslaw River meets
the Pacific Ocean, and stop at
Heceta Head Lighthouse to enjoy one of Oregon’s
oldest lighthouses.
Eugene, Cascades & Coast – Travel Lane County
cannot wait to welcome the 2016
Thistle Nationals to Eugene,
Oregon and the surrounding
Lane County area. If there is an
activity you have a hankering to
experience but don’t know how,
give our visitors’ center a call at
800-547-5445.
Explore the area further at:
http://www.eugenecascadescoast.org.
9
Guest Editorial
The Forgotten Proctor Sailor
O
ne of
the
greatest things about
racing in the
Thistle Class is
the fact that all
of us average
Joes have the opportunity to race against
pros on a regular basis. This provides us
with a chance to bounce questions off guys
like Mike and Skip while standing around
the keg after races. In my opinion, this is
one of the most underrated reasons why
we have such a highly competitive Class.
You don’t need to blindly follow a tuning
guide, but instead you can engage in an
active discussion with the people who are
making your sails and have spent hours and
hours testing them and developing a far
greater understanding of your sails than
you ever will. There is only one problem…
What about us Proctor sailors? It has been
a very long time since we have had a pro
in the Class who is set up for Proctor
sails and is actively racing with them. As
a result I have had many discussions with
Proctor users who don’t fully understand
their own sail and how to use it. I wanted
to write this article to clear a few things
up for people that I have picked up while
racing with Proctors as well as a things I
have learned in discussions with other successful Proctor users.
I’m going to start with one of the most
puzzling things I’ve witnessed. I’ve seen a
handful of Proctor users who have actually removed their traveler from their
boat completely. Perhaps you wanted one
less thing to think about or maybe you
watched Mike Ingham or Paul Abdullah kick
your butt on a heavy air beat with their
traveler centered, vang on hard, and main
out. Let me remind you of two things: First,
they are really good and kick just about everyone’s butt, and secondly (this one is important), THEY ARE USING A DIFFERENT
SAIL! The Proctor main generates signifi10 by Brian Kitchin, #3939
cantly less leech tension than the Fisher
main does which means if you treat it
like a Fisher and vang crazy hard and
let the main out, there is a good chance
you’re gonna leave the top half of your
sail wide open, and you won’t be going
anywhere. I was guilty of neglecting my
traveler too until a long discussion with
Eric Gesner at Saratoga a couple years
ago. He reminded me that the sail is
designed to be used with the traveler.
This will allow you to spill some air off
the leech in a breeze without losing all
ability to point. Eric even has his crew
playing the traveler at times in conjunction with his mainsheet work.
Another puzzling thing I’ve seen
Proctor users copy in heavy air is putting a shim in the back of their mast
step to help flatten out the main. STOP
DOING THAT! Fisher mains need that
shim to help the mast bend and flatten
the sail to depower.Your main is already pretty flat, and you don’t need it
any flatter to depower. From a normal
setup it’s nearly impossible to overtrim a Proctor main. Adding a shim in
the back of the step will prevent you
from trimming correctly at all. If you
can’t trim the main enough to close the
leech and stall your upper leech tell
tail, then you’ve gone way too far. If you
are going to use shims at all with this
main, it should be in the front of your
step when you are NOT overpowered.
This will prevent the mast from rocking
forward on the step and will limit mast
bend adding some depth to the front of
your sail and helping you power up. This
is something I started messing around
with after getting my butt kicked on
Lake Hopatcong by my brother-in-law
Chris Murphy more times than I care
to remember. He uses the deeper
Fisher sail, and by adding depth to my
own sail I negated some of his speed
edge in the Lake H powerboat slop.
After some success with it, I proudly
thistleclass.com
shared with Steve Gruver whose response
was something along the lines of, “Well yea,
it’s really important in those conditions,
and the speed difference is unbelievable.”
I guess I was late to the party, but hearing
it from Gruve is reassuring because he has
spent a lot of time sailing with Ched and
probably knows the sail better than anyone
(plus he’s pretty good).
Another benefit of the shim in the front
is it increases your leech tension. As I said
earlier, the leech tension on the Proctor
is limited which can hurt in pointing. I’ve
heard multiple people say to me that they
struggled holding lanes with the Proctor so
they switched sails. The fact is if you can’t
point well, there is a better than average
chance that you’re not getting your main in
far enough to close the leech. The shim in
front will help close the leech generating
more lift and helping you to point better,
but it’s important to keep in mind that
now it is likely possible to over-trim which
is like putting down the flaps on an airplane
wing. This isn’t fast. How will you know
if you’re over-trimmed? To answer that
question I’ll refer you to the advice I got
from fellow Proctor user Brent Barbehenn
over a bratwurst: “Pull the main in until
the (expletive) boat slows down.” Pretty
simple but a great lesson as long as you
pay attention to the boats around you.
Listen Proctor sailors, you may read
this and get something valuable out of it.
Or maybe you’ll tear it up and use it as
kindling. It really doesn’t make a difference
to me. I just wanted to write this to share
some things that have worked for me but
also to let you know that you haven’t been
forgotten. There are a lot of guys out there
who are successfully using the Proctor cut,
and even though they may not be the ones
making your sails, they are certainly a great
resource for better understanding your
sail and getting around the course a little
quicker. Sail fast!
Sailor Spotlight
Conor Ruppen
T
he “Sailor Spotlight” is a column which is intended to
feature our younger Thistle sailors. This month’s featured
sailor is CONOR RUPPEN, who has been a fixture in the
Lake Erie District and Fleet #120 (Berlin Yacht Club) for several
years. Maybe you met him last year at MWE when he was
crewing with Ben and Brooke France. They finished in 6th place.
TCA: How old are you?
CONOR: I am 21 and have been sailing Thistles for about six
or seven years.
TCA: Where do you work/go to school?
CONOR: I am in year four of five at the University of Akron,
studying Mechanical Engineering. I alternate semesters between
taking classes and interning at a local manufacturing company.
TCA: Where do you sail?
CONOR: I sail out of Berlin Yacht Club in Northeast Ohio.
TCA: How were you introduced to the Thistle?
Conor: My first Thistle ride, and where I learned that the
Sunfish may not be the world’s quickest boat, was with Dave
Miller. I also remember wandering around after sail camp one
year when Jack and Kathy Finefrock grabbed me and had me
fly the spinnaker for the first time during a club race. However,
I owe the biggest thanks to Warren Duckworth. After Eddie
Duckworth aged out of junior sailing, Warren offered his boat,
#
3744, to the junior team if we were interested. Warren sailed
the entire Lake Erie Fall Series with me that year, and turned
the boat over to us the next season where we came one broken outhaul away from winning Junior Bay Week. The next year,
Warren lent us the boat again, while I worked on my new-tome boat.
TCA: Do you sail any other boats?
CONOR: I raced Lasers as a junior, but after I made the switch,
I really have not been back. I have sailed the Highlander a little
bit, and I do enjoy the boat a lot, and plan to get back in it.
TCA: Who do you normally sail with?
CONOR: I am lucky that most weekends, I can sail with my
good friends Mark D’Apolito, Lauren Myers, whom I have been
sailing with since juniors, or my girlfriend Carrie Patterson.
Carrie’s very first sailboat experience was at Tom Hubbell’s
rainy, windy, and cold backyard regatta a few years ago. Since
then she hasn’t missed a Nationals (I did, I was busy taking finals!) Last year I took a break from hauling my boat around and
crewed for my friends Ben and Brooke France. We had a lot of
fun and some good success, but for now I am back to my own
boat. Sorry Ben.
TCA: What do you like about the Thistle Class?
CONOR: I like the camaraderie. We have a competitive disJournal of the Thistle Class Association
trict, but we have a lot of fun too. I love the Fall Series. Growing up,
I was able to learn a lot by jumping around and crewing on different boats in the Fall Series. Everyone has been more than willing
to help. Nationals is always a blast, and I enjoy when everyone is
“forced” to camp or stay together.
TCA: What is your favorite memory about Thistle sailing?
Conor: 2013 Sandusky Nationals. That was the first year I was
able to drive my boat, #3572, and I had my good friends Charlie
Essi and Lauren Myers with me. Thursday we sailed three races,
and we had the only good wind of the week. Something that day
“clicked,” everything made sense, we had the boat moving great,
and we ended the day tied for 1st in the very deep and competitive
Presidents fleet. Of course on Friday, we drifted our way out of it,
but that’s another story…
TCA: Do you plan on attending any Thistle events in the near
future?
CONOR: With my class/intern schedule, I do not think I will make
it to Midwinters or Nationals this year which is unfortunate; the
new MWE schedule looks exciting and Nationals sounds fantastic.
I will get to do all of our local regattas, districts, and Great Lakes.
We have a great Wednesday night series at BYC that is always fun.
TCA: What can the Thistle class do to keep you sailing Thistles?
CONOR: I appreciate the Under 26 program, although I have not
been able to take advantage of it yet. I cannot really ask for much
more myself. To help the next guy, if you know of some older boats
laying around outside, see if you can find a new home for them.
As they say, “One man’s trash is another man’s perfectly serviceable entry level club boat with some elbow grease.” Right now at
BYC, we are working on rehabbing a few old boats with donated
labor and parts. Our plan is to have these boats available to new
(younger) sailors.
11
Remembering Honey
H
by Peter Hale and Elmer Richards
oney Abramson,
our beloved longtime Secretary/
Treasurer, passed away
last November at age 87.
Honey served the Thistle
Class for a remarkable 40
years, from 1961 through
2000.
