Royal St. George's Martin Byrne sailing with Adam Winklemann and John Simms has won the International Dragon Class Southern Area Championships at Royal Cornwall Yacht Club.

A warm-up event for Tuesday's prestigious Edinburgh Cup at the same venue in Falmouth saw Ireland's Jaguar Sailing Team six points clear of the Royal Yacht Squadron's Graham Bailey at the helm of the Duke of Edinburgh's classic Bluebottle on 18 points. 

Six races were sailed with one discard in a 22-boat fleet. Simon Barter of Cowes Corinthian YC was third. 

Although Byrne did not win a race, the Irish trio counted five results in the top three in a consistent display that bodes well for the first races of the British National Championship for the Edinburgh Cup today. 

2022 Edinburgh Cup

They will be the only Irish team competing – and a Corinthian team to boot – and up against some stiff UK competition just arrived in Falmouth Harbour, including the pre-regatta favourite, Andy Beadsworth's Provezza. 

As regular Afloat readers will know, victory at the Edinburgh Cup is nothing new for Byrne and Winkelmann; the Dun Laoghaire crew lifted the Cup back more than a decade ago in 2011.

And their pre-event training reveals the depth of their ambitions to hold the Cup for Ireland again.  

Byrne's last event was pre-Covid at Abersoch in 2019, when they finished runners-up to Mike Budd.

"It is almost a decade since we won the Edinburgh Cup in 2011, and we have had a couple of near misses since then".

Over the winter, the Jaguar team competed in a series of events in Portugal; four events in Vilamoura and one practice week in Cascais. Last month they competed in La Baule, France and at June's National Yacht Club regatta on Dublin Bay.

Ireland has won the Edinburgh Cup 13 times in its 73-year history. 

Dragon UK South coast results here

National Dragon Champion Neil Hegarty of the RStGYC took the East Coast title after six races sailed at the Royal Irish Yacht Club hosted event. 

Overnight leader on Saturday, Hegarty sailing with crew Kevin O’Boyle and Charlie Bolger clinched the championship with a final race win on Sunday.

Winds were easterly and shifting between 60 and 90 degrees up to 12 knots with a short chop off Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

(Above and below) Overall winner Neil Hegarty (225) takes the pin end in race five of the Dragon East Coast Championships Photo: Afloat

Sailing with four up, Kinsale Yacht Club's Brian Goggin and crew Sean Murphy, Daniel Murphy and John O Connor broke the overnight tie with Ruan O'Tiarnaigh, Stephen Boyle and John Burke in the Sutton Dinghy Club entry 'Phantom Capital' to take second overall on 13 points.

Kinsale Yacht Club's Brian Goggin and crew Sean Murphy, Daniel Murphy and John O'Connor on Whisper Photo: Afloat

The SDC crew took third overall in the 13-boat fleet on 18 points. 

Ruan O'Tiarnaigh, Stephen Boyle and John Burke from Sutton Dinghy Club were third

Kinsale will host the prestigious 2024 Dragon Gold Cup, a high point on the calendar after the disappointing cancellation of the 2020 Cup at that venue due to COVID. 

Results are here

National Dragon Champion Neil Hegarty of the Royal St. George Yacht Club leads this weekend's class East Coast Championships at the Royal Irish Yacht Club at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. 

After four races sailed in light westerly winds, Hegarty sailing with Kevin O’Boyle and Charlie Bolger leads by two points from Dragon newcomers Ruan O'Tiarnaigh in Phantom Capital sailing with Stephan Boyle and John Burke of Sutton Dinghy Club.

After one discard applied, Kinsale Yacht Club visitors Brian Goggin, Sean Murphy, Daniel Murphy and John O Connor are tied on seven points with O'Tiarnaigh in the 13-boat fleet. 

Two races are left to sail on Sunday. Results are here

There were no final races today at the Dragon European Championships meaning last night's results stand leaving Pedro Rebeo De Andrade, Ireland's Adam Winkelmann and Jorge Pinheiro De Melo in second overall.

The fleet was held ashore for most of the day as the easterly winds were very fickle all morning. They only went afloat at 1.30 as the RO attempted one start before the 3 pm cut off time.

However, as the Dragons arrived at the race course the wind shifted 180 degrees as the strong gale force Mistral winds arrived from the west bringing 3/4 metre waves.

The Race Officer abandoned any attempts to start a race and sent the fleet ashore for the last time.

A win for Adam Winkelmann, of the National and Royal Irish Yacht Clubs, puts him in second overall and two points off the overall lead at the Dragon European Championships in San Remo, Italy after five races sailed.

As Afloat previously reported, Winkelmann is on the crew of the Portuguese entry Petti Portugal with reigning Dragon European and Gold Cup Champion Pedro Andrade at the helm.

Swiss entry Quick1 sailed by Wolf Waschkuhn, Charles Nankin and Ruairidh Scott continue his overall lead by two points after discard and with two races left to sail for The Virginie Heriot Cup.

In Thursday's race five, the Portuguese/Irish entry was second to the top mark with Washkin struggling mid-fleet. Andrade managed to get to first on the second beat and Washkin got back to seventh by the finish.

