Dragon - the king of boats, the boat of kings

by Isabelle Andrieux/Marianne Lacroix on 2 Feb 2008

Primo Cup Trophee Credit Suisse Dragon .

Organised every year on the first two weekends of February, the Primo Cup – Trophée Credit Suisse has grown into a one-design event that few care to miss out on. Thousands of sailors, both amateurs and professionals, from Sunday racers to top level competitors, descend on Monaco from over 20 countries to take part in the 13 classes. Over the two weekends, that’s more than 250 boats.

Following the success last year of the format, the Laser SB3 and Dragon classes have four days in which to show what they can do, while the eleven other series will compete over three days.

Dragon, the king of boats, the boat of kings

Although designed in 1928, today it is one of the most widely distributed keelboats in the world.

Crowned heads, Olympic medallists, amateurs and professionals are united in their love of competition and of the boat. Because it is a favourite with the aristocracy, the Dragon has been nicknamed the sailing boat of kings.

Without doubt the most active in Europe, the Dragon fleet in the Mediterranean counts around 70 boats in the PACA region, of which many are foreign. During the winter season, they flock from all over Europe to participate in the winter regattas from Saint-Tropez to Cannes and Monaco.

Their number and quality continues to increase at the Primo Cup which has become after only two years one of the landmark events on the Dragon circuit.

Dragon Races days 1 and 2

Primo Cup Trophee Credit Suisse © Dragon .

After five races over the first two days, Markus Wieser (GER) the 2007 European Champion leads the 41 boat fleet, after winning three of the races. In second place is Gavia Wilkinson-Cox (GBR) and in third place, Lars Hendriksen (UKR).

After Wieser won the opening day's two races, it was Edouard Wylleman (BEL) who won the first race Friday ahead of Wilkinson-Cox. But he was unable to keep up this pace and a 27th and then a DNF in race five places him in 18th overall.

Race four went to Harro Kniffka (SUI) with Hendriksen in second. A seventh in the final race for Kniffka put him in fourth overall. The final race was a third win for Wieser to confirm his overall lead. In second place was Sergey Yazikov (RUS) with Hendriksen in third.

No less than 41 Dragons representing a dozen nations are taking part, among them numerous teams from Scandinavia and eastern Europe including the German world title holder Vincent Hoesch.

Also of note was the presence of Anatoly Karachinsky, CEO of IBS, «the Russian Bill Gates», and the English scientist Ron James, director of the research team who produced Dolly, the famous cloned ewe.

The Primo, laboratory of innovation

The Yacht Club de Monaco wanted to test a system for following the races in real time with the aid of GPS/GSM radio beacons installed on each of the 41 Dragons. During the races, each will be regularly transmitting relevant operational data such as latitude, longitude, speed etc via the GSM/GPRS networks to a central location.

This data will enable the race organisers to plot the position of all the boats in real time on a digital map, to estimate the time left for the last boat to arrive and to automatically determine the moment they cross the finish line, which means they can issue the race results almost immediately.

Thus the Yacht Club de Monaco is giving Movado Solutions an opportunity to apply to sailing the expertise it developed in 2007 for car races at the Antibes Rally (50 vehicles) and the International Rally of Valais (140 vehicles).

On the first weekend of the Primo Cup, there was also racing for the Star, Surprise, Smeralda 888, J/24 and H22 classes