She entered the world
of Thistling in the 1950s,
crewing for her husband
Marlin in the Columbus
area. As her children, Debbie and Lisa, came along, she stayed
involved with the Class, moving to the administrative side. We
sure are glad that she did, as her efforts and devotion to the TCA
as Secretary/Treasurer were a major factor in making the TCA the
premier one-design organization it is today!
Honey was a friend to all Thistlers – at least if their boats had
been properly measured and registered and their dues were paid
up! She was the “border collie” for the Class, constantly collecting
strays and redirecting them back to the fold in order to maintain
the size and excellence of the Class. She was a master of the
TCA’s structure and requirements, and our “bible”, the famous
Green Book. She was in constant communication with Fleet officers and individual Members to keep boat registration and dues
records accurate and current – including resolving regular 11th
hour “emergencies” to ensure that boats and Members were
properly qualified for their Districts and Nationals. Her trademark
postcards and letters, always typed in Thistle-green ink, became
the standard form of communication with the Membership. She
was so responsive and effective that many Members came to
consider her and the TCA one and the same!
Her regular presence at the Nationals and often at the MWE
not only fulfilled her “official” responsibilities, but allowed her to
catch up with her Thistle family, and organize numerous social
activities, some of which required the often-reluctant Officers at
the time to perform some sort of a skit with a rhyme or song
she had composed.
She was a tireless promoter of the Class and the Thistle, and
served as the point of contact for the TCA with the general
public. After she and her family moved to the Chicago area in
the late 1960s, her 1811 Cavell Ave., Highland Park, IL address
became “TCA Central”, and over the years, she sent promotional
material on the Thistle and the TCA to hundreds of people and
ensured that a local Thistler was alerted to follow-up.
She somehow managed to work productively with 36 TCA
Presidents, from Atlanta’s Frank Alcorn to Louisiana’s Paul Jordan,
and including, in between, such varying “personalities” as Ted
Fontelieu, Dave Minton, Rod Glover, Art Menke, Larry Haupt,
Jim Kincaid, and Tom Hubbell, to mention only a few. She was a
constant source of information and history, as well as prompter
when deadlines approached.
She was always cost conscious, almost to the extreme -- using
postcards to communicate to save postage in the pre-Internet
days – and her organizational skills were legendary. In the early
1980’s when I was serving as TCA President, my fellow Officers
thought that the time had arrived to purchase one of those
new-fangled computers for keeping Class records. I traveled to
Chicago about that time, and stopped by Highland Park for a
tour of the TCA Office and to talk about the new technology.
She demonstrated the TCA’s mechanical filing system, which was
Tributes from the List Serve
It is with great sadness that we
announce that Honey Abramson
passed away on Friday, November
13th. She served as Thistle Class
Secretary for 39 years, beginning in
1961. She is the primary reason that
the Thistle Class is as strong as it is
today. She will be greatly missed.
- Craig Smith
Rather sad news indeed!
Those of us old enough to know
remember getting those green typed
postcards in the mail from Honey
whether it dealt with Fleet, District,
or TCA business.
Those of us in Class manage12 ment remember getting additional
correspondence from Honey with
“friendly reminders” of what needed to be done or hadn’t been done.
I remember my first go-round as
Bagpipe Editor, 1st VP & President
trying to do my very best not wanting to disappoint either Dave Keran
or Ron Smith who had proceeded
me in Class management and whom
I sailed against on a regular basis,
but it was Honey who I feared disappointing the most as she was the
person behind the scenes pulling
and pushing that truly held together
the Thistle Class for so long.
Many one design classes wish
they could be as successful as the
thistleclass.com
Thistle Class Association, but we
had Honey Abramson and they
didn’t!
Mardi and I will always remember Honey and we offer our
heartfelt condolences to Honey’s
family.
- Mike Gillum #1010
Mike, I share your sentiments
and your story exactly. Honey
was our guide and Class mom.
We wouldn’t dare disappoint
her. What a wonderful lady! We
would not be the Class we are
today without her.
- Jack Finefrock
so efficient that we delayed the purchase of TCA’s first PC
for several years, saving the cost of several generations of
the rapidly-evolving machines.
Honey could be very defensive at any hint of degradation of the one-design Thistle. Elmer Richards arranged
to have Jon Leiby bring his “Steam Thistle”(a damaged hull
that had been rebuilt with a wood-fired boiler to create
steam power) from Woods Hole, Massachusetts to the 1979
Nationals at Tabor Academy for sailors to see. When Honey
saw it, she was mortified. She made it quite clear that she
considered it a “desecration” of our beloved Thistle.
Perhaps it is appropriate to close with the poem Honey
wrote in the early 1970’s:
Photo courtesy of the Columbus
Jewish Historical Society
Secretary’s Saga
by Honey Abrasion
Our Class is great, our members swell, I love them every one.
At times I even start to think this job of mine is fun.
But then I get a missive that could make me tear my hair,
I moan and sigh and then I try to answer what is there.
The registrations come to me with blank dimension lines,
The signatures of the witnesses look just like foreign signs,
The owner signs and dates the thing where I’m supposed to pen,
Or he forgets to send his check; I mail it back again.
A fleet report arrives on time, for which I jump for joy,
So I compare with last year’s list and boy, oh boy, oh boy:
The numbers are a bit mixed up. Who sold which boat to whom?
And how about some dues, dear Sec. to stay financial doom?
We value all no fleeters and embrace them to our ranks,
And when they pay their dues on time, they earn eternal thanks.
I burn a bit when they write in that BAGPIPE did not come.
I find, alas, no dues were paid. Oh, they forgot that sum.
And there’s the guys who advertise at our reas’nable rate,
And will not pay our rendered bill (they’ll ne’er see heaven’s gate).
Repeated notes and letters to them all account for nil.
Do not they realize that we must pay up for their bill?
I love the guy who’s racing in a series Friday next,
And sends to me on Thursday all the reg forms for my X.
I dearly do adore the secretaries who enroll
Some members just in time to raise their Dist. or Nat’l. toll.
I wonder if in heaven there is a spot for tired Sec’s.
Where letters all are neatly typed clear throughout the text,
Where everyone pays dues and bills just weeks before they’re due,
Where rosters, lists, reports, et al are perfect through and through,
Where measurement certificates need never be returned
Because each one is perfect, the members finally learned.
If such a spot there is in fact in heavenly salvation
Then I shall write a note right quick and claim my reservation.
“compass” of that body, always
there to guide the ship of state to
its proper destination, usually in
green type. She also acted so many
times as “Social Chairperson” at
major event parties. I remember
when President, being approached
at one of these parties by Honey.
She’d be carrying some props,
You must have been the president.
I only got the carbon copies.
some perhaps-strange pieces of
- Loy Vaughn
wearing apparel, and of course
some green-typed sheets. “You
Great sadness. It’s hard, with all
are going to play a roll in this
skit I put together.” You didn’t
the pictures from the past coming
say, “No.” The parties were
to mind, to make some rational
sense right now. Some thought of
always great partly because she
Honey as “Den Mother” and indeed did so much to help make that
she fit that description well. Those
happen. “The flag raising is at 11.
of us on the Executive Committee, Don’t forget your blazer and tie.”
When I needed the timing of anyI am sure, recognized her as the
I loved the one or two line letters she sent reminding me to do
stuff while I was an officer, typed
in green ink. It was before email
and before long distance calls got
cheaper.
- Tom Hubbell
thing at the NATS, I asked Honey.
The TCA is so highly respected in
sailing circles partly because Honey
raised the bar for those of us who
participated in running the organization. She will be missed.
- Ron Smith
I’ll remember Honey most as caring, structured, and ever-present.
She always made me feel welcome
as a member of the Thistle family.
As Secretary, she’d go out of her
way to help me understand what
I needed to do and help me get it
done, but the deadlines were real.
I’ll miss her,
- Brad Thompson
13
South East Fall Series
by Reid Collins, #3579
A
Greg Griffin and Mark Reddaway at the Old Goat Regatta
s I have only been sailing Thistles for the last 6 years or so, my historical viewpoint is limited,
but it is my understanding the South East Fall
Series has been around since the 1960’s or so. I got
in the Thistle Class because, from the outside looking
in, it appeared to be a Class with great regattas with
excellent competition, regattas that were local and well
attended in the Southeast, and people who were really
fun to be around. Ever since I joined the Class, I look
forward to the South East Fall Series every year, and it
reaffirms why I got in the Class in the first place. It is
everything I expected and more.
David Reddaway, Brent McKenzie, & Kevin Bradley on
the run
14 Old Goat Regatta 2015
Pl
Boat
Skipper
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
Total
1
3976
Greg Griffin
FYC
Club
1
1
1
1
1
5
2
3951
Mark Gise
LNYC
4
7
4
3
4
22
3
4007
Loy Vaughn
BSC
2
2
13
2
8
27
4
3579
Reid Collins
LLSC
5
779
Kevin Bradley
6
4022
Gavin McCormack
7
357
Will Morang
8
3980
9
3883
10
11
5
8
6
5
7
31
14
9
3
10
3
39
AYC
3
10
12
4
11
40
LLSC
8
12
7
7
10
44
Michael Lenkeit
LLSC
16
3
9
8
9
45
David Reddaway
LLSC
11
13
20
9
2
55
3828
Dan Russell
CSC
13
16
8
6
12
55
844
Will Tyner
10
15
11
15
6
57
12
3926
Mike, Funsch
LLSC
6
6
27/dnf
14
5
58
13
3001
Michael Reddaway
LLSC
15
14
10
11
13
63
14
3998
Jim Roberts
AYC
9
17
17
12
15
70
15
1915
Sean Adams
7
5
5
27/dnf
27/dnc
71
16
3615
Brent McKenzie
LLSC
12
4
2
27/dnc
27/dnc
72
17
3072
Adam Young
21
11
15
19
19
85
18
3675
Mike Minett
17
25
16
13
16
87
19
3589
Tate Beckham
27/dnf
20
14
16
14
91
20
3444
Marian Evatt
18
19
21
17
21
96
21
3600
Tommy Glenn
20
18
18
23
18
97
22
3813
Len Wert
AYC
22
22
19
18
27/dnf
108
23
3672
Jonathan Stewart
LLSC
19
21
27/dnf
21
20
108
24
2450
Don Read
27/dnc
24
27/dnf
20
17
115
25
38131
Frank Vandall
24
27/dnc
27/dnf
22
22
122
26
3680
Bryan Anderson
23
23
27/dnf
27/dnf
27/dnc
127
LLSC
LLSC
Photos from the Old Goat Regatta taken by Kirk Jockell
thistleclass.com
Old Goat
Lake Lanier Sailing Club
September 12-13
T
he Old Goat Regatta was held at Lake Lanier Sailing Club in Georgia
the weekend of September 12-13.
