Thistle Class
Thistles sailing on Sandusky Bay. Photo by Kyle Finefrock
Sailors for the Sea collaborated with the Thistle Class Association to develop and pilot the Clean Class initiative. The dedicated leadership and volunteers worked together to determine the necessary steps to scale up the sustainability success of individual regattas and for the whole class to take responsibility for their impact on the environment.
History
Between 2012 and 2020, a total of 13 Thistle events participated in the Clean Regattas program. During the first full year of the pilot in 2021, the Thistle Class registered 21 new Clean Regattas, a 420% increase in Thistle events participating in the program. In 2022, six additional events registered, with many of the recurring regattas achieving higher levels of sustainability certification.