Dragon - Results after 5 races, 1 discard

Rgs	Ident	Concurrents	P Ret	P tot	c.1	c.2	c.3	c.4	c.5	Club / Pays
1	UKR 7	BUNKER QUEEN WIESER Marcus PUGACHEV Sergey	12.00	25.00	1 1.00	1 1.00	13 13.00	9 9.00	1 1.00	UKR
2	GBR 716	JERBOA WILKINSON-COX Gavia HOESCH Vincent BARTON Peter	19.00	34.00	3 3.00	7 7.00	2 2.00	7 7.00	15 15.00	ROYAL CORINTHIAN YC
3	UKR 8	QUEEN HENDRIKSEN Lars MATVIENKO Igor PETVHOV Igor	24.00	42.00	7 7.00	18 18.00	12 12.00	2 2.00	3 3.00	UKR
4	SUI 296	ARISTON KNIFFKA Harro LIPP Michael KOCH Michael	31.00	45.00	11 11.00	12 12.00	14 14.00	1 1.00	7 7.00	SUI
5	POR 51	BABY GIRL SILVA Filipe SILVA Henrique MARQUES Alfonso	33.00	74.00	8 8.00	14 14.00	6 6.00	5 5.00	OCS 41.00	POR
6	IRL 196	WHISPER COTTER Michael BRIEN Simon GOMEZ Davy	37.00	59.00	10 10.00	8 8.00	9 9.00	22 22.00	10 10.00	IRL
7	GBR 720	AIMEE BAILEY Julia BAILEY Graham HERITAGE David	41.00	61.00	4 4.00	17 17.00	20 20.00	14 14.00	6 6.00	GBR
8	RUS 45	YEGOZA YAZIKOV Sergey FROLOV Igor LIUBOMIROV Vladimir	42.00	66.00	21 21.00	15 15.00	4 4.00	24 24.00	2 2.00	RUS
9	MON 11	TAMM HA TAMM BOILLOT Christian FOUCHIER Thierry AUCOUR Patrick	42.00	58.00	14 14.00	4 4.00	16 16.00	11 11.00	13 13.00	Y C MONACO C M V MARSEILLE CANNES JEUNESSE
10	NOR 282	FINITO DYVI Jan Erik PONCE Jean Sebastien GERMAIN Pierre	43.00	65.00	6 6.00	3 3.00	18 18.00	16 16.00	22 22.00	NOR Y C CANNES
11	RUS 2	ALISA EZHKOV Alexander KRUTSKIH Vladimir GRIGORIEV Alexey	48.00	74.00	2 2.00	10 10.00	25 25.00	26 26.00	11 11.00	RUS
12	NED 375	WITTE DAME BANNIER Hiub LANDRE Jan Willem MANUEL Paul	48.00	80.00	24 24.00	11 11.00	5 5.00	32 32.00	8 8.00	NED
13	RUS 25	VERSIYA 3.1 KARACHINSKY Anatoly KRYLOV Alexey UVARKIN Valentin	50.00	86.00	5 5.00	24 24.00	3 3.00	36 36.00	18 18.00	RUS
14	NED 330	CHIMEARA DE WILDE Abram BELLINIDE BOO Siebe DE MUNNIK Ralph GIUBELLINI Manuel	51.00	70.00	18 18.00	16 16.00	8 8.00	19 19.00	9 9.00	NED
15	RUS 27	- LOGINOV Anatoly SHALAGIN A IKONNIKOV V MIKHAYLIN A	54.00	95.00	BFD 41.00	6 6.00	24 24.00	12 12.00	12 12.00	RUS
16	IRL 190	CHRISTIANNA SORENSEN Ulaf	56.00	97.00	9 9.00	25 25.00	DNF 41.00	6 6.00	16 16.00	IRL
17	RUS 31	INTEGRITY EMELIANOV Konstantin PROKHOZOV Alexander YANIN Alexander	58.00	99.00	16 16.00	19 19.00	OCS 41.00	4 4.00	19 19.00	RUS
18	BEL 66	C4 WYLLEMAN Edouard FEDDEMAN Gerard FEDDEMAN Herman	60.00	101.00	12 12.00	20 20.00	1 1.00	27 27.00	DNF 41.00	RNSYC
19	UKR 88	ROYAL QUEEN BRASLAVETS Evgeniy SIDOROV Igor TIMOKHOV Sergey	63.00	89.00	15 15.00	21 21.00	26 26.00	13 13.00	14 14.00	UKR
20	RUS 47	SASHA EVDOKIMENKO Oleg SKALIN Igor ZATSARENSKY	71.00	99.00	27 27.00	28 28.00	19 19.00	8 8.00	17 17.00	RUS
21	FRA 342	TSUICA 2 BLANC Gerard LE GOFF Gerard PERNICI Richard	73.00	114.00	DNF 41.00	2 2.00	27 27.00	3 3.00	OCS 41.00	Y C CANNES Y C CANNES
