View source for Engineering:Dragon (keelboat)

{{Infobox sailboat specifications
| name            = International Dragon
| image           = Dragon (keelboat).svg
| imagesize       = 
| alt             = 
| caption         = 
| class_symbol    = 
| class_image     = Dragon insigna.svg
| class_imagealt  = 
| class_imagesize = 
| crew            = 2–4<br />Maximum crew weight: {{convert|285|kg|abbr=on}}
| type            = [[Engineering:Monohull|Monohull]]
| design          = One-Design
| construction    = [[Engineering:Carvel (boat building)|Carvel]]<br />[[Chemistry:Fiberglass|GRP]]<br />[[Chemistry:Plywood|Cold moulded plywood]]<br />[[Chemistry:Composite material|Composite]]
| rig             = [[Engineering:Bermuda rig|Bermuda rig]]
| keel            = Fixed
| trapeze         = 
| loa             = {{convert|8.90|m|abbr=on}}
| loh             = 
| lwl             = {{convert|5.66|m|abbr=on}}
| beam            = {{convert|1.95|m|abbr=on}}
| draft           = {{convert|1.20|m|abbr=on}}
| hull            = {{convert|1700|kg|abbr=on}}
| mastheight      = 
| mainsailandjib  = {{convert|27.7|m2|abbr=on}}
| sailarea        = 
| mainsail        = {{convert|16.0|m2|abbr=on}}
| jib             = {{convert|11.7|m2|abbr=on}}
| spinnaker       = {{convert|23.6|m2|abbr=on}}
| d-pn            = 89.5
| rya-pn          = 986
| phrf            = 
| year            = 1929
| designer        = Johan Anker
| location        = Norway
| role            = 
| updated         = 10 August 2011
| olympic         = vintage
}}

[[File:VYG 1 Dragon 2008.JPG|thumb|Dragon racing in 2008.]]
[[File:Holzdrachen.jpg|thumb|Wooden dragon, built by Abeking & Rasmussen (1954) on the Großer Brombachsee]]
[[File:Britannia yacht club pub in Ottawa, Ontario.jpg|thumb|''Magic Dragon'' used as a bar in Britannia Yacht Club's Dragon pub]]
[[File:Dragon wooden sailboat 1709.jpg|thumb|A wooden Dragon on its trailer, showing the keel shape and rudder arrangement]]

The '''Dragon''' is a one-design [[Engineering:Keelboat|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. [[Chemistry:Fiberglass|GRP]] construction was introduced in 1973 and the rigging has been regularly updated.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.britishdragons.org/racing-dragons.aspx |title=Some history of the Dragon class at britishdragons.org |access-date=28 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504194134/http://www.britishdragons.org/racing-dragons.aspx |archive-date=4 May 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Dragon class is actively represented in over 26 countries on 5 continents. By 2004 there were 1,444 boats registered, 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.{{clarify|date=January 2022}} It may be raced against boats of other classes, employing a Portsmouth Yardstick handicap of 986<ref name="RYA2007">{{cite web |url=http://www.benfleetyachtclub.org/files/Portsmouth_HC/2007_Handicap_List.pdf |title=RYA Portsmouth Yardstick Scheme 2007 |publisher=Royal Yachting Association |access-date=21 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518090534/http://www.benfleetyachtclub.org/files/Portsmouth_HC/2007_Handicap_List.pdf |archive-date=18 May 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> or a D-PN of 89.5.<ref name="USkb">{{cite web |url=http://offshore.ussailing.org/Portsmouth_Yardstick/Current_Tables/Keelboat_Classes.htm |title=Keelboat Classes |publisher=US Sailing |access-date=31 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120816154541/http://offshore.ussailing.org/Portsmouth_Yardstick/Current_Tables/Keelboat_Classes.htm |archive-date=16 August 2012 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

== History ==
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 {{convert|20|m2}} of sail area.<ref name=BrembergSeth>{{citation |last1=Bremberg |first1=Fred |last2=Seth |first2=Staffan |title=Segelbåtstyper: kortfattade beskrivningar med igenkänningstecken och dimensionsuppgifter för svenska segelbåtar |edition=2nd revised |year=1965 |publisher=Aldus/Bonnier |place=Stockholm |language=sv |page=64}}</ref> After the Second World War, the boat was considered slow, and [[Engineering:Genoa (sail)|genoa]] and [[Engineering:Spinnaker|spinnaker]] were introduced.<ref name=BrembergSeth />

The Dragon was one of the Vintage Yachting Classes in the Vintage Yachting Games in 2008 and 2012.

