Kinsale Yacht Club is on standby for the arrival of 62 International Dragon Teams, representing 14 countries and four continents from across the globe, to compete in the 80th Dragon Gold Cup, which gets underway with a practice race on Saturday, September 7 and is sponsored by Astra Construction Services Ltd.
This will be the largest gathering of the Dragon fleet since the Covid pandemic, and it’s clear that the combination of an outstanding venue, exceptional Irish hospitality, and the opportunity to celebrate the 80th edition of the Dragon Gold Cup have combined to create a standout event.
Championship racing will run from Sunday, 8 to Friday, 13 September, with six races scheduled.
All the top international teams will be competing including reigning Dragon Gold Cup Champion and British Olympian Lawrie Smith, who will be racing for Glandore Yacht Club, Dragon International Ranking leader and reigning World and European Champion Wolf Waschkuhn from Switzerland, Australian Match Racing legend Peter Gilmour with his Japanese Yanmar team, France’s offshore maestro Gery Trentesaux, Portugal’s 2019 Gold Cup winner Pedro Rebelo de Andrade, and three times Dragon World Champion and British Olympian Andy Beadsworth, helming the Turkish entry Provezza.
Portugal’s 2019 Gold Cup winner Pedro Rebelo de Andrade Photo: Afloat
Smith has been enjoying a Dragon renaissance in the last two seasons, having taken a couple of years out from the class. He returned all guns blazing to win the Edinburgh Cup and Gold Cup in 2023 and has already successfully defended his Edinburgh Cup title this year. Last weekend, many of the teams raced in the Dragon Irish Championship, incorporating European Grand Prix Event 1, and once again, Smith was the cream of the crop.
France’s offshore maestro Gery Trentesaux competing at the Irish Dragon Championships on Dublin Bay in August Photo: Afloat
Waschkuhn was runner-up at last year’s Gold Cup in Torquay, so he hopes to get the better of the fleet this time and add the Gold Cup to his Dragon World and European titles.
The Gold Cup was originally created to foster international competition in a spirit of goodwill and friendly camaraderie. The format for the event calls for one single long windward leeward race per day and there are no discards in the series. This makes it not only an exceptionally challenging regatta to win, but also allows plenty of time for après sailing hospitality. As a result, the Gold Cup always attracts a broad range of competitors, and with the beautiful Kinsale, Ireland’s gourmet capital, as the venue combined with Kinsale Yacht Club’s legendary hospitality, it’s no surprise that this event has attracted the largest Dragon fleet since 2019.
Gavia Wilkinson-Cox, one of the International Dragon fleet’s top female helms, is a regular visitor to Kinsale and summed up the feelings of the returning fleet saying; “I’m thrilled to be sailing at the Gold Cup in Kinsale – there’s no better place for Dragons, on and off the water! The Kinsale Yacht Club and Kinsale itself have well deserved reputations for great hospitality, great race management, great restaurants – and great craic! We’re very much looking forward to returning for this auspicious Gold Cup in Kinsale – a superb venue.
For Belgium’s Xavier Vaneste and his team this will be a first visit to Kinsale; “We are very much looking forward to racing in Kinsale for the first time with our Dragon. We heard about the beautiful nature of this venue, excellent sailing conditions and winds, and the good life in Ireland. Hopefully we will have some sunshine in September. We are excited to meet the Irish sailors and catch up with the strong fleet of Dragon sailors that is going to be present. And of course, to taste the Irish beers and Cork Dry Gin as well!”
Past Edinburgh Cup winner Martin Byrne of the Royal St. George Yacht Club on Dublin Bay Photo: Afloat
Alongside the international visitors, Ireland will field an exceptionally strong team of 23 boats. The home fleet will include past Edinburgh Cup winners Martin Byrne, Brian Goggin, Neil Hegarty and Cameron Good, all of whom can make the podium. Travelling furthest to compete will be the Australian teams of Ian Malley, and Emma Shand with helm Grant Alderson. With Denmark, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Sweden also represented, it will be a truly international affair, and a full entry list can be found at the event website.
Kinsale Dragon ace Cameron Good Photo: Afloat
The all-amateur Corinthian teams will race with the open fleet, vying for the Corinthian Gold Cup, with 2023 winner David Tabb from the UK hoping to defend his title. There will also be a competition for the top performing three-boat national team, which will race for the Nations Cup, and for the Silver Cup, which is presented to the boat that finishes exactly halfway in the overall results.
Dublin Bay's Neil Hegarty from the Royal St. George Yacht Club. Photo: Afloat
Alongside the racing there will be a superb social programme with daily après sailing parties sponsored by Yanmar, an Opening Ceremony sponsored by Cork Council, a Taste of Ireland supper, a Reception at the historic Charles Fort and a Gala Dinner at Acton’s Hotel, all sponsored by Astra Construction, plus the Prize Giving and Closing Ceremony hosted by Kinsale Yacht Club.
