History of the Dragon
From a small Scandinavian cruising boat in 1929 to one of the most competitive keelboat classes in the world, the Dragon turns 100 in 2029.
Designed by Johan Anker
Olympic keelboat
Countries racing today
Boats actively sailing
A century of the Dragon
How a design competition in Sweden produced a boat that is still raced at the highest level almost a hundred years later.
- 1928
The design competition
The Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club in Sweden asked for an affordable cruising keelboat that was fast, good-looking and seaworthy. Johan Anker of Norway, who won Olympic gold in the 6 Metre that same year, won with a one-design built to the 20 square-metre rule.
- 1929
The first Dragon
The first boat was built in 1929, carvel-planked in wood and meant for both racing and weekend cruising.
- 1937
The Gold Cup
The Clyde Yacht Clubs' Conference in Scotland donated the Dragon Gold Cup, the start of international Dragon racing. It is still one of the class's three major events.
- 1946–1948
Olympic status
With the Anker family's permission, Norwegian sailor Peter Lunde promoted the class internationally. The Dragon was given Olympic status in 1946 and first raced at the London Games in 1948.
- 1948–1972
The Olympic years
For seven Games the Dragon was the Olympic three-person keelboat. It gained a genoa, a spinnaker and a more modern rig. Its last Olympic regatta was sailed at Kiel in 1972.
- 1961
The International Dragon Association
The IDA was founded to look after the class rules and keep the boats equal as the class grew to every continent.
- 1965
The first World Championship
The Worlds are now held every odd-numbered year, alongside a European Championship every year.
- 1971–1973
Metal spars and fibreglass
Metal spars arrived in 1971 and fibreglass hulls in 1973, led by the Danish builder Børge Børresen. The class rules were written so that wooden and fibreglass boats could still race on equal terms.
Petticrows and the Dragon
- 1988
Petticrows starts building Dragons
More than 800 Dragons have been built since then.
- 2005
Tim Tavinor leads production
A former World Champion and Gold Cup winner, Tim still advises Petticrows today.
- 2021
A new home in Portugal
The yard moved to Sintra, near Cascais.
- 2029
The Dragon turns 100
Our Centenary Edition marks the class's first hundred years.
The Dragon today
The class races in around 30 countries on five continents, with more than 1,300 boats actively sailing and many more still in use for cruising. The World Championship, the European Championship and the Gold Cup regularly draw fleets of over 70 boats.
Close racing
Strict class rules keep the boats very evenly matched, so results come down to tactics and crew work rather than strength.
Sailed by three or four
Adjustable spars and sails let a good crew tune the boat for every condition, which keeps the class rewarding for top sailors and newcomers alike.
Specifications
- Length overall
- 8.90 m
- Waterline length
- 5.66 m
- Beam
- 1.95 m
- Draught
- 1.20 m
- Weight
- approx. 1,700 kg
- Mainsail
- 16.0 m²
- Genoa
- 11.7 m²
- Spinnaker
- 23.6 m²