Dragon Class: Hurray up and wait

Following the cancellation of the 2021 Dragon World Championship due to the pandemic, the Dragon Gold Cup is the biggest event for the year, being held August 15-20 in Marstrand, Sweden. However, Mother Nature has had other ideas.

It’s rare to lose three consecutive days of racing but so far it has been either too much wind or not enough to complete any races. With three days remaining and a minimum of four races required, and rules calling for very long courses and a maximum of two races per day, pressure is building for the 78 entrants representing 17 countries.

After the loss of almost the entire 2020 and early 2021 international program due to COVID-19 restrictions and the huge amount of work it has taken to make this regatta possible and to get the teams here, to be confronted with such extraordinary summer weather, in a venue usually known for is exceptionally good racing conditions, is a bitter pill to swallow.

It is also a huge disappointment for the Swedish Dragon fleet whose volunteers have put so much time and effort into bringing the regatta of these 29-footers to their country once again.

Day four will see the crews out on the race course for an early 09:00 start as the forecast indicates more strong wind later that afternoon, but then much lighter winds on the final two days, so luck may be on everyone’s side and the minimum of four races, or more, could still be attained. Additional details: www.goldcup21.com.