Dragon (keelboat)
Class symbol
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| Designer | Johan Anker |
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| Location | Norway |
| Year | 1929 |
| Design | One-Design |
| Crew | 2–4 Maximum crew weight: 285 kg (628 lb) |
| Draft | 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in) |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction |
Carvel GRP Cold moulded plywood Composite |
| Hull weight | 1,700 kg (3,700 lb) |
| LOA | 8.90 m (29.2 ft) |
| LWL | 5.66 m (18.6 ft) |
| Beam | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) |
| Keel/Board Type | Fixed |
| Rig Type | Bermuda rig |
| Mainsail area | 16.0 m2 (172 sq ft) |
| Jib / Genoa area | 11.7 m2 (126 sq ft) |
| Spinnaker area | 23.6 m2 (254 sq ft) |
| Upwind Sail Area | 27.7 m2 (298 sq ft) |
| D-PN | 89.5 |
| RYA PN | 986 |
| Former Olympic class (Vintage Yachting class) | |
The Dragon is a one-design keelboat designed by Norwegian Johan Anker in 1929. In 1948 the Dragon became an Olympic Class, a status it retained until the Munich Olympics in 1972. 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 construction was introduced in 1973 and the rigging has been regularly updated.
The Dragon class is actively represented in over 26 countries on 5 continents. There were 1,444 boats registered in 2004 and the number of boats built has averaged 45 per year. There are many more which are used for day sailing. The World Championships are held in every odd year and the European Championships are held annually. The Gold Cup, which can only be held in certain specified European countries, is unique in that all six races count without discard. It is held annually and often attracts over 100 entries, usually starting in one fleet.
A strong Class Association manages the class rules carefully to ensure safety, high quality and uniformity. Spars and sails have a wide range of adjustment during racing, allowing a skillful crew to optimize the boat for any conditions. Crew weight limits, and restrictions on hiking out allow the Dragon to be raced successfully by a range of ages and both genders. It is possible to tow the Dragon behind many vehicles. It is often dry-sailed. It may be raced against boats of other classes, employing a Portsmouth Yardstick handicap of 986 or a D-PN of 89.5.
The Dragon class was initiated by the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club, who gave Norwegian yacht designer Johan Anker a brief for a cheap cruising/racing boat with about 20 20 square metres (220 sq ft) of sail area. After the Second World War, the boat was considered slow, and genoa and spinnaker was introduced.
Since 2008 the Dragon is one of the Vintage Yachting Classes at the Vintage Yachting Games.
In memory of Madame Virginie Hériot and in accordance with her often expressed wish to encourage yachting, the Committee of the Yacht Club de France decided at a meeting on 21 May 1946 to initiate an International Cup and name it the "Coupe Virginie Hériot". The Cup is assigned to the International Dragon Class, but remains the property of the Yacht Club de France. In agreement with the Committee of the International Dragon Association the "Coupe Virginie Hériot" is the main trophy of the European Dragon Championship. The event is now held annually.
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Wikipedia