British Dragons on the Podium at Copa del Mediterráneo
by Emma York 24 Feb 11:40 PST
19-22 February 2026
Louise Racing during the Copa del Mediterráneo © Puerto_Portals /
www.flickr.com/photos/puertoportals
48 Dragons from 16 nations, including five British entries delivered a memorable week of racing at the Copa del Mediterráneo in Puerto Portals, Mallorca. A regatta defined by patience, shifting breeze, and flashes of classic Mediterranean sunshine.
A weather warning and strong conditions prevented Dragons from leaving the marina and racing on day one. Then came sun, wind and two solid races, with a third attempt abandoned when conditions deteriorated. Corinthian team GER1256 Goldkante took the first race victory followed by a win for GER16 Ingrid in race two. USA325 Magic had a consistent day placing two thirds and led the fleet going into day two.
Day 3 began with a delayed start in very light, glassy conditions. By early afternoon the breeze finally swung and filled from the West, allowing racing to get under way at around 2pm.
As the wind shifted through the afternoon (around 300° to 280°), the fleet split across the course hunting pressure, making it a tricky day for everyone.
SWE800 Miss Behaviour stamped their authority on the regatta, winning Races three and four, while AUT207 Basic Logic claimed the final race of the day with a superb performance in a three-windward-leg battle.
The standout British performance came from GBR833 Louise Racing who put together a brilliant day on the water with 4th, 2nd, 2nd, propelling them into 2nd overall and putting them firmly in contention throughout the closing stages.
GBR831 Jerboa also produced a strong showing, including a 5th in Race four, helping them move up to 10th overall in a highly competitive international fleet.
The final day delivered what sailors come to Mallorca for, beautiful conditions and another quality contest. Race six got under way with regatta leaders SWE800 rounding the windward mark with a considerable lead and stretched away downwind to underline their dominance.
Race Officer Adrienne attempted to turn the fleet around for another start, but after two general recalls it wasn't possible to get the fleet away. With racing concluded, teams made for the crane.
Overall Results: (top three)
1. SWE800 MISS BEHAVIOR Jan Secher, Richard Sydenham, Jamie Lea
2. GBR833 LOUISE RACING Grant Gordon, Luke Patience, Faye Chatterton, Ruairidh Scott
3. SUI355 GINGKO RACING Jan Eckert, Torvar Mirsky, Frederico Melo
Corinthian Results: (top three)
1. GER1221 SAPPHIRE IV Jan Woortman, Casper Dohse, Marcel Fockel
2. BEL100 FRIENDHSIP Alex Helsen, Floris Mortelmans, Hendrik Panneel
3. GER1256 GOLDKANTE Tanja Jacobsohn, Bernhard Jacobsohn, Jan Scharfetter
Full results can be found here.
British Dragons: strong form building into the Gold Cup. With five British Dragons on the start line, the regatta provided valuable early-season racing against world-class competition. The British contingent leaves Mallorca encouraged, led by Louise Racing's superb second place finish, and with Jerboa, FitChick, Dreki and Firefly all sailing well as momentum builds towards the Gold Cup in March 2026.