Engineering:Thistle (dinghy)

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Short description: Sailboat class
Thistleclass.png
Thistle dinghy with skipper Terry Lettenmaier sailing downwind.jpg
Development
DesignerSandy Douglass
LocationUnited States
Year1945
No. built4,000
Builder(s)Douglass & McLeod
Clark Boat Company
W. D. Schock Corp
Northwest One Design
Great Midwest Yacht Company
Boat
Boat weight515 lb (234 kg)
Draft4.50 ft (1.37 m) with the centreboard down
Hull
TypeMonohull Catamaran
ConstructionFiberglass
LOA17.00 ft (5.18 m)
LWL17.00 ft (5.18 m)
Beam6.00 ft (1.83 m)
Hull appendages
Keel/board typecentreboard
Rudder(s)transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig typeBermuda rig
Sails
SailplanFractional rigged sloop Masthead sloop
Mainsail area136 sq ft (12.6 m2)
Jib/genoa area55 sq ft (5.1 m2)
Spinnaker area220 sq ft (20 m2)
Total sail area191 sq ft (17.7 m2)
Racing
D-PN83.0

The Thistle is an United States planing sailing dinghy that was designed by Sandy Douglass as a one-design racer and first built in 1945.[1][2][3]

Production

The design was originally built by Douglass & McLeod in the United States , but the company went out of business in 1971. Since then production has passed to several American builders, including the Clark Boat Company, W. D. Schock Corp, Northwest One Design and the current builder since 1975, Great Midwest Yacht Company. More than 4,000 boats of this design have been completed.[1][3][4][5][6][7]

Design

The Thistle is a recreational sailboat, with the earlier production models made from molded plywood and the more recent models built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood structural members and trim. The seats are a fiberglass-sandwich construction, and provide built-in flotation. It has a fractional sloop rig with aluminum spars and three spreader bars. The hull has no decks, a plumb stem and transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a retractable, drum-mounted centerboard. It displaces 515 lb (234 kg).[1][3]

The boat has a draft of 4.50 ft (1.37 m) with the centerboard extended and 6 in (15 cm) with it retracted, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer.[1]

For sailing the design is equipped with symmetrical spinnaker of 220 sq ft (20 m2) and built-in flotation.[3]

The design has a Portsmouth Yardstick racing average handicap of 83.0 and is normally raced with a crew of three sailors, although it has a capacity of six people.[3]

Operational history

By 1994 the design was being raced in more than 150 fleets.[3]

In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote, "the Thistle was influenced by English dinghy design and is similar to the International 14, another racing dinghy with a plumb bow and flat run. Originally, boats were of molded wood. Racing crew is three, but the Thistle will carry six. She will fit into a garage. The Thistle has a lot of sail and a lot of speed. Class rules are strict. Gear that may be technically legal but provides an advantage is not allowed ... The Thistle is the boat used as the primary yardstick for Portsmouth Numbers."[3]

National Championships

Source: Thistle Class Association[8]