The forecast for the entire weekend
was for breezy conditions so most of
the 26 boats in attendance made sure
they had a third secured in advance.
Conditions all weekend probably averaged 8 to 13, but there were several
puffs that rolled through that made it
in the 20’s. The breeze piped up pretty
well by Race 3 on Saturday catching
many boats off-guard. I believed 5 boats
capsized in the last race. Sunday started
off breezy as well, but the breeze did
back down some. At the end of the
day, the dynamic duo of Greg Griffin
and Mark Reddaway proved they didn’t
need a third crew and posted all bullets
to dominate the fleet. A big thank you
is owed to Marian Evatt who was the
organizer, Chef David Reddaway for
coordinating the Old Goats in Paradise
complete with hamburgers with like 30
toppings and margaritas, and Lee Estes
who once again did a great job as PRO.
Top three finishers – (1) Greg Griffin,
(2) Mark Gise, (3) Loy Vaughan.
Wild Turkey
Oconee Sailing &
Yacht Club
September 26-27
Wild Turkey Regatta 2015
Pl
11
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
Total
1
Greg Griffin, Mark Reddaway
Crew
1
1
1
2
1
6
2
Scott & Nerissa Griffin
3
3
2
1
4
13
boats made their
3 Sean Adams, Pete Gregory
2
2
7
6
2
19
way to Oconee
4 Reid Collins, Mike Kirschner
5
7
4
4
3
23
Sailing and Yacht
5 Loy Vaughan, Mays Dickey
4
4
8
3
8
27
Club located on Lake Sin6
Will
Tyner,
Michael
Reddaway
7
5
3
7
6
28
clair, Georgia for the Wild
7 Adam & Peyton Ankers, Kathryn
10 6
9
5
7
37
Turkey Regatta the weekend
Mahaney
of September 26-27. While
8 Larry & Connie Wagner
11
9
5
9
5
39
it was gray and cloudy all
weekend, there was just a bit
9 Len Wert, Mike King
8
8
6
8 11
41
of rain and the temperature
10 Adam, Eden & Alice Young
6
11 11 11 9
48
stayed comfortably warm.
11 David Shively, Dianne Vandeputte
9 10 10 10 10
49
Wind Saturday ranged
from 6-10 with puffs and
Old Salty - Lake Norman
the usual Sinclair shifts. Sunday there was a
October 3-4
bit more. Coupled with an empty lake and
he Old Salty Regatta was scheduled flat water, everyone agreed that the sailing
to take place October 3-4 out of conditions were just about ideal. Thanks
Lake Norman Yacht Club (NC). Unto Jack Mahaney for, once again, organizfortunately one of the fall hurricanes was
ing a great regatta. Greg Griffin and Mark
in the process of working its way up the
Reddaway again showed their mastery of
east coast resulting in significant flooding
Sinclair’s shifts, losing only one race to Scott
along the East Coast and the regatta had
and Nerissa Griffin on Sunday morning. Top
to be canceled.
three finishers – (1) Greg Griffin, (2) Scott
Griffin, (3) Sean Adams.
T
Great Pumpkin Regatta
Pl
Sail
Club
Skipper
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
1
3997
WCSC
2
3976
3
4034
4
4035
5
6
Scott Griffin
4
2
1
3
1
11
Greg Griffin
5
1
3
1
2
12
CSC
David Van Cleef
1
3
2
9
4
19
FYC
Paul Abdullah
6
4
4
2
6
22
3807
AYC
Buddy Wainwright
2
6
5
5
5
23
3883
LLSC
David Reddaway
3
5
9
7
3
27
7
3615
LLSC
Brent McKenzie
7
10
8
4
10
39
8
1334
BSC
Alex Krumdieck
8
9
7
8
8
40
9
3579
LLSC
Reid Collins
11
7.0
10
6
7
41
10
3680
LLSC
Bryan Anderson
10
8
6
13
15
52
11
1811
PYC
Adam Ankers
9
13
13
11
13
59
12
1238
FWYC
David Beaudry
16
12
11
12
14
65
13
3985
CSC
Howard Mendlovitz
12
17
15
15
11
70
14
1812
BSC
Loy Vaughan
15
14
17
14
12
72
15
4007
FWYC
George Hambleton
14
dnf/23
dnf/23
10
9
79
16
4019
BSC
Nelson Sharp
19
15
14
16
16
80
17
1339
BSC
Mike Graham
13
11
12
dns/23
dns/23
82
18
3589
BSC
Tate Beckham
18
20
16
dns/23
17
94
19
1995
BSC
Laura Graham
17
18
18
dnf/23
dns/23
99
20
3820
BSC
Richard May
20
16
19
dns/23
dns/23
101
21
3600
MSSC
Tommy Glenn
dnf/23
19
20
dns/23
dns/23
108
22
3034
BSC
Michael Schuster
dnf/23
dnf/23
dnf/23
dns/23
dns/23
115
Total
David Reddaway practicing walking on water
T
Great Pumpkin
Birmingham Sailing Club
October 17-18
he Great Pumpkin Regatta is always a great time and took place the weekend of October 17-18 out of Birmingham Sailing Club located on Lake
Logan Martin, Alabama. 22 boats were in attendance.
David Van Cleef took Race 1 in commanding fashion
and had great consistency on Saturday. On Sunday, the
Griffins (Scott in #3997 and Greg in #3976) arrived
at the race course ready to overtake the lead. Scott
ended up winning the regatta by one point over his
brother, Greg. Conditions were varied with some
races taking place with breeze in the high teens and
other races in lighter conditions. As usual, Birmingham Sailing Club hosted a great regatta complete
with the burn-your-own steak on Saturday night, live
music, and the traditional Sunday afternoon pumpkin
roll. Thanks to Loy Vaughan, Laura Graham, and all
of the others who make this a great regatta from
year to year. Top three finishers – (1) Scott Griffin,
(2) Greg Griffin, (3) David Van Cleef.
15
Bloody Mary
Western Carolina Sailing Club
November 7-8
T
he Bloody Mary Regatta took place out of Western Carolina Sailing Club on Lake Hartwell, South Carolina
the weekend of November 7-8. Scott and
Nerissa Griffin (and Scott’s Mom) threw
a great party and regatta for the 19 boats
in attendance. Competition was tough and
tight and the top 5 boats could have been
top 10 at Nationals. Saturday brought
lighter air for Race 1 with a couple of
recalls and was a push to even get 2 races
completed. After racing was complete on
Saturday, cocktails were poured and an
excellent dinner was prepared by Randy,
the Fajita master. Sunday brought cloudy
skies, cool weather, and 10-15 of breeze.
Two excellent season-ending races were
run. A third race was started on Sunday, but a big blow brought all the boats
in before the race was completed. Top
three finishers – (1) Greg Griffin, (2) Paul
Abdullah, (3) Bob McCormack.
Jubilee
Pensacola Yacht Club
November 7-8
T
he Jubilee Regatta was hosted by the always welcoming Pensacola Yacht Club in Florida the weekend
of November 7-8. Although the schedule
didn’t work out as hoped and the Jubilee
directly conflicted with the Bloody Mary,
five intrepid Alabama Thistle sailors were
in attendance. Anybody who has ever
sailed in Pensacola knows it never disappoints... even when it is cloudy, cool, and
no wind (down here anything less than 5
is “no wind”). Although conditions were
light, 3 rather long and challenging races
were completed on Saturday with many
lead changes. Loy Vaughan rarely led any
race until the final leg (when it counted.)
Bloody May Regatta 2015
Pl
Sail
Crew
R1
R2
R3
R4
1
3976
2
4035
3
4
5
6
Total
Greg Griffin & Mark Reddaway
3
1
2
1
7
Paul & Marie Abdullah, Drew Daugherty
2
3
1
4
10
1167
Bob McCormack & Don Read
5
6
10
2
23
3841
Brad & Tom Russell
1
13
4
6
24
3997
Scott Griffin & Pete Gregory
6
8
3
8
25
3741
Gavin McCormack & Charlie Clark
4
4
8
10
26
7
3615
Brent McKenzie & Jack Smith
14
5
6
5
30
8
3945
Jack & Scott Finefrock, Rob Spring
7
18
5
3
33
9
3818
Tanner, Caroline & Wyatt Shultz
10
7
15
13
45
10
3883
David & Carol Reddaway
17
10
9
9
45
11
3659
Andy & Camden Russell, Joyce Spring
16
14
12
7
49
12
844
Will Tyner & Michael Reddaway
18
9
11
11
49
13
3725
John & Kaitlyn Norton, Diana Young-Paiva
8
17
7
dnc/20
52
14
3985
Howard Mendlovitz, Sara Paisner & Craig Ambler
9
16
13
14
52
15
1811
Adam Ankers & Peyton Ankers
11
15
16
12
54
16
3905
Adam Coker & Patrick Hopp
13
12
14
15
54
17
3813
Len Wert & Mike King
12
11
17
16
56
18
3680
Brian Anderson & Jennifer Lund
dnc/20
2
dnf/20
dnc/20
62
19
1995
Mays DIckey, Laura Graham & Beryl Foster
15
19
18
17
69
The Blue Angels were doing their amazing performance overhead at Mach 1+,
making it difficult to concentrate on how
to make a Thistle move at Mach 0.004 +.
