Did they shave their heads and cut off their testicles?



Frank Boettcher wrote:
No, just refused to acknowledge the existence of any other sailing
craft.

Could be equivalent... if you think about how many Thistle
sailors are basically saying that sailboat design has not
advanced since 1948...

OTOH the Thistle is possibly *the* best light-air sailboat
ever designed, a performance characteristic that I hope to
never put to the test... again, I mean

DSK

"DSK" wrote in message
...

I've also owned a Lightning, a punisher of a boat.

How so? I used to race them after years in Snipes and thought I'd died and
gone to Heaven, the boat was so comfortable and easy to sail by comparison.

Now the Thistle--there is a punisher.

Max

"Frank Boettcher" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 01:47:57 GMT, "Bob Crantz"
wrote:

What sailboats are considered cult sailboats?



Thistles ( did I spell that right?) At least I lived close to a fleet
of them and most of the members acted like cult members.

You obviously mistook sore butts and legs for cult behavior. g

Max

"DSK" wrote in message
...
What sailboats are considered cult sailboats?




Frank Boettcher wrote:
Thistles ( did I spell that right?) At least I lived close to a fleet
of them and most of the members acted like cult members.

They are like cult members, and they have strange religious beliefs too.
I've had Thistle sailors actually complain to me that 12 knots was too
much wind for a good race!

A friggin' pansy, he was. I've raced Thistles in over 20 kts. It wasn't
really fun and we didn't fly the chute, but it was doable. The sailor who
complained to you was obviously one who failed to keep his boat upright
while tacking or gybing. The Thistle has no deck, so it will ship 200
gallons of water on a careless tack. That essentially puts one out of the
race, despite having several Supermax Elvstrom bailers in the bilge to get
rid of that misbegotten water.

Max

"Frank Boettcher" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 14:36:09 GMT, "Bob Crantz"
wrote:


"Frank Boettcher" wrote in message
. ..
On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 01:47:57 GMT, "Bob Crantz"
wrote:


Did they shave their heads and cut off their testicles?





No, just refused to acknowledge the existence of any other sailing
craft.

We campaigned a Thistle for four years, during the early 80s, and I never
encountered anyone with such an attitude. Thistle sailors tend to be
clannish, but they readily accept outsiders and visitors to their fleet
races. We were always looking for crew, but we never mentioned "rail tail"
before taking them aboard.

Max

"DSK" wrote in message
...
Did they shave their heads and cut off their testicles?



Frank Boettcher wrote:
No, just refused to acknowledge the existence of any other sailing
craft.

Could be equivalent... if you think about how many Thistle sailors are
basically saying that sailboat design has not advanced since 1948...

There have been some improvements, especially in seat/flotation tank
configurations and in spar design, depite having that silly square section
through the deck. Running rigging has changed as well. About the only
thing that is typically seen as advancements in other OD classes but not in
the Thistle is deck configuration, for obvious reasons.

OTOH the Thistle is possibly *the* best light-air sailboat ever designed,
a performance characteristic that I hope to never put to the test...
again, I mean

Scow sailors might be quick to disagree. A scow heeled to weather in light
air has less wetted surface area than anything afloat. Pull up the bilge
board until there is just a nub protruding, and you've got a tough boat to
beat, even with a Thistle.

Max

"Mys Terry" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 1 Feb 2006 09:52:56 -0500, "Scotty"
wrote:


"Jim Cate" wrote in message
...


Scotty wrote:

Mac 26 . Don't laugh, they have a cult following.

Scotty



For obvious reasons.


Satan also has a cult following.




As does Jesus

As does Osama bin Laden.

Max

"Bob Crantz" wrote
What sailboats are considered cult sailboats?

To be a cult it would have to be an older boat.
It would have to be admired, or even lusted
after by many. Crews would be begging for
rides. Add a dose of "break-through design"
but without the fame of a high production run.

Here are my choices.

First place Id give to the "Moore 24".
http://www.moore24.org/moore/boatOfMonth.html
Read about "Team Bonzi's" fabulous win in the
1992 West Marine Pacific Cup--A David and
Goliath story. In 1996 Moore 24 KANGAROO
COURT took 2nd overall.
http://www.pacificcup.org/02/pc02-stories.html

Good stuff on the last link for prepping a boat for
a downwind sleigh ride.

Second Place
MERLIN--just one boat, that lead to the "Santa
Cruz 70" and was soon duplicated by Andrews 70's.
See Pacific Cup link above. Merlin was a planing
66' yacht that set the Transpac record, won it three
times and held the record for 18 years.

Honorable mention: Etchells, Mini's, Express 27, &
Olson 30

Thistles ( did I spell that right?) At least I lived close to a fleet
of them and most of the members acted like cult members.


They are like cult members, and they have strange religious beliefs too.
I've had Thistle sailors actually complain to me that 12 knots was too
much wind for a good race!


Maxprop wrote:
A friggin' pansy, he was.

No, just a skinny person with another skinny person & a kid
for crew.

... I've raced Thistles in over 20 kts.

Not sure if I have or not, at least the high teens though. I
would say (from the vantage point of a couple decades later)
that it was fun while it was happening, but caused a lot of
pain soon afterwards.


.... The Thistle has no deck, so it will ship 200
gallons of water on a careless tack.


According to Microsoft, that's a user-option feature!

As for Lightnings status as punishers, they're not as bad as
Thistles (and not as fast in light air), but a Lightning
crew... and to some extent, the skipper... must accept a
certain amount of pain to sail the boat actively. Another
great user-option feature, the centerboard as guillotine...
if that doesn't get you, the vang will try next!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 16:27:14 GMT, "Maxprop"
wrote:


"Frank Boettcher" wrote in message
.. .
On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 01:47:57 GMT, "Bob Crantz"
wrote:

What sailboats are considered cult sailboats?



Thistles ( did I spell that right?) At least I lived close to a fleet
of them and most of the members acted like cult members.

You obviously mistook sore butts and legs for cult behavior. g

Max

So that's why they walked stoved up for three days after a race!