22	FRA 347	IMAGINE FRANCOIS Pierre BOURBIN Pierric FULCONIS Frederic	76.00	106.00	13 13.00	13 13.00	30 30.00	30 30.00	20 20.00	Y C ST MARTIN EN RE Y C CANNES AU COEUR DES VOILES
23	GBR 626	SENSATIONS GREEN Jenny GREEN Malcolm SCARTH Martin	78.00	106.00	28 28.00	23 23.00	15 15.00	15 15.00	25 25.00	Y C CANNES Y C CANNES
24	RUS 44	RED OCTOBER KUTNETSOV Antioni SHAYDUKO G FIRSOV Y	79.00	116.00	20 20.00	22 22.00	37 37.00	33 33.00	4 4.00	RUS
25	IRL 182	CLOUD HOGAN Clare DICKER Mark MURPHY Danial	79.00	120.00	DNF 41.00	5 5.00	38 38.00	10 10.00	26 26.00	ROYAL ST GEORGE YC
26	DEN 368	FLAWLESS BANDOLOWSKI Valdemar HVALSO Soren ANDERSEN Kim	81.00	122.00	17 17.00	9 9.00	32 32.00	23 23.00	OCS 41.00	DEN
27	GER 913	MC ARTHUR SCHMIDT Axel HEINRICH Alex AUMANN Franck	82.00	117.00	33 33.00	27 27.00	35 35.00	17 17.00	5 5.00	GER
28	GBR 717	NEREID HAYLES Michael HAYLES Dominique HAYLES Nicholas	84.00	117.00	30 30.00	29 29.00	7 7.00	18 18.00	33 33.00	ALDEBURGH YC
29	IRL 40	LEPRECHAUN O'CONNOR Dan BOWRING Peter MAGUIRE Paul	92.00	123.00	31 31.00	30 30.00	10 10.00	28 28.00	24 24.00	RIYC
30	GER 1043	ELECTRA O'CARROLL Cian TINDALE Pete TIPPEL Keith	93.00	132.00	19 19.00	31 31.00	11 11.00	39 39.00	32 32.00	GER
31	MON 2	A. P. CIST RATHSACK Jens OSTERREICH Bjorn RATHSACK Nina	98.00	132.00	25 25.00	34 34.00	23 23.00	29 29.00	21 21.00	MON
32	SUI 301	JOSETTE VEIT David VEIT Fredy SCHWITTER Jan	99.00	137.00	29 29.00	38 38.00	22 22.00	20 20.00	28 28.00	SUI
33	SUI 288	KALISTON STANJEK Robert KNIFFKA Justus SELTMANN Henning	111.00	152.00	DNF 41.00	32 32.00	28 28.00	21 21.00	30 30.00	SUI
34	FRA 352	IBOGA PEREGRINI Maurice HOUREZ Philippe VILLACAMPA Joel GARAVAGNO Fredy	113.00	149.00	34 34.00	36 36.00	21 21.00	35 35.00	23 23.00	Y C MONACO Y C CANNES C V VILLEFRANCHE/MER MENTON Y C
35	GBR 718	CAVALIER SINGER Tony BONDALETOFF Jean Nicolas ARTHUR Jurg	116.00	157.00	22 22.00	26 26.00	31 31.00	37 37.00	OCS 41.00	RYS
36	DEN 35	THE KING JOHANSEN Peter ERIKSEN Frank MANN III Charles	122.00	163.00	26 26.00	33 33.00	29 29.00	34 34.00	DNC 41.00	DEN
37	IRL 150	EVE PUGH Ean BROWN Roger LEGGE Paul	123.00	163.00	32 32.00	40 40.00	17 17.00	40 40.00	34 34.00	IRL
38	FRA 255	COQ ROUGE 8 CUNY Didier DURAND RAUCHER Loic BURSAUX Andre	123.00	161.00	23 23.00	35 35.00	36 36.00	38 38.00	29 29.00	CN MARINE TOULON Y C DE LA BAULE YC POINTE ROUGE
39	GBR 633	FEI-LIN'S FLIRTATION RON James WALSH Julia GIBBON Derek	125.00	166.00	BFD 41.00	39 39.00	34 34.00	25 25.00	27 27.00	ROYAL FORTH YC
40	MON 1	MUNEGÜ BOREA D'OLMO G. Battista BOREA D'OLMO Michele MAURICE Antoine	130.00	167.00	35 35.00	37 37.00	33 33.00	31 31.00	31 31.00	Y C MONACO