Please select your home edition
Edition
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350

An interview with Todd Cox on the 2022 Dragon's Breath Regatta

by David Schmidt 6 Aug 2022 01:00 AEST August 6, 2022

What's in a name? In the case of the colorfully named Dragon's Breath Regatta, which is organized by the Oriental Dinghy Club (August 12-14), in Oriental, North Carolina, a lot (see below). While we can't validate claims of dragon sightings, images of past regattas portend great racing, comradery, and a great time spent with friends new and old.

The Dragon's Breath Regatta is open to monohulls that carry at least 20 feet on their waterline and have a valid PHRF certificate. Multihulls are also invited to participate in the Cruising Division. Racing will unfurl on the waters of Oriental's harbor, and the event plans to administer racing in four divisions (PHRF > 168, PHFR < 168, Spinnaker [all ratings], and cruising).

I checked in with Todd Cox, race chair of the 2022 Dragon's Breath Regatta, via email, to learn more about this exciting handicap regatta.

Can you please tell us a bit about the Dragon's Breath Regatta, how it got its colorful moniker, its history and culture, and the kinds of boats and sailors that one can expect to find here?

The town of Oriental is named after the Sail/Steamship Oriental, which sank off the coast here 150 years ago while carrying Union troops and supplies.

Oriental motif dragons play a part in many of the festivals here including our Dragons Breath Regatta.

The boats and sailors for this regatta range from former world champions sailing three-person Olympic keelboats to casual family cruisers. A great way to get a feel for Oriental is from our daily news blog....Towndock.net.

What kinds of numbers and interest levels are you seeing ahead of the 2022 event compared with previous editions?

We expect a turnout of 21-25 boats; this has been relatively consistent over the last few years despite Covid. Fifteen years ago, this was a 50-plus boat event.

How many classes do you and the other event organizers plan to run?

There will be one spinnaker division, two jib and main divisions, and a cruising division.

Generally speaking, what kinds of conditions can sailors expect on the waters of the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound in mid-August?

Although the summer months can serve up some light air days, the high probability is for 15-18 knot sea-breeze conditions with a significant chop.

It will be very hot and humid; hence the dragon's "breath".

What kinds of on-the-water racing can attending skippers and crews look forward to? Are we talking about mostly windward-leeward racing, or will you also run races that use the islands or geographical points as turning marks?

The Spinnaker and Jib&Main divisions will race around inflatable marks with courses being windward-leeward, triangle, or combinations of both.

The Cruising division will race a pursuit start triangle well outside the inflatable[-mark] courses. Their marks are government marks at shoals, ICW turn points, and a harbor entrance.

Are there any new additions or important changes to the 2022 regatta, compared to previous editions?

For 2022 there are no significant changes to the regatta format.

That being said, the simultaneous outside cruising[-class] triangle was new in 2021.

What about onshore entertainment? What can sailors look forward to once the finishing guns have gone silent each day?

Our onshore activities include a Friday evening registration get together, a Saturday evening social and dinner with music, and a Sunday post-race awards ceremony.

All of these take place harborside at the Oriental Inn and Marina. Oriental is a very popular stop on the ICW; it is a town of 900 people and 2,500 boats. It is considered the sailing capital of North Carolina.

Can you please tell us about any efforts that the club has made over the last year or two to further green-up the regatta and make it an even more sustainable event?

At all of our events we minimize the use of single-use plastics. At our small-boat and youth events, the awards often are Nalgeen-type water bottles to drive home the point.

Is there anything else that you'd like to add, for the record?

I believe our most significant initiative in the last few years is the formation of an umbrella organization to combine the efforts and resources of our racing club and the two local cruising clubs. The events organized and conducted by this structure have contributed thousands of dollars to local youth and collegiate sailing.

Related Articles

Some thoughts on provisioning for distance sailing
A new perspective on provisioning and time spent at sea One of the great joys of distance racing unfurls the moment that the dock lines are untied. Suddenly, the myriad packing lists that inevitably define most trip-planning efforts become about as relevant as a tax return from eight years ago. Posted on 1 Jul
Jazz Turner completes Project FEAR
Drama right to the end in her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles Jazz Turner has completed Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin 27 yacht. A flotilla of supporters met her in Seaford Bay, which grew and grew the closer they came to Brighton Marina. Posted on 1 Jul
A brief history of marine instrument networks
Hugh Agnew has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge One man who has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge, is Hugh Agnew, the Cambridge-educated mathematician who is one of the founders of A+T Instruments in Lymington, so I spoke to him to find out more... Posted on 25 Jun
Sailing and the summer solstice
Celebrating sailing and the longest day of the year If you love long evenings and early mornings, this is one of the best times of the whole year, as the summer solstice (Friday, June 20) and the entire rich expanse of summer are about to burst into bloom. Posted on 17 Jun
Video Review: The Amazing Cure 55
Composite Construction meets Cruising Convenience It was two years ago at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show that I talked to Dave Biggar about his ideas and plans for the Cure 55. At the 2025 show I got to step on board the yacht and see how his ideas became reality. Posted on 17 Jun
The Big Bash
Every summer the tournament rolls into town. A short format of the game. Fun and excitement abound. Every summer the tournament rolls into town. Local and international players. A short format of the game, run over a relatively compact six-week season. Posted on 15 Jun
The oldest video footage of Kiel Week
A look back into our video archive at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s In our series of articles looking back in time through our video archive, we visit Germany. Kiel Week is been a crucial event on the world circuit, and here we look back at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s. Posted on 15 Jun
Nick Olson on PredictWind's newest features
Nick Olson discusses PredictWind's newest features PredictWind has long been a leader in presenting high-quality marine forecasts. Nick Olson discusses the company's newest features. Posted on 12 Jun
The X-Yachts Gold Cup Experience
A celebration of sailing, of X-Yachts and, most importantly of all, people Having just returned from Haderslev, Denmark - which is the home of X-Yachts and played host to the X-Yachts Gold Cup 2025 - I was left wondering if this was a racing event, a rally or a social celebration amongst close friends. Posted on 10 Jun
Video Interview: Onboard the Excess 14
At the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show 2025 Excess have moved forward their designs with the Excess 13 and 14 cruising catamarans, so seeing the Excess 14 was high on the priority list, as well as talking to some exceptional high performance sailors on board to learn their thoughts. Posted on 3 Jun
Boat Books Australia FOOTERV-DRY-XBarton Marine Pipe Glands