After racing on Saturday, there were
free beer and chili and lots of college
football on the TV in the PYC bar. The
Alabama gang of Thistle sailors ended
up at the Oar House for seafood and
Bushwhackers and more college football,
where several of our own, not surprisingly, closed it down.
Conditions improved on Sunday
to the point where the day had to
be canceled due to too much wind.
And thus, the Jubilee Regatta tradition which began at Fairhope Yacht
Club in 1974, was continued with a
lot of hope and ideas for the future.
Top three finishers – (1) Loy Vaughan, (2)
Nelson Sharp, (3) Tommy Glenn.
The dates for 2016 have already been
adjusted so the conflict won’t happen
again, and all Thistle sailors can enjoy both
the Jubilee and the Bloody Mary regattas.
Both Scott and Greg Griffin had an
excellent series, but Greg ended up winning the 2015 Thistle South East Series. 49
boats participated in the series.
Jubilee Regatta 2015
Pl
Sail
R1
R2
R3
Total
1
4007
Loy Vaughan
Skipper
1
1
1
3
2
4019
Nelson Sharp
2
4
2
8
3
3600
Tommy Glenn
4
2
3
9
4
3820
Richard May
3
3
4
10
5
3589
Tate Beckham
5
5
dnf/6
16
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thistleclass.com
A
s previously mentioned, I believe this is my 6th year of sailing Thistles. As this
was a year of great improvement for me
and my crew, I was asked to pull together
this overview of the series and provide
some insight as to what I believe may have
been a source of improvement. After
giving it some thought, I don’t think I have
anything to say that people haven’t heard a
thousand times, but here goes…
I’d have to say my improvement is attributable to the following 5 key areas:
(1) Better boat handling – The Thistle
is a boat that REALLY rewards good boat
handling. With this Class, you are losing at
least 2 boats every time you come out of a
tack slow, have a bad set, bad mark rounding, etc. As I didn’t grow up sailing the boat
like many in this Class, the best way to
handle the boat doesn’t come naturally. To
compensate for this, I try my very best to
sail with Mike Kirschner as my middle and
Tiffany Schaeffer as my forward whenever
possible. We have worked really hard to
master all the different variations of sets
and takedowns. We constantly work to do
things better. I also have the benefit of being
good friends with Mark Reddaway as well
who also lives close by. He has sailed with
me a couple of times in some local stuff,
and it is really beneficial to see how the
person who is probably the best crew in
the country does things.
(2) Constant sail trim – We are focusing WAY more on making sure sails are
trimmed right all of the time. I am doing
my best to make sure all my tell tales are
flying on the main when it starts to feel
slow, and I trim very hard once the boat is
powered and moving well.
Mike has gotten really good
at constantly working the
vang. Tiffany is calling puffs
and Mike is adjusting the
vang as we go into different
pressure. Spinnaker trim is
aggressive – constant in and
out to keep about 2 inches
of curl.
(3) Sailing as fast as possible all the time – I bought
this boat from David Van
Cleef, and he sailed with me the first
regatta I sailed a Thistle. The first thing
he told me is to always sail as fast as
possible all of the time. It seems really
simple, but I don’t think it can be emphasized enough. If we are sailing slow at any
point in the race, those that are sailing
fast somewhere else on the race course
are killing us because of the speed differentials with the Thistle. We do go
into point mode from time to time when
required, but I am trying to push towards
fast the majority of the time. It goes
without saying that in order to go as fast
as possible requires hiking hard when the
breeze is up at all.
(4) Super focused on good starts –
The Thistle Class is full of great sailors
who are super aggressive at the start.
To get a good start, we have to be super
aggressive and super focused. We are
constantly checking breeze to ensure
the favored end isn’t changing (as it often
does on lakes.) I do my best to never be
more than a boat length or two outside
of the starting box inside of 4 minutes.
2015 Southeast Fall Series
Regattas
Sailed
Old
Goat
26
11
22
19
5
Sail
Place
Place
Place
Place
Place
Place
Greg Griffin
3976
4
1
1
2
1
Scott Griffin
3997
3
5
Loy Vaughan
4007
4
Number of Boats
Skipper
Wild
Turkey
Great
Pumpkin
2
1
3
5
14
4
Reid Collins
3579
3
4
David Reddaway
3883
3
9
Brent McKenzie
3615
3
16
Will Tyner
844
3
11
Adam Ankers
1811
3
Tommy Glenn
3600
3
21
Len Wert
3813
3
22
Tate Beckham
3589
3
19
6
7
Bloody
Mary
1
9
Cox-Sprague
Score
Final
Standings
1.00
1
0.92
2
0.89
3
0.81
4
6
10
0.75
5
7
7
0.73
6
0.71
7
12
11
15
21
9
Jubilee
0.69
8
3
0.63
9
0.622
10
5
0.6190
11
17
18
Jim Roberts (3998) and Mike Minett
(3675) battling upwind
I believe in staying on offense as long as
possible is key. This means not setting up
too early resulting in a really tough battle
of fighting off (defending) the entire fleet
from taking my lane to leeward and keeping me from where I want to start. I am
trying to always know where other boats
are that are close by so I can best fight to
keep my leeward lane clear for takeoff. I
push my crew to inform me about boats
potentially threatening our hole. Anybody
that knows me knows I always push at the
start – sometimes resulting in being over
early more often than I’d like. In this group,
I’d rather push hard and be over early from
time to time. For me, a second row start
rarely yields even a top half finish.
(5) Boat Maintenance – Breakdowns
don’t yield good finishes. Another simple
statement, but I make sure my boat is as
perfect as it can be all of the time. This
includes everything about the boat – no
matter how small or big. If a maintenance
issue surfaces, we have a running list, and
it is fixed before the next race / regatta. It
probably means nothing, but I also include
cosmetic and cleanliness in this category.
I just feel better with a boat that is clean
and looks good.
(6) Sailing every opportunity I can –
I sail a lot. Again, because a lot of folks in
this group have been sailing these boats
forever, I have a lot of catching up to do.
I sail as many regattas as anybody and try
to fleet race at my home club whenever
I can. It re-emphasizes all of the above
points on an ongoing basis.
Nothing I have said is earth-shattering
and nothing everyone hasn’t heard before.
I think it is the hyper focus on these items
that makes a difference. I’m open to comments, criticism, and questions.
We hope to make it to the Nationals
in Oregon this year and hope to see everyone there!
17
84th Birthday Surprise!
by Paul Nelson, #1040
Dick Brust, Paul Nelson, Charlie & Margaret Brust, and Susan (Brust) Stubblefield.
I
Thistle 448 - Fast, stiff, and beautiful again!
n 2013, Michael Vining, a contractor in
Southern California, was clearing out
brush behind a home and found an old
wooden Thistle. He knew what it was and
posted an ad on ThistleClass.com offering
to give it away. Dave Sexton, on his way
home from MWW, brought her to Oregon
for me.
This January, in 2016, the now fully restored Thistle 448 was presented to Dick
Brust, long-time (as in a really long time)
Oregon Thistle sailor as a surprise gift
by his children Charlie and Susan on his
84th birthday. Joining the celebration were
Thistle fleets from Eugene, Portland, and
18 Seattle. Dick has been a spark plug for
fleet growth here in the PNW for over
50 years. He deserved this nice new, old
wooden Thistle.
This article will describe what it takes
to make an old wooden Thistle a new
Thistle. My hope is that readers will see
that it’s not too difficult to do and we’ll
be able to save more of these beautiful
older boats.
Thistle 448 was built in 1948 by
Douglas & McLeod. The only thing we
know about her history is that she
sailed at Mission Bay in San Diego. The
good news for her restoration is that
she was in Southern California where it
was warm and dry and
stored so that water
drained from the hull.
She was rot free and ugly
but a good candidate for
restoration. See a video
of what she looked like
before restoration at:
https://youtu.be/gy9ifJVg6Dw.
The first step was
removal of all the
thistleclass.com
wooden components of the boat. Take the
screws out and these old Thistles just fall
apart, the glue having long failed. The one
exception is the laminated hull. Thistles
were built from five, 1/16” thick veneers
using Resorcinol glue and then baked in
an autoclave, a big pressurized oven. The
heat and pressure infused the glue into
the wood and many wooden Thistle hulls
laminates are still sound 60 years later.
The hull was sanded clean to remove
years of varnish and then new wooden
components were rebuilt as needed and
the boat was reassembled using modern
epoxy.
#448 needed a new transom, but the
seat knees and Centerboard trunk were
saved. The CB trunk was disassembled and
rebuilt using epoxy with fiberglass cloth
inside. Older boats were made with a
laminated keelson which can allow water
into the layups. #448’s keelson was reglued
where required and sealed in epoxy and
fiberglass cloth. Before the boat was reassembled, the entire interior was saturated
in epoxy and sheathed with fiberglass
cloth. This protects the wood from the
#
1 killer of wooden Thistles, standing
water in the boat.
