The Tooth Cup presented by Tooth and Co. Limited for the Hastings River 18ft Championship Port Macquarie Regatta 1935 Won by BRITANNIA
Date1935
Object number00001725
NameTrophy
MediumBrass, silver plating, wood
Dimensions280 x 280 x 180 mm, 1.05 kg
ClassificationsCommemorative artefacts
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Faye Magner
DescriptionThis brass trophy, The Tooth Cup, was awarded in 1935 to George Robinson, the designer, builder and skipper of the 18 foot skiff BRITANNIA. BRITANNIA won the Hastings River 18 foot Championship at the Port Macquarie Regatta, which was sponsored by Tooths brewery. By 1938 Robinson had won £900 in prizes - and was a favourite with punters and spectators alike.HistoryThe 18-foot skiff was designed to reach extreme speeds and provide an exciting and attractive sport for spectators to watch. This was the aim of the vessels when they were first designed in the late 19th century. The origins of the sport are attributed to Mark Foy and a group of businessmen who were the founding members of the Sydney Flying Yacht Squadron, reported to have been established on 19 October 1891 in the 'Sydney Morning Herald'. The club advocated for sailing to be open to all types of vessels and sailors. Their first competitive race is believed to have been held on Sydney Harbour on 26 January 1892.
BRITANNIA was built at Balmain in 1918 by champion 18 foot skipper and boatbuilder 'Wee' Georgie Robinson. Typical of the era, BRITANNIA was built of cedar and its features include batten carvel hull construction with copper nail fastenings. In the 18 footer heyday of the 1920s and '30s, BRITANNIA was famed for its tremendous sail carrying capacity.
By 1936, the skiff had been racing on the Harbour for over 15 years. BRITANNIA was, by this time, well established as one of the champion racing skiffs of the 18 footer class on Sydney Harbour. The skiff was quite famous, as was its skipper.
'Wee' Georgie Robinson and BRITANNIA won consistently through the 1920s and '30s. Indeed, in the late 1930s BRITANNIA could boast a formidable list of championship honours as one of the fastest skiffs on the Harbour. In 1938, Georgie Robinson won the J L Glick Cup as "The Skipper with the Best Record in all Sydney Flying Squadron Club Championship Races Sailed for the Seasons 1935 - 36, 1936 - 37 and 1937 - 38."
After 25 years of racing, BRITANNIA spent the next 28 years as the official starter boat for the Sydney Flying Squadron when it was fitted with a launch engine and superstructure. It was retired to a harbourfront boatshed in the early 1970s. BRITANNIA was purchased by the National Maritime Museum in May 1986 and in June 1986 it was sent for restoration to boat restorer Arthur Griffith.SignificanceThis cup is representative of awards given out at yachting regattas in Australia and the competitive sport of 18-foot skiff racing. Won by 'Wee' Georgie Robinson, the trophy is also a superb example of the skills of the wooden boat builders during the 1930s.
