Dragon (keelboat) explained

International Dragon
Class Image:Dragon insigna.svg
Crew:2–4
Maximum crew weight: 285kg (628lb)
Type:Monohull
Design:One-Design
Construction:Carvel
GRP
Cold moulded plywood
Composite
Rig:Bermuda rig
Keel:Fixed
Loa:8.9m (29.2feet)
Lwl:5.66m (18.57feet)
Beam:1.95m (06.4feet)
Draft:1.2m (03.9feet)
Hull:1700kg (3,700lb)
Mainsailandjib:27.7m2
Mainsail:16m2
Jib:11.7m2
Spinnaker:23.6m2
D-Pn:89.5
Rya-Pn:986
Year:1929
Designer:Johan Anker
Location:Norway
Updated:10 August 2011
Olympic:vintage

The Dragon is a one-design keelboat designed by Norwegian Johan Anker in 1929. In 1948 the Dragon became an Olympic Class, a status it retained until the Munich Olympics in 1972. The Dragon's long keel and elegant metre-boat lines remain unchanged, but today Dragons are constructed using the latest technology to make the boat durable and easy to maintain. GRP construction was introduced in 1973 and the rigging has been regularly updated.[1]

The Dragon class is actively represented in over 26 countries on 5 continents. By 2004 there were 1,444 boats registered, and the number of boats built has averaged 45 per year. There are many more which are used for day sailing. The World Championships are held in every odd year and the European Championships are held annually. The Gold Cup, which can only be held in certain specified European countries, is unique in that all six races count without discard. It is held annually and often attracts over 100 entries, usually starting in one fleet.

A strong Class Association manages the class rules carefully to ensure safety, high quality and uniformity. Spars and sails have a wide range of adjustment during racing, allowing a skillful crew to optimize the boat for any conditions. Crew weight limits and restrictions on hiking out allow the Dragon to be raced successfully by a range of ages and both genders. It is possible to tow the Dragon behind many vehicles. It is often dry-sailed. It may be raced against boats of other classes, employing a Portsmouth Yardstick handicap of 986[2] or a D-PN of 89.5.[3]

History

The Dragon class was initiated by the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club, who gave Norwegian yacht designer Johan Anker a brief for a cheap cruising/racing boat with about of sail area. After the Second World War, the boat was considered slow, and genoa and spinnaker were introduced.

The Dragon was one of the Vintage Yachting Classes in the Vintage Yachting Games in 2008 and 2012.

Events

Olympic Games

Source:[4]

World Championships

See main article: Dragon World Championships.

Source:[5]

Vintage Yachting Games

See main article: Vintage Yachting Games.

Source:[6]

2008 Medemblik (NED)
Reinier Wissenraet
Gijs Evers
Marc Reijnhoudt
(GBR)
Miss Gavia Wilkimson-Cox
Ron Rosenberg
Jon Mortimer
(GER)
Gordon Ingate
David Giles
Keith Musto
2012 Lake Como (UKR)
Yevgen Braslavetz
Georgii Leonchuk
Sergey Timokhov
(NED)
Reinier Wissenraet
Pim ten Harmsen van der Beek
Marc Reijnhoudt
(RUS)

Igor Ivashintsov
Aleksandr Muzychenko
2018 CopenhagenNo Dragon representation.

European Championships

See main article: Dragon European Championship.

Source:[7]

In memory of Madame Virginie Hériot and in accordance with her often expressed wish to encourage yachting, the Committee of the Yacht Club de France decided at a meeting on 21 May 1946 to initiate an International Cup and name it the "Coupe Virginie Hériot". The Cup is assigned to the International Dragon Class, but remains the property of the Yacht Club de France.In agreement with the Committee of the International Dragon Association the "Coupe Virginie Hériot" is the main trophy of the European Dragon Championship. The event is now held annually.

Gold Cup

See main article: Dragon Gold Cup.

[8]

The International Dragon Cup was presented in 1937 by members of the Clyde Yacht's Conference with the intention of bringing together as many competitors of different nationalities as possible for yacht racing in Europe in a friendly spirit, in order to perpetuate the good feeling which existed at the first International Clyde Fortnight. The Clyde Yacht Clubs' Conference has been reconstituted as the Clyde Yacht Clubs' Association and the International Dragon Cup has become known as, and is now renamed, the 'Dragon Gold Cup'.

Members of the Clyde Yacht Clubs' Association created specific rules for this competition and donated a perpetual trophy made of pure gold for an annual international race.From the beginning, the Gold Cup was considered a family event for the Dragon Sailors and could be raced by yachts of the International Dragon Class belonging to any country, and for this reason was a very well attended event.

Until 1965, the year of the first Official World Championship, the Gold Cup was considered the unofficial World Cup. The first rules created by the Clyde Yacht Clubs' Association established that the Cup should be sailed annually and that the Cup should be retained by the winner for one year only. It also established that the event should take place in rotation in the following countries: Scotland, France, Sweden, Germany, Holland and Denmark.

With the revision of the rules in 1997, the number of hosting countries was enlarged to eleven: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The hosting country and the Organising Authority continue to be selected by the Clyde Yacht Clubs' Association in conjunction with the International Dragon Association and the number of participants was limited to 120.

Class association

Source:[9]

The International Dragon Association (IDA) was founded on 31 October 1961 with London as its headquarters.The principal objects of the IDA are:

Class officers

Vice-Presidents

Chairman

PeriodCountryChairmanMajor achievement
align=left 1961–1965align=left Sir Gordon Smith
align=left 1966align=left F Thierry-Mieg
align=left 1967–1969align=left Sir Gordon Smith
align=left 1970–1972align=left F Thierry-Mieg
align=left 1973–1975align=left P Dyas
align=left 1976–1978align=left P Manset
align=left 1979–1981align=left P Dyas
align=left 1982–1984align=left P Manset
align=left 1985–1988align=left C Doyle
align=left 1989–1992align=left N Geissler
align=left 1993–1994align=left T Nurmilaukas
align=left 1995–1996align=left Chris Dicker
align=left 1997–2000align=left C. R. Ferreira
align=left 2001–2004align=left Thomas Olrog
align=left 2005–2006align=left Rupert Fischer
align=left 2007–2010align=left Rob Campbell
align=left 2011–2015align=left Richard Blickman
align=left 2015–2019 align=left ÎÎÎÎÎ
align=left 2019–2021 align=left Jens Rathsack
align=left 2021–align=left Gerard Blanc

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Some history of the Dragon class at britishdragons.org . 28 April 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160504194134/http://www.britishdragons.org/racing-dragons.aspx . 4 May 2016 . dead.
  2. Web site: RYA Portsmouth Yardstick Scheme 2007 . Royal Yachting Association . 21 August 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150518090534/http://www.benfleetyachtclub.org/files/Portsmouth_HC/2007_Handicap_List.pdf . 18 May 2015 . dead.
  3. Web site: Keelboat Classes . US Sailing . 31 July 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120816154541/http://offshore.ussailing.org/Portsmouth_Yardstick/Current_Tables/Keelboat_Classes.htm . 16 August 2012 . dmy-all.
  4. Web site: Olympic results at sports123.com . 17 July 2009 . 25 June 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090625160956/http://sports123.com/sai/oo-dra.html . dead.
  5. http://sports123.com/sai/ow-dra.html World champions at sports123.com
  6. http://www.vintageyachtinggames.org/ Vintage Results
  7. http://www.intdragon.org/pdf/dragon_european.pdf European championship results
  8. http://www.intdragon.org/pdf/dragon_goldcup.pdf Gold Cup winners
  9. http://www.intdragon.net/ Homepage