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 winner Martin Byrne in Jaguar Sailing Team (IRL 201), Denis Bergin’s Sir Ossis of the River (IRL 161), Iain Woolward’s Wild Iris (IRL 231) and Nicola Halloran’s Zinzan (IRL 233).
Byrne and Wild Iris are entered in the Corinthian division, while Zinzan is also listed among the all-amateur crews, with Tim Carpenter and Declan Gordon joining Halloran aboard the Irish Dragon. Byrne brings considerable Edinburgh Cup pedigree to Cowes. He won the trophy in 2011 and was crowned Corinthian champion in 2022, and will be among 16 amateur teams challenging for Corinthian honours this year.
Irish Charge: Martin Byrne’s Jaguar Sailing Team (IRL 201) races under spinnaker, with the former Edinburgh Cup winner returning to challenge for honours at Cowes in 2026. Photo: Robert Deaves
Hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron from August 16-21, the regatta has attracted crews from Ireland, Germany, the USA, Sweden, Turkey, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Hong Kong, Austria and across the UK.
The Edinburgh Cup, awarded annually to the winner of the British Dragon Open National Championship, was presented to the British Dragon Association in 1949 by the late Duke of Edinburgh, himself a keen Dragon sailor. Adding to the heritage of this year’s event, the Duke’s famous 1948 Camper & Nicholson-built Dragon Bluebottle will be among the competing boats.
For 2026, the championship is being held alongside the International Dragon Association’s UK Grand Prix, the third of four European Dragon Grade 1 regattas this season.
49 Dragons to Race on the Solent
Registration takes place on August 16 and 17 before a special warm-up race on Monday, August 17, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the British Dragon Association.
Championship racing begins on Tuesday, August 18 and continues until Friday, August 21, with windward-leeward courses planned for the central Solent.
Dragon Battle: The fleet powers away during the 2023 Dragon Edinburgh Cup at Cowes, which will welcome 49 boats for the 2026 championship — its largest entry in 30 years. Photo: Rick Tomlinson
The fleet contains some of the leading names in international Dragon racing, including reigning World Champion and 2022 Edinburgh Cup winner Andy Beadsworth, who will sail with the Turkish Provezza team.
“The Edinburgh Cup is one of the most prestigious trophies in sailing, and racing Dragons on the Solent is always a good challenge, so we’re definitely looking forward to the Edinburgh Cup and UK Grand Prix,” Beadsworth said. “It’s fantastic that 49 boats, including many of the top teams, are confirmed, so we’re excited to be going up against the likes of Christoph Toepfer, Graham Bailey, Jan Eckert, Grant Gordon and Jan Secher.”
Bluebottle Among Contenders
Three-time Edinburgh Cup winner Graham Bailey comes into the championship after winning the 25-boat Dragon division at Cowes Week aboard the restored Bluebottle.
Bailey won the Edinburgh Cup in 2014, 2017 and 2018, but victory at Cowes aboard the Duke of Edinburgh’s former Dragon would provide an especially notable fourth title.
Other Cowes Week front-runners expected to feature include Ivan Bradbury’s Blue Haze, Jono Brown’s Fit Chick — the 2023 Corinthian Edinburgh Cup winner — and Gavia Wilkinson-Cox’s Jerboa.
German ILCA sailor Laura Schewe is another notable addition, making her first appearance at a Dragon Grand Prix after finishing 10th among 25 Dragons during Cowes Week. “I am both a little excited and nervous to be sailing with nearly 50 Dragons,” Schewe said. “I used to sail an ILCA dinghy, which is a much bigger fleet, but I am still adjusting to the Dragon. I think I will be fine.”
The Corinthian contest will form a significant element of the championship, with Byrne among the challengers to defending Corinthian Edinburgh Cup champion William Swigart of the USA.
Austria’s Martin Lutz, Scotland’s Cathy Ogden and Belgium’s Guy Celis are also among the amateur crews entered.
The week concludes on Friday with the final championship races and a gala prize-giving dinner at the Royal Yacht Squadron.
