Carolina Sailing Club
  • Home
  • Sailboat Racing
    • CSC Racing >
      • Championship Series
      • Governors Cup
      • Interclub Challege
      • Winter Sailing
    • Novice Racers
    • Youth Sailing >
      • Other local races
    • One-Design Classes >
      • Isotope
      • Flying Scot
      • Sunfish
      • Laser
      • Tanzer 16
      • Thistle
      • WETA
      • Wayfarer
      • Open Fleet
    • Race Committee Information >
      • PRO Race Documents
      • RC Admin Info
    • Directions to Venues
    • Racing Calendar
  • Membership
  • Quick Links
    • Sailing Lessons
    • Events Calendar
    • Scratch Sheet
    • Race Committee Sign Up
    • Latest Scores
    • NOR and Sailing Instructions
    • FAQS & Useful Links
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Picture Archives
    • Contact Us

Thistle Fleet

​The Thistle is a high-performance one-design racing sailboat that is generally sailed with a three-person crew. The Thistle Class is active in both local sailing and district races.

Championship scores

2020 Bottoms Up & Carolinas' Districts Regatta is happening at Jordan Lake on April 25-26, 2020!

Regatta information and registration

The Thistle Fleet

Picture
Thistle Fleet 155
Fleet Captain: Kevin Sheehan

Join Our Yahoo List


From the Thistle Class website: The Thistle Class Association is recognized as one of the largest and best one-design class associations in the country.

Thistle fleets are located throughout the US and welcome new and experienced sailors. Fleet members are happy to take new Thistle sailors out sailing and help get new boat owners up to speed. Joining a fleet and crewing is an excellent way to get started in the Thistle. Instructional DVD’s also help sailors get up to speed.

The TCA publishes a top-notch magazine, the Bagpipe, which not only reports on all the class news, but often includes rigging and go-fast tips.

The class culture makes the Thistle unique. The competitive design and caliber of sailors attracts top sailors. The class also enjoys family camaraderie and often teams are comprised of family members. The Thistle is ideal for junior sailors and many regattas encourage youth participation with reduced fees for junior members.


The Thistle Fleet Regatta Cup

Past Winners
2019 - Diana Young-Paiva
​2018 -
2017 - Tom Russell
​2016 - Howard Mendlovitz
​2015 - Tom Russell
2014 - Sara Paisner and Howard Mendlovitz
2013 - Craig Ambler
2012 - Howard Mendlovitz
2011 - Howard Mendlovitz
2010 - Sara Paisner and Howard Mendlovitz
2009 - John Norton and Tim Elfenbein
2008 - John Norton and Tim Elfenbein
The Thistle Fleet Regatta Cup was created by Howard Mendlovitz in 2008 to recognize the Thistle Fleet skipper or crew with the best combined score of away Thistle regattas. 

Thistle History
From their start on the Great Lakes in 1945, Thistles are now raced in more than 100 active fleets from coast to coast. The national Thistle Class Association is regularly recognized as one of the strongest and best organized one-design groups in the country. Owners have proven their great loyalty to the Thistle, as many of our top sailors represent the second or third generation of Thistle families.
Thistles are raced in three fleets in the Carolina District, from North Carolina to South Carolina. The Triangle Fleet is one of the fastest growing fleets, with members participating in many regattas up and down the east coast.

The strength of the Fleet lies, of course, with the Thistle itself. This large lightweight planing dinghy out performs most in drifters, and is a real experience planing flat-out, with spinnaker flying, on a heavy-air reach. This makes the boat an ideal choice for inland lakes and wind conditions found in the area.

The Thistle (www.thistleclass.com) is a strict one-design class, and it can truly be said that old and new boats perform evenly. The 50 plus year old Thistle #1 won the National Championship in 1990, followed by a 15 year old boat, with a new boat in third place.

The Fleet's events range from the annual Midwinter Championship in St. Petersburg, through a series of local and interdistrict spring, summer and fall regattas.

If you are interested in a new boat, used boat, a chance to crew, or simply a ride, call or email Sara Paisner.

Sailboat Racing

Experienced racers
New sailors
Fleets
Latest Scores

Membership

Join as a Member
Who We Are
Racing Blog
Carolina Sailing Foundation

Quick Links

Events Calendar
Directions to Sailing Venues
Current Sailing Conditions
Race Committee Sign Up

The Carolina Sailing Club is a member of the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing) and the South Atlantic Yacht Racing Association (SAYRA).
Picture
Copyright  2014-2022 Carolina Sailing Club - www.carolinasailingclub.org
Designed by www.treegrowthmarketing.com