The Derwent Class began in Hobart in 1927 with an idea from yachtsman and Derwent Sailing Squadron president Edwin “Teddy” Webster. He wanted an affordable one-design yacht that would give sailors a step up from small sailing craft into yacht racing, without the expense of the larger yachts of the time.

A design competition was held, with a design by naval architect A. C. Barber selected and local sailor Percy Douglas helping adapt it for racing on the River Derwent. The first boat, Imp, was built by Hobart boatbuilder Percy Coverdale for Webster and launched in December 1927. Other boats followed soon afterwards, and by the summer of 1928–29 six Derwents were racing on the River Derwent: Imp, Gnome, Clytie, Nymph, Wendy and Pixie.

At 24 feet 6 inches, with a three-foot bowsprit, the Derwents were relatively small keelboats, but their lively sailing characteristics and one-design format made for close and competitive racing. They were simple enough to be built by local boatbuilders and, in some cases, by their owners, and the class soon became a familiar sight on the River Derwent and at Hobart regattas.

The fleet continued racing at the Derwent Sailing Squadron for more than sixty years, with the last D Class championship pennant awarded in the 1989–90 season. As fibreglass yachts became increasingly popular from the 1970s, the Derwent fleet declined and some boats were converted to cruising or simply fell into disrepair.

Remarkably, many of the original boats have survived. In recent years, a new generation of custodians, with the skilled input of local shipwrights, has begun restoring Derwents and bringing them back to the water. By the end of 2026, 16 of the original Derwent fleet will be berthed side by side at Oyster Cove Marina and sailing together regularly. Nearly a century after Imp first sailed, the Derwent Class is once again coming together.