On the weekend of June 21-22, Thistle sailboats from all over the Northwest will be descending onto Sequim Bay and will be competing in the Pacific Northwest District Championships.

Competitors will be vying for several awards during the competition with the District Championship Perpetual Trophy as the crown jewel. A complete notice of race can be found on the Internet at www.regattanetwork.com/event/8563#_home.

The Thistle is a 17-foot-high performance dinghy was designed by Gordon K. Douglas. Starting in 1945, more than 4,000 Thistle sailboats have been built. The early boats were built with molded plywood. Since the 1950s, builders have been using fiberglass for the hulls.

Spectators should be able to get a good view of the racing from several vantage points at John Wayne Marina. The most exciting and camera-worthy moments are the starts and the action at the windward marks when the boats hoist their colorful spinnakers.

Racing is scheduled to begin around noon Saturday, June 21, depending on wind conditions, to around 4:30 p.m. On Sunday, June 22, racing starts at 10 a.m. and concludes at about 2:30 p.m. Organizers are hoping to get at least nine races and are expecting between 14-20 boats for the competition.

The regatta is hosted by the Seattle Thistle Fleet No. 61 and the Sequim Bay Yacht & Sailing Club and Oasis Bar & Grill (Sequim) is sponsoring the event.