Ross 'Doughy' Telford’s forebears were ‘invited’ to leave Scotland after a bout of horse stealing (no, not just Shetland Ponies) and his father was born in Australia, the family eventually arriving in New Zealand.
Ross was born and raised in Miramar and his first encounter with the sea was at Worser Bay. He remembers the mines at the army base there, which were going to be deployed to protect Wellington from the German and Japanese armadas expected at the time.
He started sailing with the Worser Bay Club in 1946. With Jim Synnott, Evans Bay Yacht Club, he represented Wellington in the Sanders Cup three times. He became a Shed Captain, progressed to Commodore and was made a Life Member of the Evans Bay Yacht Club.
He returned from his OE in 1956, having sailed (on a ship) via Bombay, the Suez Canal and Algiers to London. He and a mate then drove around Europe in a Ford Consul, sleeping in it when it rained and under it when it was fine. They visited at least 12 countries and kindly assisted a pair of young ladies with transport along the way.
Having returned on the Ruahine, via a force 8 Atlantic gale, Panama Canal, Galapagos and Pitcairn Islands, he teamed up with Brian Millar at RPNYC, sailing on Mataatua, a 38ft Stewart. He caught the offshore bug, and about 1958 they sailed in the inaugural Auckland-Noumea race. In the early sixties on Arapawa they sailed Wellington-Sydney-Hobart-Wellington race, and did three races to Suva.
After seven years in the army, where he trained as a mechanic, Ross joined Avery Motors where he worked for 37 years until his retirement at age 63.
His early memories of the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club include Opening Days when all the ladies wore long white gloves and carried parasols, and of course the compulsory tie rule at all times for gentlemen in the club, including at the after race prizegiving. Members had their own lockers and kept their favourite tipple in them. In his time in the club the intrigues, scandals, politics and general gossip have not changed! These were the days before the club possessed a chase boat and the yachts in the race laid the marks. The last boat had to pick them up on the way back, which can’t have improved their time any!
Ross sailed on Aztec with Brian Coleman for six years but missed her final trip when she sank off the East Coast. He helped instigate the Wellington-Nelson race, remembering having to fend off from Stephens Island with a spinnaker pole on a windless night. There were five boats in the first race, everyone stayed at the pub, results were worked out on a manual adding machine, and Kahlua and milk was the compulsory drink at breakfast. Ross competed in 27 Nelson races.
He completed many delivery trips around the Pacific. Memorable trips include a race to Wanganui from Queen Charlotte Sound. The race finished up the Wanganui River, after which they motored back to the Sounds. In the 1970s Ross was manager of the successful Southern Cross Team. He was also radio commentator and a crew member. His broadcasting career began in the early 60s when he was invited to do some race broadcasts.
As well as his regular broadcasts from Wellington, he commentated four times in Hawaii and at Corpus Christi in Texas. His five Sydney Hobart races have included four as a commentator and he worked at the Americas Cup in San Diego in 1995 for Radio New Zealand as well as driving a yacht tender.Ross was one of those lucky people who doesn’t get seasick, having suffered mal de mer only twice in his life. There was a tradition on one boat that when the bell rang, everyone had a gin. There had been several rings just before a rough Cook Strait crossing, which resulted in much regurgitation. While on this gruesome subject, he remembers one young lady who felt sick, so went below and threw up in the sink! To show his disapproval Ross was able to deposit the contents of the sink onto a plate and take it up on deck where he presented it to the offender for lunch.Other than his launch Mrs Hobbitt, kept in the Sounds, the only boat Ross owned was Idle Along, a long time ago. He kept very busy working on other people’s boats, including the installation of inboard diesels on the two Academy boats.
His two greatest memories?
- Doing a broadcast on Parliament steps, standing with Jim Bolger, waiting for the arrival of Sir Peter Blake and everyone wearing red socks. New Zealand United!
- Being out in Te Ruru for the arrival of the Volvo boats in Wellington, inadvertently right under the bow of a fast-moving ABN Amro 1 who was beaten on the line by just 9 seconds. The young ladies on Brazil’s support boat are apparently also part of this memory.
Ross’s life always involved boats, and his service to yachting includes terms as President of the Wellington Yachting Association, and delegate to and later Vice President of the NZ Yachting Federation. He was a life member of RPNYC.
And why did he put in all this time for the club and others? “The Club has been good to me. I am very fortunate to be able to spend so much time doing what I enjoy most. When it’s not fun anymore I’ll stop doing it.” I guess it didn’t stop being fun as he volunteered up until he passed away.
Where did the nickname ‘Doughy’ come from? “My father and brother were bakers. I used to go to the Worser Bay Club in their bakers' van. I was the only one who came in a vehicle. So I got called Doughy.”
Ross Telford passed away afloat on the evening of Tuesday 30th December 2008.
The Club decided that Doughy and his contribution to the Club and yachting needed to be remembered long after his passing, and what better way to do so than to create a trophy in his honour.
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