== Events ==

=== Olympic Games ===
Source:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://sports123.com/sai/oo-dra.html |title=Olympic results at sports123.com |access-date=17 July 2009 |archive-date=25 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625160956/http://sports123.com/sai/oo-dra.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{Medals table
 | caption        = 
 | host           = 
 | flag_template  = flagIOCteam
 | event          = 
 | team           = 
 | gold_NOR = 2 | silver_NOR = 0 | bronze_NOR = 0
 | gold_DEN = 1 | silver_DEN = 2 | bronze_DEN = 1
 | gold_SWE = 1 | silver_SWE = 2 | bronze_SWE = 0
 | gold_USA = 1 | silver_USA = 0 | bronze_USA = 2
 | gold_AUS = 1 | silver_AUS = 0 | bronze_AUS = 0
 | gold_GRE = 1 | silver_GRE = 0 | bronze_GRE = 0
 | gold_GDR = 0 | silver_GDR = 1 | bronze_GDR = 1
 | gold_ARG = 0 | silver_ARG = 1 | bronze_ARG = 0
 | gold_EUA = 0 | silver_EUA = 0 | bronze_EUA = 1
 | gold_GBR = 0 | silver_GBR = 0 | bronze_GBR = 1
 | gold_FRG = 0 | silver_FRG = 0 | bronze_FRG = 1
 | gold_ITA = 0 | silver_ITA = 0 | bronze_ITA = 1
}}
 |-
| style="align:center;" | 1948 London <br />{{DetailsLink|Sailing at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Dragon}}
  |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of Norway.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Norway]]&nbsp;Norway&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(NOR)</span><br />Thor Thorvaldsen<br />Haakon Barfod<br />Sigve Lie
                             |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of Sweden.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Sweden]]&nbsp;Sweden&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(SWE)</span><br />Folke Bohlin<br />Gösta Brodin<br />Hugo Johnson
                             |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of Denmark.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Denmark]]&nbsp;Denmark&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(DEN)</span><br />William Berntsen<br />Klaus Baess<br />Ole Berntsen

  |-
| style="align:center;" | 1952 Helsinki <br />{{DetailsLink|Sailing at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Dragon}}
  |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of Norway.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Norway]]&nbsp;Norway&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(NOR)</span><br />Thor Thorvaldsen<br />Haakon Barfod<br />Sigve Lie
                               |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of Sweden.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Sweden]]&nbsp;Sweden&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(SWE)</span><br />Per Gedda<br />Erland Almqvist<br />Sidney Boldt-Christmas
                               |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of Germany.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Germany]]&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(GER)</span><br />Theodor Thomsen<br />Erich Natusch<br />Georg Nowka

  |-
| style="align:center;" | 1956 Melbourne <br />{{DetailsLink|Sailing at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Dragon}}
  |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of Sweden.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Sweden]]&nbsp;Sweden&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(SWE)</span><br />Folke Bohlin<br />Bengt Palmquist<br />Leif Wikström
                                             |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of Denmark.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Denmark]]&nbsp;Denmark&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(DEN)</span><br />Ole Berntsen<br />Cyril Andresen<br />Christian von Bülow
                                             |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Great Britain]]&nbsp;Great Britain&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(GBR)</span><br />Graham Mann<br />Ronald Backus<br />Jonathan Janson

  |-
| style="align:center;" | 1960 Rome <br />{{DetailsLink|Sailing at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Dragon}}
  |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Greece]]&nbsp;Greece&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(GRE)</span><br />HRH Crown Prince Constantine<br />Odysseus Eskidioglou<br />Georgios Zaimis
                                     |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of Argentina.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Argentina]]&nbsp;Argentina&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(ARG)</span><br />Jorge Salas Chávez<br />Héctor Calegaris<br />Jorge del Río Sálas
                                     |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of Italy.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Italy]]&nbsp;Italy&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(ITA)</span><br />Antonio Cosentino<br />Antonio Ciciliano<br />Giulio De Stefano

  |-
| style="align:center;" | 1964 Tokyo <br />{{DetailsLink|Sailing at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Dragon}}
  |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of Denmark.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Denmark]]&nbsp;Denmark&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(DEN)</span><br />Ole Berntsen<br />Christian von Bülow<br />Ole Poulsen
                                     |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of German Olympic Team 1960-1968.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Germany]]&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(EUA)</span><br />Peter Ahrendt<br />Wilfried Lorenz<br />Ulrich Mense
                                     |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of the United States.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|United States]]&nbsp;United States&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(USA)</span><br />Lowell North<br />Richard Deaver<br />Charles Rogers