Year Carron 1st Seneca Bowl 2nd Fairhope 3rd St Pete Trophy 4th Richmond 5th
1946 Gordon Sandy Douglass
1947 J. Lovett
1948 Gordon Douglass
1949 W. Lawson
1950 F. Marquardt
1951 Gordon Douglass
1952 J. Hendricksen
1953 R. Brainard
1954 H. Boston
1955 Gordon Douglass
1956 Gordon Douglass
1957 J. Hendricksen Samuel Merrick
1958 J. Jennings Howard W. Mead
1959 J. Jenkins J. Jennings Charles Morgan W.D. Mangold
1960 Bruce Goldsmith Howard L. Boston Jerry Jenkins Ed Walsh
1961 Ed Walsh Bruce Goldsmith James Hendricksen John Proctor
1962 P. Bordes A. Walter Stubner James Miller Elmer Richards Lee Sutton 510
1963 E. Walsh Jack Wanenmacher Dennis Posey Bob Duff Jon Carriel 821
1964 P. Bordes Jon Carriel Dennis Posey Walt Stubner Bruno Markeliunas 1234
1965 P. Bordes Dennis Posey Nils Dailey Jim Fairclough John Proctor 1222
1966 W. Stubner Tom Wilson Charles Wiley P. Bordes Nils Dailey 1399
1967 P. Bordes Bill Alexander Tom Wilson William Poole Ed Fracker 1109
1968 D. Clark Ed Fracker Tom Wilson William Alexander Chuck Steigerwald 1619
1969 J. Miller Bob White Lewis Wake Ned Lockwood Dennis Clark
1970 K. Foster Dennis Clark Charles Steigerwald Bob White Charlie Pollak 1708
1971 R. Meissner James Miller Ted Fontelieu Charlie Pollak Gene Wood 3003
1972 Charles Steigerwald Bob White Dennis Clark Rod Glover Fuller Moore 3152
1973 J. Foster Christopher Pollak Mark Gilliland James Miller Ron Meissner 3170
1974 T. Dykstra Ron Rostofer Chris Pollak Fuller Moore Steve Klotz 1
1975 T. Dykstra Cliff Seigh Walt Stubner Ron Rostorfer Jerry Pignolet 2830
1976 Mark Gilliland Larry Klein Andy Barnes Jack Bauer Bob White 124
1977 Robert White Mark Gilliland Jack Bauer Jim Moyer Dave Ullman 3485
1978 Andy Barnes Champ Clover Mark Gilliland Jack F. Bauer Mark Laura
1979 Christopher Pollak Brent Barbehenn Greg Fisher Sandy Rapp Mark Gilliland 2995
1980 Dave Ullman Larry Klein Greg Fisher Mark Laura Ken Van Wagnen 3574
1981 Christopher Pollak Andy Fox Brent Barbehenn Sandy Rapp Ched Proctor 3428
1982 Brent Barbehenn Andy Fox Ched Proctor Larry Klein Greg Fisher 3748
1983 Greg Fisher Mark Gilliland Champ Glover Fred Hunger Brent Barbehenn 3731
1984 Brent Barbehenn Greg Fisher Chris Pollak Jack Bauer Ched Proctor 1049
1985 David Dellenbaugh Wayne Pignolet Chris Klotz Bill Ehrhorn Jack Bauer 3743
1986 B. Ehrhorn Greg Fisher Chris Klotz Chris Pollak John Lovett 3608
1987 Greg Fisher David Dellenbaugh John Lovett Fred Hunger Brent Barbehenn
1988 Greg Fisher John Lovett Mark Laura Kelson Elam Fred Hunger
1989 David Dellenbaugh Ched Proctor Annie MacLean Brent Barbehenn John Wallace
1990 Chris Klotz Brent Barbehenn Chris Pollak Greg Fisher Dave Dellenbaugh
1991 David Dellenbaugh Ched Proctor Chris Klotz Peter Bream Chris Pollak
1992 David Dellenbaugh Alex Smigelski Chris Klotz Bill Draheim Fred Hunger
1993 Bill Draheim Bill Wilson Dave Dellenbaugh Marty Seelig Alex Smigelski
1994 David Dellenbaugh Ched Proctor Marty Seelig Sjoerd-Jan Vanderhorst Chirs Klotz
1995 Jack Franco Bryce Dryden Bill Draheim John Lovett Chirs Klotz
1996 David Dellenbaugh Mike Ingham Bryce Dryden Ched Proctor Brad Thompson
1997 Mike Ingham Ched Proctor George Szabo Skip Dieball Chris Klotz
1998 Bryce Dryden Mike Ingham Joe Burcar Ched Proctor Eric Gesner
1999 Bryce Dryden Brad Thomson Jack Finefrock Terry Lettenmaier Eric Gesner
2000 Mike Ingham Doug Kaukeinen Bruce King Eric Gesner Bryce Dryden
2001 Bruce King Mike Ingham Chris Murphy Jack Finefrock Erik Goethert
2002 Mike Ingham Bruce King Blair Dryden Eric Gesner Terry Lettenmaier
2003 Brent Barbehenn Mike Ingham Eric Gesner Blair Dryden Craig Koschalk
2004 Eric Gesner Bruce King Skip Dieball Mike Ingham Craig Koschalk
2005 Mike Ingham Bruce King D. Dellenbaugh C. Koschalk Paul Abdullah
2006 Greg Fisher Skip Dieball Paul Abdullah Kyle Finefrock Chris Murphy
2007 Mike Ingham Scott Griffin Terry Lettenmaier Greg Fisher Lloyd Kitchin
2008 Greg Fisher Mike Ingham Paul Abdullah Brad Thompson Greg Griffin
2009 Dave Dellenbaugh Brain Kitchen Mike Ingham Brent Barbehenn Charles Kreitler
2010 Mike Ingham Greg Griffin Greg Fisher Brent Barbehenn Greg Griffin
2011 Skip Dieball Mike Ingham Allan Terhune Chris Murphy Paul Abdullah
2012 Allan Terhune Skip Dieball Mike Ingham David Tillson Brent Barbehenn
2013 Allan Terhune Skip Dieball Steve White Chris Murphy Sam Ingham
2014 Lloyd Kitchin John Baker Skip Dieball Mike Ingham Scott Griffin
2015 Mike Ingham Paul Abdullah Sam Ingham Greg Griffin John Baker
2016 Mike Ingham Paul Abdullah Kyle Finefrock John Baker Mike Gillum
2017 Mike Ingham Paul Abdullah Brent Barbehenn Ben France Samuel Ingham
2018 Brad Russell Dave Dellenbaugh Dan Hesse Paul Abdullah Matt Fisher
2019 Greg Griffin Scott Meyer Paul Abdullah Jesse Shedden Doug Kaukeinen
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic

See also

Similar sailboats

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Thistle sailboat". sailboatdata.com. https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/thistle. 
  2. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Gordon K. (Sandy) Douglass 1904 - 1992". sailboatdata.com. https://sailboatdata.com/designer/douglass-gordon-k-sandy. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 84-85. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN:0-395-65239-1
  4. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Douglass & McLeod". sailboatdata.com. https://sailboatdata.com/builder/douglass-mcleod. 
  5. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Clark Boat Company". sailboatdata.com. https://sailboatdata.com/builder/clark-boat-company. 
  6. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Schock W.D.". sailboatdata.com. https://sailboatdata.com/builder/schock-wd. 
  7. Great Midwest Yacht Company. "Great Midwest Yacht Designs". nowwebsites.net. http://www.nowwebsites.net/. 
  8. Thistle Class Association. "Class Trophy History". thistleclass.com. https://www.thistleclass.com/class-trophy-history/. 

External links