The one non-traditional addition to
the interior of the boat was the installation of a large bow tank providing
additional flotation and safety. The tank
has a cored top and is the maximum
size allowed by the Class.
New rails and gratings were
installed, and the boat was rolled for
refinishing the bottom. The outer hull
surface showed history of use, but she
was in good shape. Step one was removal
of any bits of rotten wood, common in
the stem and along the keelson and sides
of CB trunk. Small repair areas were
filled with epoxy and microspheres and
faired smooth. The sides of the CB slot
often need rebuilding, and this was done
using fiberglass cloth. The trunk was reinstalled in a bed of epoxy filler, taped, and
sealed to the hull to ensure no future
leaking.
Once the hull was sound and
fair, it was saturated with epoxy and
sheathed. Several coats of epoxy were
applied over the fiberglass cloth
to fill the weave and allow enough
depth for sanding her smooth
before finishing.
The cloth and epoxy become
transparent once applied allowing
for a natural finish. Deciding between fresh paint and a natural finish can be hard as these boats ARE
old, and the hull sides will not be in
perfect condition, even after hours
of sanding. A natural finish will show
imperfections and character while
a fully painted hull will look new again.
Casual and stealthy probing of Dick’s
preferences revealed his appreciation for
natural finishes so we compromised by
fairing and painting the area under the
waterline while leaving the sides of
the boat clear. There are blemishes
in the sides of the boat, but she
is looking great given her age and
experience, just like Dick!
After varnishing the interior, rails
and gratings, #448 was fitted with
all new hardware, blades, spars, and
sails, and she sits on a new galvanized trailer built by Dave Sexton
using plans available online from
Dan Winchester. The epoxy coatings make her easier to maintain
than traditional wood boat finishes
from her era and should keep her stiff, fast,
and beautiful for another 60 years.
It’s a testament to the wisdom of past
Thistle Class Association members that
wooden boats can be restored and sailed
competitively with brand new fiberglass
boats. The Class has avoided changes to the
boat’s design that would have made older
boats obsolete. Every old Thistle, whether
wood or fiberglass, can be made new again,
and this protects the values of all the boats.
New boat buyers know that their boats
will last for several generations of Thistle
sailors. Old boat restorers can be assured
that their efforts will be rewarded with
speed on the race course.
A full record of #448’s restoration is
online at http://thistle448.blogspot.com.
Photos by Paul Nelson
19
Astoria Cruise 2016
Au gust 1- 3, 2 0 16
Photos by Paul Nelson
ere’s one more reason to come out west
this summer with your Thistle, the Astoria
Cruise. It’s 106 miles of downwind, upriver
sailing on the mighty Columbia River. It
will be the best three days of sailing you’ve ever had.
The tides are with us in the first part of the
week following Nationals. We leave Astoria on
Monday, August 1st and sail to Portland, arriving on
Wednesday, August 3rd. Low tides in the mornings
mean that the river will actually be flowing upstream in the afternoons helping us along. Traditional NW breezes of 10-15 mph are the norm for this
time of year and it rarely rains. All of that makes for
a perfect recipe for 106 miles of great downwind
sailing.
H
Leg 1: Astoria, OR
to Cathlamet, WA - 26 miles
This is the shortest day of sailing with the strongest winds. Sailors launch their boats near Tongue
Point on the Columbia, just upstream from Astoria.
The cars and trailers are then driven to Willamette
Sailing Club in Portland waiting to be reunited with
their boats and crews three days later. Thistle Fleet
125 out of Portland usually has volunteer drivers
for this job.
Sailors head out into the NW breeze on an incoming tide that pushes them 26 miles upstream to
Cathlamet, a small fishing town on the Washington
side of the river. The last 10 mile leg of this trip is
a nice beam reach as the river turns but the strong
NW winds continue to blow from the west. Grins
are guaranteed. Camping, hot showers, and good
restaurants are available in the marina along with a
new brew pub.
the Sand Island Marine Park located in the middle of the
river next to St. Helens, Oregon. Dinner is hot pizza and
cold ice cream delivered by the cruise support boat.
Leg 3: St. Helens
to WSC in Portland - 35 miles
The last leg takes us off the Columbia and onto the
Willamette River and through downtown Portland to
Willamette Sailing Club. There is a lot of history along
this part of the river, and you’ll have time to see it as the winds will be lighter.
There is a certain joy experienced in sailing through downtown Portland on the
river knowing that everyone else up in those tall buildings is working… and you
are not.
Pacific Northwest fleets have been making this trip for thirty years. The red
PhotoBoat.us support boat
is capable of towing the
fleet when required and is
Leg 2: Cathlamet
big enough to carry your
to Sand Island Marine Park,
camping gear to make sure
St. Helens, OR - 45 miles
it comes into port safe and
This is the longest leg and it features miles of
dry. Yes, this IS a perfect
downwind sailing along the beautiful Columbia.
trip for kids. My kids
There are several places to stop and swim and even started when they were 4
some riverside day use parks with bathrooms. The and 6 and as 30+ year-olds
wind picks up entering St. Helens at the end of the today, still count this as
day, and we always seem to get in by dusk but bring one of the favorite things
along your running lights just in case. Camping is on they ever did.
20 thistleclass.com
Sandusky One Design Regatta
June 6-7, 2015
by Bernie Ashyk and Phil Montgomery, Regatta Chairs.
Sandusky, Ohio
T
here was no lack of wind
Sandusky One-Design Regatta 2015
for this year’s edition of
Pl Sail Crew
Home
R1
R2 R3
R4
R5
Total
the Sandusky Sailing Club
1
1014 Karl Bradley, Rob Linden, Suzanna Kissel
NCYC
3
3
3
1
3
13
One Design Regatta! Prior to
2
3948
Kyle
&
Jackie
Finefrock,
Evan
Graves
Berlin
1
4
9
3
1
18
the scheduled 1200 first start,
PRO Jim Keane kept a close
3
4027 Ben France, Jordon Gouresh, Jason Hubbard
Cleveland SA
2
5
2
4
6
19
eye on the wind speeds ranging
4
3990 Stuart, Matt, & Lisa Fisher
Hoover
4
2
7
2
5
20
between 15 and 25 MPH. Ten
5
3875 Kevin & John Shockey, Wilson Stort
VBC
5
6
4
7
2
24
Thistles and nine Interlakes
6
3845 Conor Ruppen, Mark D’Apolito, Lauren Myers
Berlin
6
8
1
5
7
27
started near the south shore
7
3655 Lee, Gretchen, & Mark Ferber
VBC
9
7
6
6
4
32
in the east bay and sailed
8
3788
Robert
France,
Meghan
Kite,
Ed
Duckworth
Hoover
8
1
5
11/dns
11/dns
36
three races in sunny but gusty
9
1055 Mike Lovett, Paul Blonski, Shea Loper
NA
7
9
11/dns 11/dns 11/dns 49
conditions in two to three foot
waves. Interlake Sailing Class
10 3720 Jason Miller, Will Talor, Ben Sprenger
PCYC
11/dnf 10 8
11/dnf 11/dnf 51
skipper Scott Savage and Thistle
Class skipper Karl Bradley were in the
our photographer), PC Monty Kaufman,
cold drinks were ready, and last but not
lead at the end of the day. The tired Fleets
PC Ruth Anne Van Fleet. At the Beverage
least Don Guy for ordering the trophies.
enjoyed a City Chicken dinner at the SSC
Center Tim and Melissa Kyle made sure
Clubhouse followed by root beer floats.
A few of the sailors completed the day in
downtown Sandusky for the Bike Week
festivities. Sunday’s winds for the two races
were a little lighter but were still a handful.
Competition was close and only a couple
capsizes. Awards were presented after a
pulled pork sandwich lunch.
As is the tradition of SSC, many volunteers helped make this another first
class SSC Regatta. Many thanks, go to
Cindy Montgomery and John Martin in the
galley who were helped by Regina McAllister, Jane Ashyk, Jane Miller, Joyce Keane,
Sarah Montgomery, and Mike Zuilhof. On
the water, a professional job was lead by
PRO Jim Keane, and the Race Committee
consisting of John Hartung, John Eschels,
PC Mike and Judy Muhn, Paul Kallister, Jim
Brinker, Brian & Chris Malott (who was
21
Naptown Regatta
Indianapolis Sailing Club ~ September 26-27, 2015
by Paul Dovey #537
Indianapolis, IN
T
Photos by Bill Crawford
2015 Naptown winner Andy McDonald with crew Thane Morgan
he 2015 edition of the Naptown
Regatta had about all one could
want for a great regatta: good
competition, good winds (even for Geist
Reservoir!), lots of good races, and great
people with great sailing spirits!
Saturday morning started off with
gray skies and mist/light rain in the Indy
area, with the precipitation fading as the
morning wore on. By skippers’ meeting, patches of blue sky were showing
and an ESE breeze averaging 10 mph
was on the race course. Our PRO, Cliff
Browning sent us out on twice around
windward-leeward courses throughout
the afternoon. We were able to sail 4
great races with velocity building through
the afternoon to a 14 mph average with
some gusts to around 20 at times. Andy
McDonald, with crew Thane Morgan, and
Paul Dovey, with crew Harry Atkinson,
dominated all four of the races, in 1st and
2nd places, respectively. The other competitors mixed up the pot a bit. All boats
that sailed were two manning which made
for a good workout for all. The highlight
of the afternoon might have been Claire
Guion’s “perfect 10” (as described by skipper/dad, Eric) double backwards cannonball when she missed her hiking strap in
a gust near a windward mark.
