On this page:
Introduction
Tasmanian Built Boats
The Association
Tasmanian Champions
International Competitions
National Competitions
Sayonara Cup

TIDA History

INTRODUCTION

Sir Norman Nock encouraged his son Graham and Alwyn Jarman to build Dragon Class yachts in Australia.  Alwyn completed the first boat, Sea Joy, in 1950, but it failed the rigorous tests of the Class Rules and was not classified.  Graham Nock had a similar result with Nor Easter.  Jack Linacre had the build of Flicka commenced in 1948 and she was eventually launched in 2 years later in 1950 as Skaal, DKA 8.  Savage brothers built DKA 1, Platypus, and #3 Heather, with Dick White owning #2 Leander.  DKA 4 was another Savage boat, Philante.  John Griffin built #5, Mercury, for Tony York; George Bate built #6 Marjorie Ann for himself, as did Alec Rose with #7 Dadandi.  The Savage brothers built Kamulla for Jock Sturrock; and John Griffen built his second boat, #10, Robyn for Dick Moore.  These Dragons were all registered before the end of 1951.

TASMANIAN SAILING ON THE DERWENT RIVER

The Tasmanian Dragon Class held its first race in 1954.  Alf Cuthbertson, Ediss Boyes and Ken Gourlay raced Lesley Ann (32), Streak (36) and Skatt (42).  These boats were the nucleus of the Class in Hobart.

The first Dragon Class yacht on the Derwent was Lesley Ann, DKA 32, in 1952.  She was built by Alf Cuthbertson for HN Batt.  Alf's second Dragon was Streak in 1954 for Ediss Boyes.  Ken Gourlay built the third Dragon (42) Skatt, and sold her in 1957 to Jack Bennison.  Alf Cuthbertson then built Corinna in '56 for Ediss Boyes.  Then followed Katrina for Athol Rowe in '57, then Alwyn Jarman built (46) Sea Joy III for Guy Rex, who sold her to Russell Piggott in '66, then Bill Huxley in '69.  Geoff Cuthbertson built (62) George Bass in '58 for AE Palfreyman, Max Creese built Sandra II in '58 for himself, and then Don Calvert bought her in '63.  Alf Cuthbertson built his next boat in '59, Alinta for Don Jones.  The Wilson Bros in Cygnet built Jofranda in 1960 for Jack Ayers and Geoff Cuthbertson built Merinda for David Boyes.  Amazingly for the first decade of the Dragon in Australia, the 72 nd Dragon, Merinda, was built in 1960 by Cuthbertson, who built his last Dragon in '62, number 94, Fringe Benefits. Building in Tasmania then ceased until Wilsons registered a boat in 1971, number 140, Nerissa.  Another long gap followed until Darryl Ridgeway built a dozen world class fibreglass Dragons during the eighties.

Helmsmen and crews brought up in the Class dominated sailing in the Dragon Class on the Derwent in the early years.  Titanic struggles for supremacy raged between Don Calvert and Ediss Boyes for the twenty years.  Then a new breed of sailor arrived in the '80s.  Stephen Shield bought Don's boat Tahune when Don moved to off-shore racing and eventually buyingt a Tony Castro designed 40' yacht Intrigue to compete in the Admirals Cup.  Howard Piggott took over from his father Russell in Jock Robbie, Ediss Boyes' son Stephen bought the beautiful Danish Pedersen and Theussen Maj-Britt and Nick Rogers joined the Class with Bob Barr's boat and renamed her Karabos VI. The late '80s saw equally tight racing, often in fleets of 15 or more boats.  The 1989 PPC saw torrid battles on the water, with the leading boats vying for spots in the Australian team to contest the World Championship in England.  David Graney joined the fleet from the Mirror Class where he resumed battle with Nick Rogers.  Phil Jackman was often successful, subjecting Nick to some of his few losses.  Nick Rogers moved to the Etchells and Soling Class to chase an Olympic dream in the late '90s.

TASMANIAN BUILT BOATS

THE TASMANIAN INTERNATIONAL DRAGON ASSOCIATION (TIDA)

The Tasmanian International Dragon Association was formed at the foundation meeting held at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania on Thursday 13th March 1958.  Mr A W Cuthbertson, the founder of the Dragon Class in Tasmania, passed away prior to the second meeting.

A constitution derived from the NSW Dragon Association was adopted at the next meeting on the 27 th March 1958.  The foundation members were Messrs H N Batt, G Cuthbertson, J Ayers, B Plaister, K Batt, D Griggs, R Williams, D L McLean, LE Harris, D McIndoe, S Nicholls, T J Bennison, M & P Creese, W M Garratt, A W Cuthbertson and A Palfreymen.

