News

May 25, 2007

Over the weekend of Saturday June 16th and Sunday June 17th the Daring and International Dragon keelboat fleets of Cowes will be hosting a “Boatcamp” event to introduce racing sailors to the delights of keelboat racing in the central Solent.

Organised in association with the Royal London Yacht Club and jointly hosted by the Daring and International Dragon fleets, sailors will have a rare opportunity to sail in and learn more about these highly competitive and evergreen classes.

The event is open to all sailors with racing experience and the programme will incorporate a range of shoreside and sailing activities designed to give participants a good general introduction to the Cowes Daring and Dragon fleets.

Administration and shoreside events will take place at the Royal London YC on The Parade in Cowes, while sailing activities will be run from the splendid new Trinity Landing directly opposite the clubhouse.

Participants will take part in a variety of training and racing activities afloat and in addition there will be both a Daring and an International Dragon moored on the Trinity Landing so they can get up close and personal with the boats and talk to class members about what has kept these classes in the spotlight for so many years.

Those taking part can decide whether they would prefer to attend on both or just one of the days. Each day’s activities will start with an initial informal get together and briefing over coffee at the Royal London YC at about 10am.

The club will also provide a shoreside base between sailing sessions and will be serving lunches and afternoon tea. The Daring and International Dragon fleets look forward to welcoming sailors interested in keelboat racing from Cowes.

If you are interested in taking part please urgently e-mail events@eventnetwork.demon.co.uk to request an application form. A high level of interest is expected so book early to avoid disappointment. Further information about the event – and the classes – can also be found athttp://www.solent-dragons.org andhttp://www.daring.org.uk .

Registered participants will also be invited to attend the Cowes Keelboat Fleets “Nearly Midsummer’s Night Party” on the evening of Saturday June 16th at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club.

The Daring is based on the Arthur Robb 5.5m “Vision”, the silver medal winner at the 1956 Olympics. One-design rules allow the class continuously to improve the sail and rigging plan by adopting the latest designs and materials.

Most yachts are owned by small syndicates that provide value for money racing and good fleet turnouts. There are now more than 30 boats and a membership list exceeding 200.

The Dragon was designed in 1929 and was an Olympic class from 1948-72. It is raced around the world. The Solent Fleet is active from Easter into October, and many boats travel to regattas across the UK and internationally.

Carefully controlled class development means that racing success is dependent on boat handling and crew work, so competent crew are in high demand. Dragons are also well known for their post-racing social activities!