All sailors and race/safety folks were
treated to a great selection of post-race
snacks, organized by Mary King. Our
beverage selection was complimented
and upgraded with two varieties of Sun
King brew which were provided by a
Friday night wedding reception of an ISC
member: what a treat (thanks, Mark!). Our
dinner of smoked chicken & pork from
Naptown Regatta 2015
3rd place team of Howdy and Bruce King
round the windward mark.
22 Pl
Boat #
Skipper
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
R6
R7
R8
Total
1
3879
Andy McDonald
Carmel, IN
Home Port
1
1
1
1
7
1
1
3
16
2
537
Paul Dovey
Indianapolis, IN
2
2
2
2
1
2
3
4
18
3
3570
Howard King
Indianapolis, IN
4
4
3
5
2
3
2
1
24
4
3981
Bill Perley
Northbrook, IL
5
5
5
6
7
4
4
2
38
5
3967
Hunter Dyar
Carmel, IN
3
3
4
3
7
7
7
7
41
6
3378
Eric Guion
Westfield, IN
6
6
6
4
4
6
5
6
43
7
2928
Bill Crawford
Carmel, IN
7
7
7
7
3
5
6
5
47
thistleclass.com
GT South’s (along with complimentary
items) and desserts, ranging from Jennifer
Quigley’s excellent homemade brownies to apple and pumpkin pies, was well
received as the level of conversation was
lower while all were chowing down. Lots
of conversations and storytelling continued into the early part of the evening, with
Andy and Paul closing up the clubhouse
after attempting to figure out some issues
that are present within our fantastic sport.
Sunday morning broke with partly
cloudy conditions and slightly lighter
breezes from the SSE with southerly
hitches from time to time. The wind direction change forced Cliff to set courses in a
more sheltered area of the lake, thus more
typical shifts for the lake. The wind started
off in the 9-11 mph range with few gusts
and faded to 6-8 by the end of the morning with 4 more twice around windward2nd place finisher Paul Dovey with crew Harry Atkinson hike hard to stay flat.
leeward races being sailed. The potential
ing crew trophies. Fleet #69 thanks
for a change at the top of
the standings presented itself
Bill Crawford for his professional
when regatta leader McDonphotography knowledge and skill,
ald suffered a main halyard
not to mention giving up sailing on
issue when attempting to leave
Saturday to capture over 300 images.
the dock, causing him to miss
Bill’s edited gallery can be viewed
the first race. However, the
at: https://plus.google.com/+BillC
morning’s competitors were
rawfordHarborPicturesCompany/
unable to capitalize. Geist
posts/1wCNcAbb1RW
Reservoir veteran (60 years!)
A big thank you to our Race
Howdy King posted a strong
Committee and Safety Boat folks:
morning set of races, smoking
Cliff Browning, Roz Lim, Joe Lutz,
the field in the final race by
Brian Rosensteel, Kevin Edgley, Bob
nearly a full leg!
Herdrich, Mathew Burton, Jay Levy,
Pictorial trophies were
presented to all competitors, Bill and Barbara Perley from Northbrook, IL leading team Guion Juan Gomez, Steve Tinsley, Gary
Higdon, and Jim Jordan!!
into the weather mark.
with the top 3 also receiv-
Claire Guion hiked so hard, she fell out of the boat immediately following that great Father/Daughter moment on page 3.
23
Thistles Return to Newport
O c t o b e r 3 1 , 2 015
by Seth Cooley # 790
Newport, RI
Photos by Elizabeth Radocchio © facebook.com/elizabethradocchiophotography
N
ewport Thistle Fleet #169 was officially reinstated on October 15,
2015, following the great efforts
of several dedicated Newport resident
Thistle owners, namely Ervin Grove
and Patrick O’Connor. It was with great
pleasure that, just two weeks later, we held
our first regatta as a renewed fleet.
On Saturday, October 31st seven crews
crane-launched at Sail Newport’s excellent
facility and headed out to the course in a
dying northerly. The racing area was set
up between Rose and Goat Islands, just
a short sail away, on Narragansett Bay. By
the time the boats arrived at the course,
the breeze was down to little or nothing
and a short postponement went into effect.
About 45 minutes later, the
beginnings of a southwesterly
Pl
Sail
breeze began to show signs
1
1021
of appearing as Newport’s
2
3727
beloved sea breeze—usually limited to earlier in the
3
3869
season—began to fill on the
4 790 (4024)
warm autumn day. Over the
5
969
course of the afternoon that
6
1109
breeze gently filled in to an
7
3430
ideal 12-15 knots. Those who
24 Are race committees really this scary?
had not yet had a chance to sail their
boats (or any Thistle at all for some!)
could not have been luckier as the
increasing breeze allowed them to slowly
and (almost) painlessly figure out their
boats.
Five races in total were held with the
top two boats, Pat O’Connor’s Dear Darla
and Carson and Lindsey Turowski’s #3727
swapping the top spots. In the end, a 6 in
Race 2 could not be overcome for #3727
and Dear Darla was victorious. In 3rd place
was Dave Hulse on #3869.
A huge thanks goes out to Pat and
Ervin for their efforts in setting up this
regatta on such short notice, Sail Newport
for a wonderful facility, and our excellent
Race Committee, led by Scott “J Man”
Johnson. Further thanks to our regatta
photographer Elizabeth Radocchio who
has produced some splendid images which
are available on Facebook at Elizabeth
Radocchio Photography. We hope to see
everyone next season!
Newport Fall Championship & Halloween Regatta
Boat
Dear Darla
Rebel Yeller
Crew
R1
R2
R3
T4
R5
Patrick O’Connor, Ervin McIver Grove, Leonora Grove
2
1
2
1
2
8
Carson Turowski, Lindsey Nahmias Turowski
1
6
1
2
1
11
Dave Hulse, Chase Crawford, João De Bruges Carvalhal
6
2
3
3
3
17
Seth Cooley, Charlie Diprima, Chanel Miller
3
3
5
4
4
19
Kira Munger, Jack Roesner
4
4
6
6
6
26
Dan Goldman, Maggie Galster
5
7
7
5
5
29
Heather McCarthy, Will Ricketson, Lauren Cotta
7
5
4
dns / 7
dns/7
30
thistleclass.com
Total
2015 East Coast Fall Series
by Jared R idder #40 4 4
Fall Frontier - Rochester Canoe Club
Pl
Sail
Skipper and Crew
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
R6
R7
R8
R9
R10
Total
1
3969
Mike Ingham, Dan Fien, Ellen Pfieffer
2
1
2
2
2
3
1
1
2
1
17
2
3876
Dan Hesse, Brad Suh-weet!, Sarah Starke
6
5
1
1
1
6
2
3
3
4
32
3
3765
Douggie Kaukeinen, Deirdre Santos, Britt Kaukeinen
4
10
3
3
6
2
3
2
5
3
41
4
3782
Eric & Judy Gesner, Jonas Kelly
1
12
8
5
3
8
4
7
1
2
51
5
4024
John Baker, Joy Martin, Mike Champion
9
2
6
6
10
5
7
11
4
5
65
6
4038
Jimmy, Cheryl, & Nichole Gindling
16
9
7
4
8
1
5
6
6
6
68
7
1234
Justin DaMore, Caroline Gates, Bryan Jerman
3
3
9
9
4
10
8
12
10
7
75
8
3775
Don Stehle, Charlie Murphy, Mary Ellen Brown
7
6
10
8
11
7
9
5
7
8
78
88
9
3878
Doc Gates, Tim Egan, Lyn Parsons
10
4
4
13
7
11
11
8
9
11
10
3984
Paul Owens, Alissa Owens, Jenny Borshoff
5
7
5
7
15
9
12
10
16
13
99
11
3814
Mark Weider, Rick Howitt, Tracy Weider
8
15
14
15
14
13
6
4
11
12
112
12
4000
Dan, Marlene, & Danielle Reasoner
14
14
13
16
5
4
15
9
12
14
116
13
1337
Roy Ingham, Tom Durand, Steve Rozzella
12
8
11
10
13
15
16
13
8
15
121
14
3732
Wayne Mellor, Bryn Clark, Paul Layton
11
11
15
11
9
12
14
16
13
9
121
15
2795
Kevin Lofftus, Gary Skillman, Gabe Nacca
13
13
12
12
12
14
10
14
14
10
124
16
3024
Steve Powers, Tim Hammer, Brittany Shuman
15
16
16
14
16
16
13
15
15
dnf/17
153
25
team (with my favorite crew- my wife and
17-year old son) was in 3rd by another
8 points. Eric Gesner and John Baker
rounded out the top 5.
Nobody could wait to dry off once we
hit shore. After all, we wanted to be ready
to enjoy the awesome happy hour tables.
Bill Dexter cooked his famous roast turkeys while an army of volunteers prepared
the rest of the feast. It was delicious! Delia
Ingham worked hard to make sure dinner
was ready but also to make two delicious
soups for Sunday’s lunch. It was just what
we would need after the regatta.
Sunday saw a 180º change in wind
direction. According to our PRO, there
was no wind to be had on the Lake so
it was Day 2 of Fun on the Bay! There
was slightly more velocity than Saturday,
but it was certainly just as shifty. Getting
a good start with freedom to tack on
the first shift was imperative. Jim gave us
four more races for a total of 10 in the
series... unheard of in Thistle sailing! Picking up where he left off the day before,
Mike finished no race worse than 2nd on
Sunday. In the end he racked up only 17
points over 10 races, which averages 1.7
points per race-- pretty tough to beat!
Dan, Doug, Eric, and John could not shuffle
up the leader board at all, and their places
remained unchanged. The keeper trophies
awarded to the top 3 teams were very
unique: beautiful ceramic tiles made by
RCC sailor/artist Lyn Parsons. The perpetual trophy is truly exquisite, and I hope
you get an opportunity to see it in person.