Mr T J Bennison was elected foundation President, Mr A Palfreyman was Vice President, and Mr S Nicholls was elected Secretary/Treasurer.

It was resolved to meet on the first Tuesday of each month,

At the sixth meeting on the 5th August 1958 a motion was carried that funds be divided equally between yachts travelling to Sydney for the Prince Philip Cup in the following preference;
a) Insurance, b) Freight and c) Crew fares.

It was also carried that Insurance and Freight be paid only to owners of yachts travelling from Tasmania and returning.  Owners were to sign an agreement to the above terms before accepting financial aid.  Two boats, Skatt and Lesley-Anne travelled to Sydney.

The first Annual General Meeting was held on 16th September 1958.  The Olympic points scoring system was accepted as the scoring system for the TIDA.

Reference was made in the October meeting of 'coloured' spinnakers on Opening Day, and that it would cost £70 to transport a Dragon to the 1960 Tokyo Olympic Trials in Melbourne.  The 1960 AGM showed income of £110.13.0, expenditure of £177.6.4 to leave a surplus of £66.13.4  Three years later that surplus was £1141.6.3

The November minutes list 10 Dragons within the Association. Mr Noel Barrett and Eric Geeves were appointed Official Measurers.  The Laminex on Jofranda was definitely not allowed.

Ediss Boyes was present at the December 1960 meeting when the Association was preparing for the PPC in 1961.  In January Don McIndoe and Geoff Cuthbertson were elected to the AIDA.

In March 1961 the A W Cuthbertson Memorial Trophy was initiated for the winner of the highest points score for all Pennants, and the Metropolitan Regattas, including Kingston.  It was won by Lesley-Ann.

At the meeting of April 1961 Jack Ayers suggested that the TIDA hold a boat show.

The December meeting noted that some £1300 was surplus to the Association following the boat show.  This surplus allowed £132.2.3 per boat assistance to be made to boats attending the Sydney PPC.  A charter DC3 aircraft would cost £26.5.0 for 21 sailors to fly to Sydney.  Lesley-Anne, Ann, Katrina, Jofranda and Alinta attended.  Merinda won the A W Cuthbertson Trophy for the 1961/ 62 season.  David Jones sailed Alinta to win the first John Sward Tasmanian Championship.

9 070 people attend the 2nd boat show in spring 1962, with a surplus of £830.  However, no boats appeared to have crossed the Nullarbor for the Perth PPC.  Mr C D (Bill) Henry was appointed a measurer.  Mr T J Bennison served 3 terms as President and was elected the first Patron of the Association in 1962.

The Derwent Class played the Dragon Class in a game of football on the 14th July 1963.

Ann (Ediss Boyes) and Sandra II (Don Calvert) attended the Adelaide PPC.

The 63 rd TIDA meeting of February 1964 proudly announced 'The Mercury' 'Star of Sport' Sportsman of the Year awarded to Ediss Boyes.

The Derwent Class lost a bowls match to the Dragon Class!  The 1964 football match was won by the Dragons (12th July 1964).

Janlyn and Thomas Piety attended the 1968 PPC in Sydney free-of-charge on the Union Steam Ships line.  Jock Robbie, the 1968 Olympic representative was for sale for $6000.

Jimmie Sims 'Bellarine Marine' in Geelong built the first fibreglass boat in Australia in June 1974, and went on to build 29 GRP Dragons from a mould originally built by Borge Borreson.

Many have served in Office for the TIDA.  Don McIndoe was President for much of the '60s, Ted Laing served his third term as President in 1983, with the magnificent Barbara McDougall often as Secretary.  Beatrice Wright was the Treasurer for most of the '80s.  Ediss Boyes was elected Patron in 1984, with Stephen Boyes as President.  Robert Chandler handed the role of secretary to Leigh Edwards in 1988.  Des Sward served for most of the years around the turn of the century as local and National President.

TASMANIAN CHAMPIONS

The Tasmanian Champion is awarded the John Sward Memorial Cup, presented to the RYCT by Alfred Sward in memory of his late father.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION.

The first international competition for Dragons held on the Derwent was the English Speaking Union Trophy held in 1963 and Ediss Boyes sailed Ann (70) to third place, the first international success by a Tasmanian.

New South Welshman Rob Porter was the first Australian World Champion when he won in 1979 in Sydney with Kirribilli, a wooden Dragon built by Bill Barnett in 1961.  He is one of the three Australian champions in the 22 World Championship regattas held thus far.

Ediss Boyes placed 14 th in the 1969 Worlds in Spain, then 13 crews competed in the '71 Worlds in Hobart, Ediss and Jack Ayers competed in the Greece Worlds of 1973, Barry Calvert took the bronze medal at the 1987 World s Championships in Geelong, with Tim Watts and Ted Laing.

