Thistle Fleet 41

The Thistle is a high-performance, one-design racing sailboat designed in 1945 by Sandy Douglass to be light, fast, affordable, and fun. With clean lines and straightforward rigging, the Thistle quickly became a nationally popular racing class, and it's been a mainstay at the Nyack Boat Club since 1951 as Thistle Fleet #41.

Thistles are generally sailed with a three-person crew, where each crewmember is actively involved in the boat mechanics and tactics. It's easy to get started with a Thistle, but the boat provides a lifetime of sailing challenges, learning, and thrills. With its a high sail-to-weight ratio, the Thistle gets moving even in the slightest breeze, but can get quite exhilarating as the breeze builds and it gets up on a plane.

Life in the Thistle Classand in the NBC Thistle fleet in particularcan be described simply as "great sailing, great friends." While we're competitive on the water, we're a family on shore. We run training sessions for new Thistlers, offer tuning sessions for all of our boats, and hold family get-togethers on the club's patio and grounds. Our signature event is the Paul LoGerfo Memorial Regatta, which is held each fall as part of the Thistle East Coast Fall Series.

The Thistle is easy to pack up for travel to regattas. Each year, we look forward to district, regional, and national level events where we catch up with old friends and quickly make close new ones. We share racecourses with some of the best sailors in the world and always find that these sailors are just as excited to share their knowledge with us as we are to be racing with them.

Want to try sailing a Thistle with us? We know you'll enjoy being in the boatit's fun and fast, and you'll be welcomed by a great community of people. Our fleet is actively growing and we can always find a spot for you on a boat in the fleet. For more information, contact our Fleet Captain Ryan Harris at nbcthistles@gmail.com. And to learn more about Thistle sailboats, check out the Thistle Class website.

List of Thistle Fleet Members (for members only)

Last updated 9:11am on 13 November 2024