The Edinburgh Cup, UK Dragon National Championships, takes place just across the Irish Sea in Abersoch next week where an international fleet of 35 Dragons begin racing on Tuesday.
Five Irish Dragon teams have travelled to compete in the historic event which dates back to 1949.
Leading the Irish challenge will be current Irish National Champions, Neil Hegarty, David Williams & Peter Bowring on "Phantom". Their form continues with an early season victory at the East Coast Championships on Dublin Bay.
However Martin Byrne's "Jaguar Sailing Team" return to Abersoch, the scene of their last triumph at this event in 2011, for another attempt to regain the title. A follow up in 2012, on Belfast Lough, with a second overall was not enough to satisfy this team and they will be looking to lead an Irish challenge for this trophy again.
Two other Royal St George YC Dragon teams, lead by Tim Pearson & Clare Hogan, will enhance the Dublin Bay challenge on board "Zu" and "Cloud" respectively.
Anthony O'Neill and his south coast team are the only travellers from the Kinsale Dragon fleet but they are no strangers to Abersoch having competed there also in 2011.
However the Irish Dragons will have plenty of competition from the best of the UK's competition lead by international superstar and former Dragon World Champion Lawrie Smith who last won this event in 2013.