  |-
| style="align:center;" | 1968 Mexico City <br />{{DetailsLink|Sailing at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Dragon}}
  |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of the United States.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|United States]]&nbsp;United States&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(USA)</span><br />George Friedrichs<br />Barton Jahncke<br />Gerald Schreck
                                     |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of Denmark.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Denmark]]&nbsp;Denmark&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(DEN)</span><br />Aage Birch<br />Poul Richard Høj Jensen<br />Niels Markussen
                                     |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of German Olympic Team 1960-1968.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|East Germany]]&nbsp;East Germany&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(GDR)</span><br />Paul Borowski<br />Karl-Heinz Thun<br />Konrad Weichert

  |-
| style="align:center;" | 1972 Munich <br />{{DetailsLink|Sailing at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Dragon}}
  |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of Australia.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Australia]]&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(AUS)</span><br />John Cuneo<br />Thomas Anderson<br />John Shaw
                                     |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of East Germany.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|East Germany]]&nbsp;East Germany&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(GDR)</span><br />Paul Borowski<br />Karl-Heinz Thun<br />Konrad Weichert
                                     |style="vertical-align:top;" | [[File:Flag of the United States.svg|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|United States]]&nbsp;United States&nbsp;<span style="font-size:90%;">(USA)</span><br />Donald Cohan<br />Charles Horter<br />John Marshall
|}

=== World Championships ===

Source:<ref>[http://sports123.com/sai/ow-dra.html World champions at sports123.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625161041/http://sports123.com/sai/ow-dra.html |date=25 June 2009 }}</ref>


=== Vintage Yachting Games ===

Source:<ref>[http://www.vintageyachtinggames.org/ Vintage Results] ''vintageyachtinggames.org''. Retrieved 3 January 2021</ref>

{{Medals table
 | caption        = 
 | host           = 
 | flag_template  = 
 | event          = 
 | team           = 
 | gold_NED = 1 | silver_NED = 1 | bronze_NED = 0
 | gold_UKR = 1 | silver_UKR = 0 | bronze_UKR = 0
 | gold_GBR = 0 | silver_GBR = 1 | bronze_GBR = 0
 | gold_AUS = 0 | silver_AUS = 0 | bronze_AUS = 1
 | gold_RUS = 0 | silver_RUS = 0 | bronze_RUS = 1
}}
|-
| 2008 Medemblik
| {{NED}} (NED)<br />Reinier Wissenraet<br />Gijs Evers<br />Marc Reijnhoudt
| {{GBR}} (GBR)<br />Miss Gavia Wilkimson-Cox<br />Ron Rosenberg<br />Jon Mortimer
| {{AUS}} (GER)<br />Gordon Ingate<br />David Giles<br />Keith Musto
|-
| 2012 Lake Como
| {{UKR}} (UKR)<br />Yevgen Braslavetz<br />Georgii Leonchuk<br />Sergey Timokhov
| {{NED}} (NED)<br />Reinier Wissenraet<br />Pim ten Harmsen van der Beek<br />Marc Reijnhoudt
| {{RUS}} (RUS)<br />{{ill|Vasiliy Senatorov|ru|Сенаторов, Василий Юрьевич}}<br />Igor Ivashintsov<br />Aleksandr Muzychenko
|-
| 2018 [[Place:Copenhagen|Copenhagen]]
| No Dragon representation.
|
|
|}

=== European Championships ===
[[File:Coupe Virginie HERIOT.png|thumb|Coupe Virginie Hériot]]

Source:<ref>[http://www.intdragon.org/pdf/dragon_european.pdf European championship results] ''International Dragon Class Association''. Retrieved 3 January 2021</ref>

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.


=== Gold Cup ===
[[File:Dragon Gold Cup Victors 2011.jpg|thumb|left|The Winners of the 2011 Dragon Gold Cup: {{ill|Markus Wieser|es}}, Sergey Pughchev and Matti Paschen with the Gold Cup.]]

<ref>[http://www.intdragon.org/pdf/dragon_goldcup.pdf Gold Cup winners] ''International Dragon Class Association''. Retrieved 3 January 2021</ref>

The International Dragon Cup was presented in 1937 by members of the Clyde Yacht's Conference with the intention of bringing together as many competitors of different nationalities as possible for yacht racing in Europe in a friendly spirit, in order to perpetuate the good feeling which existed at the first International Clyde Fortnight. The Clyde Yacht Clubs' Conference has been reconstituted as the Clyde Yacht Clubs' Association and the International Dragon Cup has become known as, and is now renamed, the 'Dragon Gold Cup'.

