History of the Dragon
First public printings of the Dragon, at that time called the "Ankers suggestion" from Seglarbladet, 25 December 1928.
A more detailed history of the International Dragon Class can be found on the IDA Website. Details of trophy winners (Olympics, Worlds etc.) can be found on Wikipedia.
The Dragon was designed by Johan Anker in 1929. The original design had two berths and was ideally suited for cruising in his home waters of Norway. In 1948 the Dragon became an Olympic Class, a status it retained until the Munich/Kiel Olympics in 1972. It remains the only Olympic yacht ever to have a genuinely popular following outside the Games. Since the Olympics the Dragons have gone from strength to strength. The major reason for this has been the ongoing controlled development of the boat. 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 (introduced in 1973) is the most popular material, but both new and old wooden boats regularly win major competitions while looking as beautiful as any craft afloat. |
Modern Dragons
Biff, GBR764, 2010 Petticrows
The Dragon Class is active in 30 countries in 5 Continents with 1420 registered boats, and many more used for day sailing or cruising. The World Championships are held in odd years and the European Championships are held annually. The Gold Cup (held annually in certain specified European countries), is unique in that all six races count without discard. Major regattas attract upwards of 100 Dragons.
The crew of three makes for a tightly knit unit without the need for hired heavyweights, Class Rules ensure level racing, and the ease of trailing makes international competition attractive to all budgets. Spars and sails are easily adjustable while racing, allowing a skillful crew to optimize the boat for any conditions. Dragon races cannot be won by brute strength. The Dragon's design philosophy has made it a class where extremely close racing is the norm, and where races are won by the crew's mastery of the conditions and tactics on the course. |