This year marks the 50th anniversary of Bruce Little making PT history. Bruce, from New Zealand, won the 1973 Australian Paper Tiger Catamaran National Championships (the 3rd Australian Nationals at St Leonards, Victoria).
It was a remarkable victory in that it was in a borrowed boat, Vic Goy's brand new GRP #747 Jumbo with his kiwi sail #404. There were 72 competitors (3 from NZ), 5 races, drop one. Bruce broke his mast in heat 1 and came from behind in heat 5 to defeat Ken Fay for the title by one point.
Bruce then came home to Tauranga and went on to have a comprehensive victory in the 1974 New Zealand nationals sailed 9 months later at Picton, NZ. Thus the legend was born of Bruce being the only skipper to have won both the Australian and New Zealand nationals. It couldn't happen again as the rules were subsequently changed to permit winners having to be residents of the home country thus precluding a repeat of the '73 smash and grab raid on the Aussie title.
All 52 Championship results can be found at the APTCA website: https://www.papertigercatamaran.org/aptca/index.php...
Bruce impressively went on to win five (5) New Zealand A Class nationals. Bruce still resides in Tauranga.
The pic is of Bruce sailing his second self built plywood PT #404 Carmen Geddes in the 1974 NZ nationals at Picton, NZ.
Thanks to Brian Robinson for the historical information.