Dragon Prince Philip Cup at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club - Preview

Dragon Prince Philip Cup: Fleet Under Spinnaker on Melville Water © John Roberson

Richard Lynn believes there are six boats that are capable of winning the Dragons' Prince Philip Cup, "it'll be tight", he commented, adding "we'll scrape in at sixth place on that list". As a skipper who has won the trophy three times, the Australian Championship for the class, this is self effacing in the extreme.

Top of Lynn's list of likely winners is Willy Packer, who has his name of the trophy twice already, most recently in 2014, on a previous occasion that it was sailed on his home waters, Perth's Swan River. "I believe he's been practicing," quipped Lynn, "but he plays his cards close to his chest, we all do."

The Championship is being hosted by the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, the home of the strongest dragon fleet in Australia, with the two day warm up Ted Albert Memorial Series over the weekend 4/5th January and the Prince Philip Cup commencing Monday 6th through to Friday 10th January.

Also making the "Lynn list" is another local skipper and world renowned coach Grant Alderson, who finished second in the recent State Championships behind Packer, with Lynn third.

Flying in from England for the event is Tim Tavinor, a former builder of the boats and past World Champion sailing with Laurie Smith, he has also won the Dragon Gold Cup. Former Etchells sailor and relative newcomer to the Dragon, Grantham Kitto, also makes the list, with former America's Cup sailor Andy Fethers in his crew.

Describing himself as "a fly-in outsider from Adelaide," Peter Bowman makes up the fifth member of the "list", a very experienced and long term Dragon sailor, he too already has his name on the Prince Philip Cup. Also into self effacement he says, "there's some top talent out there, I see us as being in the second group, but I'll be happy to finish in the top five."

A total of 24 teams will line up for the starting gun, with as much talent amongst the crews as there is amongst the skippers. There are three female skippers and one all female team led by Mrs Sandy Anderson, the only woman to have her name on the Prince Philip Cup.

rfbyc.asn.au/dragon-australian-championship-2025