Queenslander John Cuneo, with Thomas Anderson and John Shaw placed second in the 1969 World Championship in Palma Majorca, Spain.  (They went on to win the Gold medal at the last Dragon Olympics in Keil in 1972.)

Stephen Boyes, Lawrence Brown and David Wells attended the 1985 World Championship in Dournenez France, finishing 9 th in the fleet of 63.  Stephen took his Maj Britt, with Lawrence and Wayne Bell to the '87 Worlds in Geelong, finishing third amongst 43 boats.  Stephen joined a team from Royal Geelong Yacht Club with Stephens Jackson and Peel for a campaign to the Worlds in Torbay England for '89, winning the preliminary series but placing 17 th aboard Breanne in a fleet of 70.  The same team sailed Krystle against 30 boats to the World Championship in Vancouver in 1991 ' the first Dragon Class World Champion from Tasmania.

Nick Rogers sailed his first Dragon Class Worlds in Torbay in '89, and but for a broken tiller/ rudder may have done better than the 33 rd place finish.  However, with Bill Bourne and Phil Taylor, they were extremely successful and won the match-racing regatta for the Seawanhaka Cup at the Royal Yacht Club, Cowes.  Nick twice successfully defended the Cup on the Derwent from Challengers from the USA and Hong Kong.  He next competed at a World Championship in Perth in 1995 after winning five PPC Australasian National Championships.  He beat the best in the world (54 competitors) with Leigh Behrens and Andrew Burnett to become the second World Champion from Hobart in Karabos VIII.

At the 2003 Worlds in Hobart, Tasmanian Dragons finished second (Nick Rogers, Karabos VIII (180)) and third (David Graney Kirribilli II (166)) behind the German World Champion Dieter Schoen in Chrisco, in a fleet that came together from eight different countries.

NATIONAL COMPETITION

The fifth Prince Philip Cup (PPC), the Australasian Championship, was sailed on the Derwent in 1958.  In '61 the PPC was held in Melbourne and ten Tasmanian Dragons competed.

The PPC of 1966 was held in Hobart and there were 38 entries from all over Australia.  The first World Championship held in Hobart was in 1971 with 44 entries from eight nations.

In 1977, Mick Purdon took Chip (142) to Adelaide to become the first Tasmanian to win a PPC.  The 1978 regatta saw Don Calvert win in Hobart sailing Tahune (123).  Stephen Shield then took Tahune to Adelaide in 1982 to win in the PPC there.  Maj-Britt (106), with Stephen Boyes, Lawrence Brown and Peter Geeves won the 1986 PPC, back in Adelaide.  Nick Rogers won the first of his eight Prince Philip Cup in Hobart in 1989 with Karabos VI (the burgundy hulled Ridgeway boat #169), then again in 1991 and '92 with the blue hulled Karabos VII (169) and again with the white hulled Karabos VIII (180) in 93, 94, 96 and 2003.  He backed this up in 2004 to win in Leander (185) in Sydney.  They were all built by Darryl Ridgeway, a competent helmsman and eventual builder of ten Class leading Dragons.

Interspersing Nick's reign, 1997 saw Bruce Calvert win with Jock Robbie (107) in Hobart and David Graney win the PPC in Melbourne in '98 with Kirribilli II (166).

Tasmania has won a total of 14 Prince Philip Cups since its first inception in 1954, bettered only by NSW with 15 wins.

Nine Dragon Class yachts and seven Tasmanian helmsmen have held the Prince Philip Cup.

SAYONARA CUP

This prestigious inter-state match-racing trophy has undergone several periods of intense competition since its inception in 1904.  There were 4 Challenges in the 1900s, followed by 6 in the 1920/ 30s and 7 in the 1950/ 60s.  These early Challenges were held in classic metre type boats and engendered passionate rivalries between owners and Royal Yacht Clubs.  Since 1984, there have been 15 Challenges, all contested in International Dragon Class yachts.

Stephen Shield was the first Tasmanian to win the right to Challenge in 1984.  Stephen Boyes went to Sydney in 1987 and beat David Wilson 4-nil win the Cup for the first time for a Tasmanian Dragon sailer and commence a stranglehold on the Defence of the Cup for seven of the next eight regattas.  Many close matches were held on the Derwent between Stephen and Nick Rogers in the Barry Calvert match racing series, just to be chosen to Defend for the RYCT.  Mark Bethwaite beat Nick Rogers on the Derwent in '93 to take the Cup back to Royal Sydney for the first time in seven years.  Nick Rogers won it back but then the Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club enlisted Neville Wittey and latterly Sean Kirkjean to successfully Challenge, then Defend the last four Challenges.

The Tasmanian Sayonara Cup competitors