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Dragon World Championships Steer a Course for Weymouth

19th June 2013
Dragon World Championships Steer a Course for Weymouth

#dragon – Next week sees the Dragon Fleet descend on the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy for the Dragon South Coast Championship on the 23 and 24 June, immediately followed by the Edinburgh Cup. Many teams will be using these events as a warm up for the highly anticipated Gazprom International Dragon World Championship in September, where the best of the fleet will be competing in the wake of Olympic Sailors.
The Dragon World Championship will attract the elite of international yacht racing; teams from 14 nationalities will be arriving at the National Sailing Academy, including many America's Cup, Olympic, World, Continental and National Champions. With a strict selection process, through a series of qualifying stages, only the very best crews will take part ensuring high competition for all.
The Sailing Academy will see one of the most beautiful and prestigious keelboat classes in the world with a fleet of more than 1400 boats in 26 countries, using the outstanding sailing facilities the area has to offer.
The Dragon fleet are ensured successful delivery of a world class event, with unrivalled shore side facilities, a dedicated event marina and race management teams fresh from the Olympic and Paralympic Games; the venue is truly world class.
Martin Makey, Chairman of the British Dragon Association commented, "Our international colleagues and our event supporter Gazprom International are convinced of the potential of the venue as well as the renowned reputation of Weymouth Bay to provide great racing. On many visits to WPNSA I have been most impressed with the development of the facilities and the quality of race management."
The Academy looks forward to welcoming the International Dragon Class for the Gazprom International Dragon World Championship, which will take place from the 5 -13th September at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

Published in Dragon
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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.