by the late Tony Manford
DRAGON CLASS RECOLLECTIONS
T
HE DRAGON CLASS was launched in WA in 1951 by Ernie Tomlinson, a champion skiff and sharpie skipper who was looking for something more comfortable. Uffa Fox advised Ernie to build a dragon, rather than the 5.5 he wanted and Jack Savage in Melbourne was given the job.
Leander DKA2 arrived in Perth in time for Opening Day 1951 and with her white hull and blue Ratsey and Lapthorne sails, created enormous interest and enthusiasm for the establishment of a fleet at RFBYC. Athol Hobbs, Michael Ahern, Steve Craig, John Ahern and Alan Tomlinson were early owners in the growing fleet and the proposed holding of the Prince Philip Cup (PPC) in 1956 on Cockburn Sound was an added incentive to prospective owners. Fleet racing started in 1955 on a course three and a half times around Freshwater Bay, but it wasn’t until Athol Hobbs retired from racing Philante and became the upriver starter that the Dragon course was moved to Melville water with races finishing at the Club finishing line. The PPC 1956 was won by Tony Manford, Tam Thompson and Peter Jenkinson sailing Ernie Tomlinson’s Leander. The regatta was such a success in Cockburn Sound that RFBYC decided to run an annual regatta for all classes and the Sir Charles Gairdner Trophy for the Dragon State Championship was held there for many years. Manford and crew sailed in the 1956 Olympic Trials in Melbourne in a chartered boat that sunk on the mooring two days before the first race and had to be slipped and caulked to make it seaworthy – the charter fee was waived. Graham Drane won the trials and finished fifth in the Olympics.
www.rfbyc.asn.au
Many European Dragons were for sale after the Olympics and Sam Bennett brought Red Dragon back to RPYC where it was intended to start a fleet – but that never eventuated and Red Dragon raced with the RFBYC fleet in regular Saturday races for many years. Sir Charles Gairdner bought Barbara a Singapore entry in the PPC and Steve Parker sailed her in some close races against Michael Ahern’s Mistral. They each won three state championships in the years 19591962.
Fred Waterhouse and his Dragon Punai also remained in Perth after the cup and became a keen competitor at RFBYC where the fleet had grown to 12 boats by the late 50’s. At RFBYC a manually operated platform slip was installed which caused so much back strain that power was very quickly added. (That slipway was located where current start boat Tam Thompson is berthed). Tony Manford, Bob Day and Tam Thompson bought Leander and Michael Ahern’s new Borrenson built boat Maranal from Denmark enabling Geoff Bingemann, a very keen sailor all his life, to take over Mistral. Against all odds Ahern and Manford competed in the 1960 PPC and Olympic trials in Melbourne – their boats being the first keel boats of any type to leave W.A for interstate competition. In those early years it was very difficult for W.A Dragons to compete in the eastern states owing to the lack of regular shipping and unsealed road across Australia. Time was also a factor as most people had only two weeks annual holiday. Mick Brooke the veteran 14’ Dinghy Champion who had been sailing Dragons for a few years won the trials for the Rome Olympics, but his boat failed to measure up on arrival in Naples and he had to sail a borrowed boat in very poor condition. The early 1960s saw further growth in the local fleet and there
top: plaque reads Leander Winner of the National Dragon Championship 1956/64/65/67/70. Presented by Commodore Tony Manford 1975
bottom: plaque reads Leander D KA 2 First dragon registered in W.A. 1st Place Prince Philip Cup 1956 Tony Manford, Peter Jenkinson, Tam Thompson
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