Members of the Clyde Yacht Clubs' Association created specific rules for this competition and donated a perpetual trophy made of pure gold for an annual international race.
From the beginning, the Gold Cup was considered a family event for the Dragon Sailors and could be raced by yachts of the International Dragon Class belonging to any country, and for this reason was a very well attended event.

Until 1965, the year of the first Official World Championship, the Gold Cup was considered the unofficial World Cup. The first rules created by the Clyde Yacht Clubs' Association established that the Cup should be sailed annually and that the Cup should be retained by the winner for one year only. It also established that the event should take place in rotation in the following countries: Scotland, France, Sweden, Germany, Holland and Denmark.

With the revision of the rules in 1997, the number of hosting countries was enlarged to eleven: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The hosting country and the Organising Authority continue to be selected by the Clyde Yacht Clubs' Association in conjunction with the International Dragon Association and the number of participants was limited to 120.

== Class association ==
Source:<ref>[http://www.intdragon.net/ Homepage] ''International Dragon Class Association''. Retrieved 3 January 2021</ref>

The International Dragon Association (IDA) was founded on 31 October 1961 with London as its headquarters.
The principal objects of the IDA are:
* To further the interests of the International Dragon Class in all countries where Dragons are sailed and to introduce the Class to new countries.
* To be responsible for the administration of the class rules and coordinating proposals for rule amendments for consideration by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).
* To ensure that the class retains its "International" status by complying with the criteria adopted by the ISAF.
* To co-ordinate and select venues for the following international championships:
** World Championships
** European Championships
** Gold Cups
* To produce regular newsletters containing information about the Class and the activities of the IDA for distribution to all Dragon sailors throughout the world.
* Membership is open to National Dragon Class Associations.

=== Class officers ===
==== President ====

==== Vice-Presidents ====
* H.R.H. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark
* Christopher Dicker
* Poul Richard Høj Jensen

==== Chairman ====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Period'''
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Country'''
| style="text-align:center;" | '''Chairman'''
| style="width:150px; text-align:center;" | '''Major achievement'''
|-
| align=left | 1961–1965||{{GBR}}||align=left | Sir Gordon Smith||
|-
| align=left | 1966||{{FRA}}||align=left | F Thierry-Mieg||
|-
| align=left | 1967–1969||{{GBR}}||align=left | Sir Gordon Smith||
|-
| align=left | 1970–1972||{{FRA}}||align=left | F Thierry-Mieg||
|-
| align=left | 1973–1975||{{GBR}}||align=left | P Dyas||
|-
| align=left | 1976–1978||{{FRA}}||align=left | P Manset||
|-
| align=left | 1979–1981||{{GBR}}||align=left | P Dyas||
|-
| align=left | 1982–1984||{{FRA}}||align=left | P Manset||
|-
| align=left | 1985–1988||{{IRL}}||align=left | C Doyle||
|-
| align=left | 1989–1992||{{GER}}||align=left | N Geissler||
|-
| align=left | 1993–1994||{{FIN}}||align=left | T Nurmilaukas||
|-
| align=left | 1995–1996||{{GBR}}||align=left | Chris Dicker||
|-
| align=left | 1997–2000||{{POR}}||align=left | C. R. Ferreira||
|-
| align=left | 2001–2004||{{SWE}}||align=left | Thomas Olrog||
|-
| align=left | 2005–2006||{{GER}}||align=left | Rupert Fischer||
|-
| align=left | 2007–2010||{{GBR}}||align=left | Rob Campbell||
|-
| align=left | 2011–2015||{{NED}}||align=left | Richard Blickman||
|-
| align=left | 2015–2019 ||{{RUS}}||align=left | ÎÎÎÎÎ||
|-
| align=left | 2019–2021 ||{{MON}}||align=left | Jens Rathsack||
|-
| align=left | 2021–||{{FRA}}||align=left | Gerard Blanc||
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110418113141/http://www.classicboat.co.uk/class-notes/dragon-class/ Classic Boat's guide to Dragon Class]
* [http://www.intdragon.net/ International Dragon Class Association WebPage]
* [http://www.dragonclass.org.au/ Australian Class Link]
* [http://www.nadragons.org/ USA/CAN Class LInk]
* [http://www.britishdragons.org/ UK Class LInk]
* [http://www.afsid.org/ French Class Link]
* [http://www.dragonclass.nl/ Dutch Dragon Class]
* [http://www.belgiandragons.be/ Belgian Dragon Class]

[[Category:Keelboats]]

{{Sourceattribution|Dragon (keelboat)}}