Dragons
The Dragon Class is one of the most successful One Design classes in the world and has been raced internationally since before the Second World War. The Dragon was an Olympic Class up to and including the 1972 Games and Irish sailors have competed with distinction at all levels in this class since the early 1960s.
Far from being an old man’s boat the Dragon class rules has allowed the class to evolve into one of the most dynamic and sophisticated boats to race today. Graceful but tweaky someone once described the Dragon and that is an adequate description. An extremely pleasant boat to sail upwind in all conditions it is also an extremely rewarding boat for the more technically minded sailors. There are probably more things to adjust on the Dragon than any other boat ever built. The rig can be moved bodily for and aft and sideways when the boat is underway, the shape of the sails can be adjusted to the nth degree in every direction.
Most Dragons today are built of fibreglass making them relatively low maintenance boats. In Kinsale Dragons are either moored in their own set of ‘pens’ on the Western end of the marina, or stored on their trailers. Yes, although it is almost 30 foot long (8.9 mtres) and weighs in at 1700kgs it tows easily behind a large car or 4x4. A good secondhand Dragon can cost below 10,000 Euros and the very latest all extras boat can be almost six times that.
The Dragon is sailed by three people and Dragon sailors can find sport all over Ireland with big fleets in Dublin Bay and the North, as well as in Glandore and Kinsale in Munster - as a result there is an active National Circuit including the South Coast Championships sailed alternatively in Kinsale and Glandore each year. Kinsale has hosted the International Class' Flagship regatta the Dragon Gold Cup in the 1970s and will again host the International Dragon fleet in September 2012 - the event has its own micro site which can be visited HERE:
Kinsale Yacht Club runs club racing for the Dragons on Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons from May to September. Fleets can number as many as 10 boats at times during the Summer months and a number of new Dragon sailors have recently joined the club and bought new boats - in preparation for the 2012 Dragon Gold Cup.
The Dragon Class Captain in Kinsale is Henry Kingston, and his contacts are:
Tel: 086 8153927
Email: hkingston@portofcork.ie
The Dragon Class Racing Calendar, Official Notice Board, Racing Results, Photo Gallery and Class Open Meeting Information can be accessed by clicking on the menu to the left.
Some useful links for Dragon sailors:
THE IRISH DRAGON ASSOCIATION WEBSITE: