GBR 72 Thistle

In an effort to retain the Seawanhaka Cup, the Royal Northen YC formed a syndicate to build Thistle.  Designed by David Boyd and built by Alex Robertson in 1947 on the Gareloch, she was, as usual, launched too late and rejected for J. Howden Hume’s Johan, which also went on the represent Britain at the 1948 Olympic Games.  She was subsequently purchased by Mrs. Dreyfus who owned and raced her until the end of the class in England in 1955, racing her in that year’s British-American Cup (in which Llanoria came top) and indeed owned her until she died.  Eventually sold to Brian Cook, who took her up to Jarrow in Durham, she was found just in time while he was actually converting her to a cruiser and he was persuaded to bring her to Cowes in 1986 to attend the second British Open Championships, in which she finished third in the “Ancients”.  Left afterwards at Fareham, in 1987 she was purchased by Tom Richardson who has owned her ever since, frequently winning the British Classic Championships, until he forsook her for Georgia.  At the 1988 Europeans at Falmouth, Tom in Thistle finished 8^th overall, beating some 18 moderns, thereby leading to her being considered as the first ever European Classic Champion.  Now fully restored, she is once again at Falmouth with Tom at the helm.