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 for the 2026 Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix, with four days of championship racing beginning on Tuesday, August 18.
Monday’s one-off anniversary race took competitors around a traditional Solent course before finishing off the Royal Yacht Squadron, where the famous cannons saluted the first three boats home.
Sweden’s Jan Secher, sailing SWE800 Miss Behaviour, mastered the Solent’s strong and complex tides to claim a convincing victory.
Switzerland’s Jan Eckert took second aboard SUI355 Ginkgo Racing, with Britain’s Martin Payne third on GBR818 True Story. Reigning Dragon World Champion Andy Beadsworth was fourth aboard TUR12 Provezza Dragon, while Graham Bailey brought the historic GBR192 Bluebottle, built in 1948, home in fifth.
World Champion in Action – Reigning Dragon World Champion Andy Beadsworth and the TUR12 Provezza Dragon crew race under spinnaker on the Solent ahead of the Edinburgh Cup. Photo: Rick Tomlinson
Halloran Puts Ireland in Top 10
Halloran ensured an Irish presence among the leading boats, taking Zinzan to 10th in the 49-strong fleet.
Irish Charge – Nicola Halloran’s IRL233 Zinzan races alongside Martin Payne’s GBR818 True Story during the British Dragon Association’s 70th Anniversary Race in Cowes. Photo: Rick Tomlinson
The result provides an encouraging opening for the Irish entry ahead of the Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix, when the focus switches from Monday’s standalone anniversary race to four days of championship competition in the central Solent.
Germany’s Magdalena Gründt and GER1151 Lilibeth finished immediately ahead of Halloran in ninth, while Martin Lutz’s Austrian entry AUT204 Diavel III took eighth.
Secher Masters Solent Conditions
Around 15 knots of breeze greeted competitors, with sunshine eventually breaking through the initially overcast conditions. Secher made a strong start and navigated the Solent tides to build a sizeable lead. “The race was good. Quite different,” Secher said after racing.
Anniversary Winner – Sweden’s Jan Secher and SWE800 Miss Behaviour sail off Cowes after taking victory in the British Dragon Association’s special 70th Anniversary Race. Photo: Rick Tomlinson
The Swedish sailor, who had never previously competed at Cowes Week, said the prospect of receiving the Royal Yacht Squadron’s traditional cannon salute provided extra motivation on the run to the finish.
“Getting a cannon finish was the motivation for us to keep going. That we wanted to have that gun,” he said. Secher added that recent racing in Sweden had left the crew feeling well prepared, although he stressed the strength of the international fleet assembled for the championship.
New Starting System Tested
Competitors also used Monday’s race to familiarise themselves with the Vakaros RaceSense electronic start-line management system, which has only recently been introduced to the Dragon fleet.
Solent Line-Up – The 49-boat Dragon fleet gets down to racing off Cowes as crews from 12 nations gather for the 2026 Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix. Photo: Rick Tomlinson
Race Officer Rob Brown, a former Edinburgh Cup winner, conducted several practice starts before the anniversary race began.
Gründt was among the competitors using Vakaros for the first time and also faced the challenge of adapting to the Solent's strong tidal conditions. “It was really tricky starting with the tide,” she said. “The current was completely new for us, especially me.”
Edinburgh Cup Racing Begins Tuesday
After racing, skippers gathered at the Royal Yacht Squadron for the Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix briefing, followed by the opening ceremony and anniversary race prize-giving.
Championship Welcome – Competitors gather at the Royal Yacht Squadron for the Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix briefing ahead of four days of championship racing in Cowes. Photo: Rick Tomlinson
British Dragon Association chairman Chris Grosscurth said the strength of the fleet reflected the Dragon class's enduring international appeal as the association celebrates its 70th anniversary. “It is a pleasure to see such a strong fleet gathered here as we celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the British Dragon Association,” Grosscurth said.
Racing for the Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix begins on Tuesday, August 18 and continues through Friday, August 21, with windward-leeward racing scheduled in the central Solent.
For Ireland, attention will now turn to whether Halloran and Zinzan can carry their top-10 anniversary-race form into the championship proper.
