Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

RBC Brewin Dolphin proudly supporting Afloat and Irish Boating

Irish Dragon Class Sailing News and Regatta Results
Little Fella, Big Finish: Cameron Good’s Little Fella on the way to winning the Cantor Fitzgerald Irish South Coast Dragon Championships at Kinsale with Simon Furney and Donal Small. Photo: Robert Bateman
Kinsale Yacht Club’s Cameron Good has won the Cantor Fitzgerald Irish South Coast Dragon Championships 2026, completing a six-race series at Kinsale with a two-point victory. Good’s Little Fella (IRL 211), crewed by Simon Furney and Donal Small, went into…
Phantom Charge: Neil Hegarty’s Phantom moves into second overall at the Cantor Fitzgerald Irish South Coast Dragon Championships after winning Saturday’s fifth race at Kinsale. Photo: Robert Bateman
Kinsale Yacht Club’s Cameron Good has retained the overall lead in the Cantor Fitzgerald Irish South Coast Dragon Championships, but his advantage has been cut to just two points after Saturday’s racing at Kinsale. Good’s Little Fella (IRL 211), crewed…
Little Fella, Big Lead: Cameron Good’s Little Fella leads the Cantor Fitzgerald Irish South Coast Dragon Championships at Kinsale after two race wins from three on the opening day. Photo: Robert Bateman
Kinsale Yacht Club’s Cameron Good has taken a commanding early lead in the Cantor Fitzgerald Irish South Coast Dragon Championships 2026 after winning two of Friday’s opening three races at Kinsale. Good’s Little Fella (IRL 211), crewed by Simon Furney…
Corinthian champions Adam Winkleman, Martin Byrne and Rory Byrne of Jaguar Sailing Team at the 2026 Edinburgh Cup prizegiving
Martin Byrne’s Jaguar Sailing Team from Dun Laoghaire Harbour has won the Corinthian title at the 2026 Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix in Cowes after a dramatic final-race battle decided on countback. Byrne, sailing IRL201 Jaguar with his…
Heavy Weather – Dragon crews power downwind through steep Solent seas in testing conditions on day three of the 2026 Edinburgh Cup off Cowes
Ireland’s Denis Bergin strengthened his lead in the Corinthian division of the 2026 Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix on Thursday (20 August), winning the amateur section for the second successive race as gusts of up to 30 knots…
Fleet Pressure – The 49-boat Dragon fleet powers through stronger conditions off Cowes on day two of the 2026 Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix. Photo: Rick Tomlinson
Ireland’s Denis Bergin has taken the lead in the Corinthian division of the 2026 Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix after a strong second day off Cowes, while Martin Byrne remains firmly in contention in third. Bergin’s IRL161 Sir…
Solent Shifts – The 49-boat Dragon fleet battles through testing, changeable conditions on the opening day of the 2026 Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix off Cowes
Four Irish Dragons are competing in the biggest Edinburgh Cup fleet in 30 years, with Martin Byrne’s Jaguar Sailing Team leading the Irish challenge in 15th overall and sharing the lead in the Corinthian standings after the opening two races…
Anniversary Winner – Jan Secher’s SWE800 Miss Behaviour powers ahead in the British Dragon Association’s 70th Anniversary Race, with Ireland’s IRL233 Zinzan also among the 49-boat fleet in Cowes
Ireland’s Nicola Halloran secured 10th place aboard IRL233 Zinzan as a 49-boat international Dragon fleet opened a major week of racing in Cowes with a special 70th Anniversary Race for the British Dragon Association. Crews from 12 nations have gathered…
Dragon Charge: A packed Dragon fleet races on the Solent, where 49 boats will contest the 2026 Edinburgh Cup and UK Grand Prix at Cowes.
Four Irish boats will line up at Cowes for the 2026 Dragon Edinburgh Cup and UK Grand Prix, where a 49-strong international fleet will contest the largest edition of the regatta in 30 years. Ireland’s challenge includes former Edinburgh Cup…
Top Dragon: David Tabb, Jack Bowen and Martin Westerdahl celebrate victory after winning the 2026 Irish Dragon National Championship at the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire.
David Tabb has been crowned 2026 Irish Dragon Open Champion after a commanding seven-race series at the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire. Helming Send in the Clowns, Tabb and crew Jack Bowen and Martin Westerdahl finished with a…
Bay Encounter: Dragon crews race on Dublin Bay with a cruise ship providing a dramatic backdrop during the Irish Dragon National Championship at the Royal Irish Yacht Club in fresh north-easterly winds.
A British crew leads the Irish Dragon National Championship after six races at the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire, where a fresh north-easterly produced fast, physical racing on Dublin Bay. With one discard now applied, David Tabb's Send…
Colour Charge – Dragon crews run under colourful spinnakers during Edinburgh Cup racing in Cowes, where Ireland will bid to add to its rich history in the championship next month.
Ireland will be looking to add another chapter to its proud Edinburgh Cup record after organisers confirmed entries from 11 nations for next month's Dragon championship in Cowes. A total of 45 teams have already entered the 2026 Edinburgh Cup…
Solent Stakes — The Dragon Edinburgh Cup and UK Grand Prix will bring a 40-boat international fleet to Cowes in August, with Ireland among ten nations already entered.
Irish Dragon sailors will be among a strong international fleet contesting the 2026 Dragon Edinburgh Cup and UK Grand Prix in Cowes this August. Around 40 teams from 10 nations have already confirmed entries for the championship, with six weeks…
Top Ted — Michael O’Connor’s Ted secured the SB20 title at the Dun Laoghaire Cup after four race wins in a dominant Royal St George Yacht Club performance.
Consistency and low discard scores proved decisive as the Dun Laoghaire Cup fleets completed their series at the Royal Irish Yacht Club on Sunday. Six races were completed in light to medium southwesterlies in the Dragon, SB20, Flying 15 and…
Fresh Breeze — Dragons race on Dublin Bay during the Irish Dragon East Coast Championship at the Royal St George Yacht Club, where shifting south-westerly winds produced close and tactical racing.
Neil Hegarty’s Phantom emerged victorious after a closely fought Irish Dragon East Coast Championship at the Royal St George Yacht Club. The 12-boat fleet completed five races over three days in breezy and shifting south-westerly to westerly winds on Dublin…
“In
Gordon Ingate, one of Australia's greatest sailors over a varied career afloat of nine decades, has died a few weeks after the world of sailing joined in celebrating his hundredth birthday. Regular visitors to Afloat.ie will be well aware of…

The Dragon was designed by Johan Anker in 1929 as an entry for a competition run by the Royal Yacht Club of Gothenburg, to find a small keel-boat that could be used for simple weekend cruising among the islands and fjords of the Scandinavian seaboard. The original design had two berths and was ideally suited for cruising in his home waters of Norway. The boat quickly attracted owners and within ten years it had spread all over Europe.

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 is the most popular material, but both new and old wooden boats regularly win major competitions while looking as beautiful as any craft afloat. Exotic materials are banned throughout the boat, and strict rules are applied to all areas of construction to avoid sacrificing value for a fractional increase in speed.

The key to the Dragon's enduring appeal lies in the careful development of its rig. Its well-balanced sail plan makes boat handling easy for lightweights, while a controlled process of development has produced one of the most flexible and controllable rigs of any racing boat.