If you were on the fence about attending our regatta this year, RCC would love
to have you join us next year! Where else
can you pay $70 and have two full days
of racing, all the food and beverages you
could ever want, free camping or free
housing, and race against some of the best
competition around? As Mike Ingham saysit costs more to stay home!
Sayville Start
Photos by Paul Mac Menamin macmenamin@aol.com
Horracks Regatta - Sayville Yacht Club
26 Pl
Sail
1
3721
2
4044
3
4
Skipper and Crew
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
R6
R7
Total
Steve Gruver, Max Caballero, Rob Pickens
1
2
3
2
3
1
3
15
Jared Ridder, Charlie Bailey, Erin Hardy
2
3
1
1
4
3
2
16
1485
Tom Lawton, Sarah Hatsell, Bess Koffman
3
1
2
3
2
5
1
17
4003
Mike McBride, Alex Liggett, Alexa Pujol
4
4
5
4
1
2
4
24
5
740
Craig Smith, Paul Prozzillo, Alexis Zebrowski
5
5
4
5
dns/7
4
5
35
6
4032
Sam Brauer, Chris Takacs, Svava Bragason
6
6
6
6
5
6
6
41
thistleclass.com
Goetz Regatta - Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club
Pl
Sail
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
1
3721
Steve Gruver, Kristen Barnard, Jay Lurie
Skipper and Crew
1
4
3
5
13
2
4044
Jared Ridder, Charlie Murphy, Erin Hardy
3
3
5
4
15
3
4004
Brent Barbehenn, Charlie Bailey, Mark Miller
2
1
7
8
18
4
3908
Bill Wilson, John Wilson, Carol Wilson
4
2
11
2
19
5
4040
Lloyd Kitchin, Greg Kitchin
8
7
1
7
23
6
3921
Chris & Jessica Murphy, Alexa Pujol
6
5
4
10
25
7
1485
Tom Lawton, Sarah Hatsell, Sarah Starke
7
12
6
3
28
8
3785
Brian Kitchin, Angus Dickinson
10
6
2
12
30
9
3939
Brian, Meghan, & Grace Murphy
12
10
13
1
36
10
3736
Tim & Camryn Hussey, JB Barrett,
5
11
8
16
40
11
4003
Mike & Kim McBride, Alex Liggett
11
9
10
13
43
12
740
Craig Smith, Dan Reasoner
9
8
9
23
49
13
3607
Luke Miller, Joy Yingling, David Sullivan
20
13
14
6
53
14
3911
Paul Prozzillo, Scott Hartman, Brian Snader
13
15
18
9
55
15
4032
Sam Brauer, Fritz Goetz
16
16
12
14
58
16
3973
Bruce McCutcheon, Dan Sullivan, Lisa Harris
18
19
15
15
67
17
4023
Ed John, Tori Gibb, Sam Maddox
14
18
19
17
68
18
3687
Scott & Danielle Bower, Meg Garrugia,
15
17
16
21
69
19
3141
John Gilmove, Bob Daniel, Ann Kendrick
23
14
17
18
72
20
1337
Kira Munger, Ted Chicek
23
23
20
11
77
21
1678
Craig Priniski, Becky Rutcliff, Ray Berthelson
17
21
22
19
79
22
934
Jim Ballintine, Peter Edwards, Darisu Przydzial,
Chris Belfiroe
19
20
21
20
80
Kayaderosseras Kup - Saratoga Lake Sailing Club
Pl
Sail
Skipper and Crew
R1
R2
Total
1
4044
1
2
3
2
3953
Rob Dexter, Tim Dexter, Jack Roesner
5
1
6
3
3782
Eric, Judy, & Adam Genser
2
4
6
4
1485
Tom Lawton, Sarah Hatsel, Bess Koffman
3
7
10
5
3721
Scott Reichhelm, Steve Gruver, Noah Pollock
8
6
14
6
3896
Aaron Holland, Dana Hollenbeck, Carl Murray
4
11
15
7
4003
Mike McBride, Alex Liggett, Kat Mahaney
7
9
16
8
3878
Doc Gates, Lyn Parsons, Tim Egan
12
5
17
9
3077
Steve Powers, Jenny Borshoff, Brittany Shuman
15
3
18
10
3947
David, John, & Peter Hudson
11
8
19
11
3811
Scott Meyer, Lauren Borst (Meyer), Jenn Tayne
9
12
21
12
3984
Paul & Alissa Owens, Mary Ellen Brown
6
16
22
13
3452
Jerry Zell, Steve Olson, Larry King
14
10
24
14
3821
James Fahy, Bryn Clark, Piotr Czajkowski
10
14
24
15
1678
Craig Priniski, Sam Brauer
13
13
26
16
2416
Ralph & Caitlin Wolf, Megan Walsh
18
15
33
17
4023
Edward John, Tory Gibb, Sam Maddox
16
17
33
18
285
Thomas Kilcer, Steve Hadcock, Chris Billingham
17
18
35
Oyster Roast ‘15
Pl
Sail
Crew
R1
R2
R3
Total
1
1356
Jesse Gaylord, Nick Moreau, Zack Taylor
1
5
1
7
2
3652
Tom Hubbell, Kathy Buckenmeyer, John Yingling
4
4
2
10
3
635
Charles, Cairn & Martin Krafft, Donna McKenzie
6
1
6
13
4
4024
John Baker, Joy Martin, Mike Champion
8
2
10
20
5
1021
Patrick O'Connor, Mike Marshall, Kaitlyn Norton
3
14
3
20
6
3985
Sara Paisner Howard Mendlovitz, Meg Wannemacher
2
6
14
22
7
3141
John Gilmour, Bob Daniel, Ann Kendrick
14
7
4
25
8
3973
Bruce McCutcheon, Loren Hoffman, Dorothy Bollard
10
9
7
26
9
3506
Eileen Fahrmeier, Jonathan Pollak, Ainsley Parramore
7
12
11
30
10
3725
Kyle Assed, Katherine Pelo, John Norton
12
3
16
31
11
3898
Peter & Susan Hale, Jono Roberts
5
19
9
33
12
3849
John Howell, Craig Ambler
20
10
5
35
13
3771
Don Moore, John Quay, Jon Virden
13
11
13
37
14
2201
Rosemary Foltis, Doug Freeman, Foster Stolte
11
8
23
42
15
4026
Mark Udell, Bob Kruze, Abby Baca
9
17
18
44
16
4045
David Deptula, Sally Rusk, Allan Vanderheyden
16
21
8
45
17
4023
Edward John, Tory Gibb
19
23
12
54
18
3077
Gary & Robin Bonner, Kirsti Kraus
21
18
15
54
19
3687
Scott Buehler, Danielle Bower, Mike Hennessy
22
13
20
55
20
3912
Bill Harris, LeAnn Myhre, Nils Fisher
25
15
17
57
21
800
John, John & Max Hutt
15
16
29/dnc
60
22
3828
Dan & Tom Russell, Kayla Bennett
17
22
22
61
23
2585
Charlie & Joy Yingling
24
20
21
65
24
1678
Craig Priniski, Michelle Chung, Mark Sullivan
18
24
25
67
25
1869
John Majane, Bill Krafft, Stephanie Gajar
23
25
19
67
26
2571
John Hoyt, Amy Krafft, Mary-Sofia Smith
26
26
24
76
27T
3994
Ted Lischer, Brad Stowe
29/dns
29/dnc
29/dnc
87T
27T
4021
Chris Annand, Bob Hammond
29/dnc
29/dnc
29/dnc
87T
29
of town, we finally launched
and pushed off the dock
to head out to the racing
circle. Whitehall Bay, SSA’s
traditional regatta race
circle, is about a 45-minute sail from the club, and
the fleet was able to take
advantage of some great
surfing conditions on the
way out. Nick and I sailed
with a junior sailor, Zack
Taylor, who was in a Thistle
for the first time, and the
planing conditions turned up the fun for
his introductory sail.
The first attempt at a race was marked
by two general recalls and a huge left
lighter breeze. Once the
gun went off, O’Connor,
Deptula, Russell, and our
team found out that we had
pulled the trigger a little
early, and we all had to sail
back around the ends to
restart. This put us in a huge
hole, and we rounded the
top mark in 2nd to last. As
we went downwind, the
breeze was dying, and in
a dying Annapolis breeze,
Photo by Tina Deptula
there are always opportunito 4th. The three of us worked downwind
ties for big gains! This is also something I
and were able to extend on the fleet. The
honed growing up on Long Island Sound
second beat was similar and staying in the
and crewing for Chris Pollak. Our team fopressure was key, especially at the top of
the beat as it tended to get shifty as you
got closer to land. At the finish, it was our
team followed by Paisner and O’Connor.
As the fleet collected for a second race,
we noticed that the breeze was dying a bit,
but not as significantly as the forecast had
called for. We sailed around a bit confirming the compass numbers we had from the
first race and adjusting our settings for the
Martin Krafft and Scott Buehler
guzzling raw oysters
Dave Deptula and Scott Buehler
‘standing guard’ at the oyster table
shift after the third start that had the RC
cused on a few goals on each leg: catching
abandon a minute or two up the first beat.
