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 LOA
................17'0"LWL ................17'0" Beam .............. 6'0" Dspl ................ 515lbs Draft .................6"up and 4'6" down Main and Jib ....191 sq. ft. Spinnaker .........220 sq. ft. The Thistle is a 17' open dinghy designed for racing and daysailing. The Thistle was designed in the 1940's by Sandy Douglas, of International Canoe and I14 fame, and first built in 1945. The sail plan consists of a main, jib, and spinnaker. The boat can be easily rigged by one person. We race them with a crew of two or three, although they can be sailed by one person in lighter air, and can comfortably daysail with up to six. The Thistle's classic design is unique among current sailboats. One of the most noticeable differences between the Thistle and newer designs is the fact it does not have a deck. This makes the boat lighter and, coupled with its hull design, causes it to ride up over waves -- not through them. The center of gravity is low so that a Thistle not only does not 'Turtle' when swamped, but makes it very easy to right by the crew. The Thistle is a round bottom boat, which causes it to increase in stability as it is heeled, or as weight is added. The boat will plane easily in 10-12 knots of breeze. It moves very easily in light air. It is not unusual to see a Thistle moving along over mirror-smooth water while all other boats are becalmed. The boat is extremely seaworthy, and many of our members sail them in the ocean or on San Francisco Bay. The class has active participation by women and juniors. An annual national championship is held for each. The original boats were constructed of 5 ply molded plywood, using a technique pioneered during WW1 for aircraft construction. Most of these boats remain strong and competitive to this day. Thistle #1 consistently places very high in competition, and has recently won the Nationals. The modern Thistle has changed very little, with the Class Association respecting one-design principles. While accepting certain state-of-the-art rigging and construction, it does so in a manner that keeps the older Thistles competitive. A modern Thistle is of fiberglass construction with built-in flotation and aluminum mast and boom. Rigging is at the discretion of the owner. Good serviceable used boats can be found for under $2000. Competitive club racers are regularly available for $2500-$4500. Newer or 'proven' boats are more, and a new boat is about $10,000-$12,000. The class encourages a low cost approach, and allows only one suit of sails per owner per year. Check out Fleet 67's Tips and Tricks Get more information about the Thistle sailboat. |
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