There is a question mark tonight over the rest of the championship due to the forecasted arrival of a storm on Friday.

The current plan is to go out early for two final races in San Remo, weather permitting.

Download results below

Adam Winkelmann, of the National and Royal Irish Yacht Clubs, is lying third overall at the Dragon European Championships in San Remo, Italy after four races sailed.

As Afloat previously reported, Winkelmann is on the crew of the Portuguese entry Petti Portugal with reigning Dragon European and Gold Cup Champion Pedro Andrade at the helm.

Big winds are forecast for the venue today (Thursday) and Friday so the prospect of further racing is being described as 'marginal'. 

Swiss entry Quick1 sailed by Wolf Waschkuhn, Charles Nankin and Ruairidh Scott leads by two points from Holland's Pieter Heerema, Lars Hendriksen and Herve Cunningham on 20 points. 

The Portuguese entry sits on 30 points.  A single race discard will apply if one more race is held. 

Download results below.

The Robotic Mowers Cork One-Design Keelboat Regatta is on Sunday 1st and Monday 2nd May 2022 in Kinsale Yacht Club.

The regatta is open to Squib and Dragon keelboats. It is an open event and KYC is looking forward to welcoming entrants from Glandore Harbour Yacht Club.

Six races are scheduled over the two days, and they will be sailed in the waters between the Old Head and the Sovereign Islands.

Download the NOR below.

The Dragon European Championships kick off in San Remo, Italy on Monday next.

Irish interest in the three-man keelboat competition will be with Adam Winkelmann, National and Royal Irish Yacht Clubs, who joins the crew of the Portuguese entry Petti Portugal with reigning Dragon European & Gold Cup Champion Pedro Andrade at the helm.

Pedro is also the new owner of Petticrows, the largest builder of Dragons in Europe and they are sailing one of the earliest new boats from their production line in Portugal (moved from Burnham on Crouch in the UK).

Both Pedro and Adam are regular crew with Martin Byrne and John Simms onboard Jaguar Sailing Team from Royal St George Yacht Club, who are based in Europe, but not competing at this regatta.

The Dragon European Championship racing continues until Friday, 

The International Dragon Association condemns the Russian attack on Ukraine and confirms its decision to suspend the participation of Russian sailors and officials from all international sailing events including World Sailing owned and sanctioned competitions and events until further notice.

This includes the European Championship, the World Championship, the Gold Cup and all Grand Prix events 2022.

In a statement, the prestigious keelboat association says "by implementing these measures, the IDA is following World Sailing guidance in supporting a united and coordinated approach within the global sports movement".

Russian and Ukrainian Dragons competing with other nations at a previous European Championships Photo: Russian Dragon Association

This decision is in line with the IOC Executive Board’s protocols aimed at preserving the integrity of competitions and ensuring the safety of all athletes.

The statement concludes "We ask all sailors to respect each other during these difficult times and wish to state that the IDA denounces any defamatory statements made against any of our fellow sailors regardless of their nationality. We look forward to an immediate end to all hostilities and we hope for a time in the near future when we can compete again together".

The Irish Dragon Fleet continues to build interest as the 2024 Gold Cup in Kinsale comes closer. News that the Glandore and Kinsale fleets particularly are experiencing strong growth in numbers and standard of sailors is contained in the International Dragon Class Review for 2021 just published. 

This year saw the addition of Colm Dunne and Colm Daly in Kinsale, two established Squib sailors who showed immediate pace finishing a superb second in the Irish Nationals. Glandore Harbour continues to foster many young talents in the Dragon class with Don Street still sailing competitively at over 90 years of age!

Despite pandemic restrictions, the three major championships went ahead as planned along with two other regional events.

Little Fella (Cameron Good, Henry Kingston & Simon Fourney/ Matthias Hellstern) Photo: Bob Bateman

Results were dominated by Little Fella (Cameron Good, Henry Kingston & Simon Fourney/ Matthias Hellstern) winning three out of the five events with Phantom (Neil Hegarty, Peter Bowring & David Williams) winning the other two.

The front cover of the  2021 International Dragon Class Review just published. Read it online via the link below

The Irish National title once again went to Phantom who has now won this prestigious regatta nine times and the last four years in a row!

Irish Dragon champions - Phantom David Williams, Peter Bowring & Neil Hegarty from the Royal St. George Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

Irish Dragon sailors have once again begun to travel to European events. Seasoned International campaigners Martin Byrne and Team Jaguar have based themselves in Vilamoura for the winter whilst Brian Goggin & Daniel Murphy recently borrowed Michael Cotter's beautiful classic Tarasque to sail in the December winter series in Cannes.

Dragon trio Martin Byrne, Adam Winkelmann and John Simms

Interest is also building amongst the Irish fleet to travel to the likes of Douarnenez and Falmouth in 2022.

Kinsale’s plans for the Gold Cup 2024 are also well underway with title sponsorship already secured from yacht club member Stephen McCarthy and his company Astra Construction.

The Irish Dragon Association are planning to hold a number of feeder events for the Gold Cup to make travelling more attractive. These will include applications to the IDA for a Grand Prix event in the lead up to the Gold Cup.

Read the full Dragon Review for 2021 is online here