Tickled Pink: The First Young 88 Yacht

Jim Young, Young 88

1980

Build Date

Jim Young/Roger Land

Boat Designer/Builder

29 ft / 8.9 m

Length

Beam

The Young 88

Depending on your perspective Tickled Pink is the first Young88 boat to be designed and built. The Young88 was designed by Jim Young and marketed and built by Roger Land. This partnership was so prolific that over 150 Young 88 boats have been built and a owners association exists to manage the design, race meets and social outings. With its dinghy-like hull and open transom the Young 88 was ideal for racing and cruising.

The story goes that in 1980 Russell and Sue Satherwaite wanted a Jim Young designed boat that could work as both a family cruiser and in races. With a brother, Greg Elliott, capable of building the boat as well as designing and building the cabin interior and exterior for them the plan was set and the boat was launched two years later.

The Satherwaites however, were not the only people wanting a yacht made for cruising and racing. At the same time Greg Elliot was planning to build Tickled Pink, Roger Land and Owen Lockerbie were also wanting a cruiser/racer around 8 metres long. So over a bottle of rum, they made a plan to make a mould from the boat Greg Elliot was to build. With this mould they planned to make around five boats so they could sell four and keep one for themselves.

Before they did this though they convinced the Satherwaites to push the length out to 8.9 metres and change the shape of the transom and bow slightly. Jim Young designed a cabin and interior, Terry Cookson was contracted to build the moulds and Roger Lands business brought Jim Young’s plans. To cover the costs of the moulds they needed to sell ten boats but with 6 orders in place before building started they looked good to cover the costs. As history shows they were onto a winner and they soon scaled up production.

So the honour of the first Young 88 becomes debatable. Is it Tickled Pink, the boat that started this whole endeavour or Paddy Wagon (launched in December 1981) built by Lands business and the first Young 88 to touch water? Maybe its a matter of interpretation.

As of January 2023 Tickled Pink is owned by Neil Hilder and Monique Pearce.

References

To research Tickled Pink we used the websites below and Jim Young’s memoir Jim Young: Designer, Boatbuilder, Sailor
yachtingnz.org, boatingnz.co.nz and young88.org.nz.

Fiery Cross – Jim Young’s innovative canting keel yacht

Positive Touch – The first Rocket 31 yacht designed by Jim Young

Heatwave – Designed and raced by Jim Young, Heatwave, competed in One Ton Cup races globally