4 to 5 boats, keeping clear air and keeping
our boat speed as high as possible. At the
After the fourth start though, the fleet
st
bottom mark, we had passed 4 boats and
was off cleanly. While the breeze had died
1 Place skipper Jesse Gaylord (right)
started working back upwind. We chose
a bit since the morning, it was still great
with Nick Moreau &Zack Taylor
our tacks carefully and worked the outsailing. The first beat saw some big shifts,
side edges of the
and it was challenging
course to keep
to stay engaged as the
our breeze clear.
breeze oscillated and
At the top mark
moderated. Nick was
we had passed a
firing on all cylinders
few more boats.
helping us pick our
The biggest gains
way up the middle of
we were able
the course and we
2nd Place skipper Tom Hubbell with
3rd Place skipper Charlie Krafft (right)
to make in this
rounded 1st. Sailing
Kathy Buckenmeyer & John Yingling
with Donna McKenzie & Cairn Krafft
race were on the
with Nick over the
second downwind
years has allowed us
as there were
to trust each other in
some big holes
our roles and allows
that were opening
me to drive the boat
up that we could
fast while he does the
avoid because we
majority of the tactics.
were behind. We
North Carolina’s Sara
worked the left
Paisner and Newport’s
4th Place skipper John Baker with Joy
5th Place skipper Patrick O’Connor with side of the course
Patrick O’Connor
Martin. Mike Champion not in photo
Mike Marshall & Kaitlyn Norton
to hopefully pick
were 2nd and 3rd and
up a bit of curthen there was a gap
Shore Photos by Susan Hale
30 thistleclass.com
rent and were able to get back to 10th at
the bottom mark. From that point on, we
reset our goal to be in the top 5 at the
finish and aggressively worked the shifts
and connected the dots through the puffs.
At the finish, we were neck and neck with
Paisner and John Gilmore, who was sailing
super fast. We shot the line and snuck
over just before the other two. It’s also
worth mentioning that Charlie Krafft put
on a clinic during this race and could probably give a better recap than I could!
All in all, Saturday was a great day of
sailing! I had to leave right when we hit
land, but I am sure the Oysters and the
party were great!
The next day brought little to no wind
and while the race committee sent us out,
we bobbed around for 2 hours waiting for
the southerly to fill in. They communicated
frequently and just when we thought that
all was lost, the breeze did fill in and a
course was eventually set. We weren’t
sure what phase the wind was in at the
start so we started in the middle, but on
the pin side because we had seen a few
left shifts. When the gun sounded, Hubbell had port-tacked the fleet and was
launched. We ended up tacking and ducking 10 boats to get clear air, and tried to
get in phase. The breeze was fairly spotty
though and it was tough sledding going
upwind. We wanted to cover Paisner and
Krafft who were close to us on points,
but also keep an eye on Hubbell because
he wasn’t too far behind either. We saw
better pressure left after a few minutes
on port and tacked over to engage with
Hubbell and let Paisner and Krafft go. I
was anxious to split from our closest
competition, but Nick kept me centered
and once we got over there, it was clear
that the left was paying because of better breeze and a current boost. At the
top, it was Hubbell, us, and Deptula. We
worked our way downwind trying to
keep our speed up by sailing high angles
and also keeping an eye on the fleet behind us who were coming down in a puff.
The order remained the same at the bottom mark, and we headed right until we
could clear the spinnakers and tacked over.
Hubbell and our team traded the lead a
few times upwind, and eventually he got
us in the last part of the leg. We rounded
close behind and both of us worked downwind together. We were sailing higher and
faster, but Hubbell maintained good VMG
towards the mark. Eventually we both
jibed, and we were able to just scoot over
the top of their team with a puff. We were
able to hold it until the finish.
Overall, this was a great regatta, and
our team had a ton of fun in some challenging conditions. Thanks to my crew
Nick Moreau and Zack Taylor and to all
of the regatta organizers, but especially
the Kraffts!
Fontelieu Fall Classic - Cedar Point Yacht Club
Pl
Sail
1
3721
2
4024
3
4
Skipper and Crew
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
S. Gruver, J. Lurie, K Barnard
2
1
J. Baker, C. Yingling, J. Martin
4
7
7
4
14
1
10
22
1485
T. Lawton, S. Hatsell, B. Koffman
6
1394
B. Joyce, S. Joyce, S. Wiss
7
12
2
2
22
5
12
3
27
5
3876
D. Hesse, M. Brink, S. Starke
6
4044
J. Ridder, C. Bailey, E. Hardy
1
4
dsq/22
1
28
12
3
4
9
28
7
3953
R. Dexter, T. Dexter, K. Fuhrman
8
3872
C. Kreitler, A. Schaeffer, A. Kreitler
11
2
5
13
31
9
8
3
11
31
9
821
L. Liggett, B. Liggett, M. Booth
8
11
6
7
32
10
4003
M. McBride, K. Paisley, A. Pujol
13
10
9
6
38
11
4016
B. Thompson, J. Miller, K. Thompson
3
22
10
5
40
12
3913
D. Foster, C. Takis
15
9
8
12
44
13
3869
D. Hulse-Marsh, C. Crawford, I. Marsh-Hulse
14
14
11
8
47
14
3422
C. Murphy, D. Kitchin, S. Wiss
5
6
22
22
55
15
4002
D. Latour, T. Maier, C. Latour
17
16
13
14
60
16
4032
S. Brauer, S. Bragason, S. Bragason
16
13
17
15
61
17
3607
L. Miller, G. McKenna, J. Miller
10
22
15
17
64
18
2416
R. Wolf, J. Rousmaniere, A. Rousmaniere
19
15
14
16
64
19
808
A. Liggett, D. Reasoner, A. Zebrowski
18
18
16
18
70
20
969
K. Munger, S. Munger, Adam
20
17
18
22
77
21
1853
C. Williams, P. VanDyke, M. Williams
22
22
22
22
88
31
LoGerfo Memorial Regatta - Nyack Boat Club
32 Pl
Sail
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
R6
R7
Total
1
4024
John Baker, Joy Martin, Deirdre Santos
Skipper and Crew
2
1
2
4
2
8
4
23
2
3723
Doug Kaukeinen, Bill Bradburn
1
3
4
3
9
1
3
24
3
3876
Dan Hesse, Jenny Dorshoff, Sarah Starke
9
5
1
1
4
2
7
29
4
1021
Pat O’Connor, Mike Marshan, Kaitlyn Norton
3
4
3
2
5
9
6
32
5
3721
Steve Gruver, Noah Pollock, Ryan
5
6
6.2
9
6
10
1
43.2
6
1234
Justin DaMore, Brian Jerman, Caroline Gates
12
2
5
6
14
4
5
48
7
3953
Rob & Tim Dexter, Holly Spezzaon
4
12
13
7
3
6
8
53
8
3673
Don Dexter, Bill Dexter, Peter Jaorosieh
7
9
11
5
7
5
9
53
9
1485
Tom Lawton, Sarah Hatsell, Bess Koffman
22
10
12
22
1
3
2
72
10
3913
Dave Foster, Erik Young
6
8
9
11
11
15
12
72
11
4003
Mike & Kimberley McBride, Alex Liggett,
11
13
7
17
12
11
10
81
12
3825
Rob Simonfy, Shaon Wienke, Karin Fuhrman
13
19
10
10
8
7
14
81
13
4032
Sam Brauer, S. Bragason
8
11
8
13
12
19
16
87
14
3816
Will Scheck, Keir
14
16
14
12
10
16
11
93
15
4044
10
7
6
8
dns/22
dns/22
dns/22
97
16
1678
Craig Priniski, Craig Smith, Ray Berthelson
18
18
16
14
15
13
13
107
17
3367
Larry Decker, Lisa McNeil, Jan Crittenden
17
15
19
15
17
12
19
114
18
4023
Ed John, Bill Lammarra, Tori Gibb
15
17
17
16
18
17
17
117
19
969
Kira & Skylar Munger, Ted Chilek
16
14
18
dnf/22
16
18
18
122
20
955
Mark, Zach, & Simon Ginsberg
21
3607
Luke Miller, David Sullivan, Joy Yingling
thistleclass.com
19
20
20
dnf/22
19
14
15
129
dnf/22
dns/22
dns/22
dns/22
dns/22
dns/22
dns/22
154
Starting on the Delaware River
Launching at Red Dragon
Photos by Craig Priniski
Alex Liggett as Wolverine
Heather Bowl - Red Dragon Canoe Club
The Jellyfish Tom Lawton, Sarah Hatsell, & Kara Dennis
win the costume contest.
Pl
Sail
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
1
3953
Rob, Tim, & Molly Dexter
Skipper and Crew
5
2
1
2
10
2
3721
Steven Gruver, Bess Hoffman, Noah
4
1
2
4
11
3
3607
Luke Miller, Ben Yannelli, David Sullivan
3
6
4
3
16
4
1485
Tom Lawton, Sarah Hatsell, Kara Dennis
7
4
3
5
19
5
740
Craig Smith, Paul Prizzillo
2
12
5
1
20
6
4023
Ed John, Tori Gibb, Sam Maddox
6
9
6
6
27
7
4044
1
5
dns/12
dns/12
30
8
808
Alex Liggett, Mike McBride
8
3
7
12
30
9
1678
Craig Priniski, Ray Berthelson
11
8
8
7
34
10
3077
Gary & Robin Bonner
9
7
dnf/12
dns/12
40
11
166
Mike Levy, Mark
10
12
dns/12
dns/12
46
33
34 thistleclass.com
Over the Transom
A
ttached is an art project I
put together for Sara (my
wife). I printed it on a canvas
and now it hangs in our home. I
thought you might want to use it
in the Bagpipe to add some more
color.
Howard Mendlovitz
#
3985
35
Thistle Class Association • PO Box 741, Hatboro, PA 19040
DATED MAIL - PLEASE DO NOT DELAY
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
TOLEDO OH
PERMIT 339

2016FebMar Bagpipe - Thistle Fleet 169

Transcription

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