The Brooke family’s Frostbite Kiatoa, in which the Brooke brothers had various racing successes.

Photographer unknown, New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa (12840) / Portrait: Don Brooke, reproduced courtesy of the Brooke family

Scamper (1958) was the first Flying Dutchman built in New Zealand. Don and Robert Brooke constructed the yacht using an imported hull.

Photographer unknown, Sea Spray Collection, New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa

Robert Brooke standing beside the mullet boat Corona at the Auckland Traditional Boatbuilding School, 2009.

Photographer unknown, reproduced courtesy of Robert Brooke

Dove, a charter yacht operated by the Subritsky family, was originally called Paul Markson. Don Brooke designed this luxury cruiser for Athol Rudsen in 1973, the first of many similar yachts designed by him and exported.

Photographer unknown, reproduced courtesy of Paul Subritsky

DON AND ROBERT BROOKE

Don (1937–)
Robert (1940–)

Sons of the renowned Jack Brooke, Don and Robert are successful yacht racers, builders and designers in their own right.

A racing start

The Brooke brothers began sailing with their father, Jack Brooke. They had early success racing the family’s Frostbite dinghy Kiatoa. In 1954, Don became the youngest sailor to win the National Frostbite Trophy.

The brothers represented New Zealand in various classes, especially 12- and 18-footers. Don also competed in the Flying Dutchman Class at the 1962 World Championships. Both Don and Robert, with their father, had success in the 41-foot (12.5m) K Class Kiariki.

DON AND ROBERT BROOKE

Design firsts

In 1958, the brothers built New Zealand’s first Flying Dutchman, Scamper. In 1960, Don designed and built New Zealand’s first three-man 18-Footer, Jezebel. This yacht was national champion and placed third at the 1963 World Championships.

ROBERT BROOKE

Passion for teaching

Robert designed, built and raced several sailing dinghies and then keelers before teaching took over.

His 35-year educational career culminated in national advisory and chief-examiner positions – and leadership of the Boating Industry Training Organisation.

A self-confessed ‘vintage-boat nut’, Robert has restored many boats, including the Arch Logan-designed Rawene and the Colin Wild-designed Linda.

DON BROOKE

Luxury cruisers

For Don, yacht designing took a back seat to marriage and an earthmoving career in the 1960s.

Then, in 1973, he designed the large steel motor sailer Paul Markson for Athol Rudsen. He produced many similar luxury cruisers over the next 10 years, working full-time as a designer. One, Shangri La (1977), won an export award.

Don also co-designed and built the training yacht Spirit Of New Zealand, the successor to his father’s Spirit Of Adventure.

He later moved into administration, consultation and arbitration, managing the campaign that won the 1987 Admiral’s Cup. He has built many models of yachts by Arch Logan and the Bailey family.

LISTEN

DL02 Donald Brooke.mp4

Donald Brooke discusses how sailing conditions in New Zealand influenced the design of yachts such as the Zephyr and P Classes.

Runs for 2:55 minutes

Reproduced courtesy of Don Brooke