Q&A with Ken Lane from Seattle

Ken Lane has been sailing Thistle actively for the past few years.  He purchased #3995 from Skip at the Thistle MWW a few years back and has progressed through the ranks of the Thistle Fleet.  Here he shares with Dieball Sailing his experience and progress:

How did you get into sailing?

My family joined the navy club in San Diego when I was a teenager and we all learned together. After moving to Michigan and sailing Flying Scots, I moved to Seattle where I really learned sailing and racing, first on keel boats.  

What brought you to the Thistle?

I read about Thistles as a teenager and always thought it would be cool to build the kit (though I am not so sure today that it would be as fun).  I like the fact that it has a lot of sail area for the weight which makes it a fairly high performance boat.   In Seattle, it is one of the best one design dinghy fleets with a long history and good talent.  I knew this was the best fleet to really learn dinghy racing.  

How is the sailing scene in Seattle?

Like the rest of the country, sailing in Seattle is in a down cycle.  But the racing opportunities are still plentiful with a lot of good distance and buoy racing in both keel boats and dinghies.  You could race six or seven days a week during the summer if your lifestyle and family situation allowed it.  And the plentiful daylight in summer means you can race around the buoys until 9:30 in June and July.  And the cruising destinations are unbelievable.

Congrats on winning the Leschi Spring Series!  Can you share some of the highlights and secrets to your success?  

Thanks. I am not a superstar sailor and have to work pretty hard to score well in this fleet.  It won’t be so easy in the following series as everyone is getting up to speed and there are some very fast new skippers joining the fleet.  3995, which I purchased from you (Skip), is a great boat that is set up very well.  I have worked to maintain the setup and tune.  I am the only boat in Seattle currently that is using sails from your loft.  I am using your Lake Erie main and jib, and crosscut kite for the evening series.  We have upwind speed equal to the boats using brand new sails.  Down wind, we have the best speed in the fleet.  Our speed has helped dig us out after bad starts and stay in clean air.  It is also a great advantage to have consistent crew.  Laura Bolin and Pat Taylor have sailed with me for over a year now and are both very good sailors.

What’s been your favorite event in the Thistle Class?

I really enjoy going to Midwinters West.  Leaving dreary Seattle in late January and visiting San Diego is always a treat.  I am still relatively new to the boat ownership/ regatta scene and have not had the ability to travel to many regattas other than MWW.

What other racing do you do to cross train & have fun?

I race keel boats on Puget Sound when time allows.  Usually OPBs (Other Peoples Boats).  I bought a 26’ Thunderbird a few years ago.  Like the Thistle, this is an inexpensive way to enjoy sailing and racing.  The Tbird is an active racing fleet in Puget Sound and Western Canada and is enjoying a surge in participation.  The boat can be “cruised” as well, making it an ideal family boat.  As a keel boat, it is self-righting which makes it a safe boat for the cold waters of Puget Sound.  

What do you have planned for this summer?

I am looking forward to Thistle Nationals in Michigan this year.  This will be a new experience and I am very excited to be going.  From my Mid Winters West experience I know that sailing at the big regattas is a great way to learn and improve.   

If the stars align, I may also be helping deliver a boat from Maine to New Jersey which would also be a fantastic experience.

Thanks Ken for taking the time.  Congrats again on a great Spring Series and for working with Dieball Sailing!

See you in Michigan.