International Dragon Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix 2026 - 70th Anniversary Race
by British Dragon Association 17 Aug 23:37 PDT
16-21 August 2026
49 Dragons from 12 nations have gathered in Cowes for the 2026 Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix. Four days of racing for the championship commence tomorrow, Tuesday 18 August, but the event kicked off with a very special one-off celebration race to mark the 70th Anniversary of the British Dragon Association.
A traditional course was set, starting from a committee boat and taking competitors around marks in the Solent to finish off the Royal Yacht Squadron with its famous cannons saluting the first three finishers. Although skies were initially overcast it wasn't long before the sun broke through and with a good 15 knots of breeze from 230 degrees the race committee delivered a perfect race to celebrate this illustrious class's seven decades of history.
Sweden's Jan Secher, sailing SWE800 Miss Behaviour, got a great start and played the Solent's strong and complex tides perfectly to win by a very handsome margin. Behind him there was close competition with constant place changes, but ultimately it was Jan Eckert helming SUI355 Ginkgo Racing in second place with Britain's Martin Payne's GBR818 True Story third, reigning Dragon World Champion Andy Beadsworth aboard TUR12 Provezza Dragon fourth, and the legendary royal Dragon GBR192 Bluebottle built in 1948 and helmed by Graham Bailey fifth.
After racing Jane Secher summed up his day and shared his thoughts on the competition to come. "The race was good. Quite different. We obviously had a normal up and down wind initially and then started to go around the buoys. Which, for somebody who's never done Cowes Week was interesting, I was told that I've now had an experience of doing Cowes Week! That was fun.
"Getting a cannon finish was the motivation for us to keep going. That we wanted to have that gun. It was great and we feel well prepared going into the regatta. We are a very good sparring partner with Louise Racing [Grant Gordon's GBR833], so we both were well positioned today. So that's nice, and we had a regatta in Sweden last week and did well there as well. We feel well prepared, but we have huge respect for the field and all the good sailors that are here."
The Race Committee is using the Vakaros RaceSense electronic start line management system, which has only recently been introduced in the Dragon Fleet. Race Officer Rob Brown, himself a past Edinburgh Cup winner, ran several practice starts to allow competitors to familiarise themselves with the system before finally sending them on their way.
Magdalena Gründt and her team aboard GER1151 Lilibeth were using Vakaros for the first time and were impressed with its capabilities. "It was really tricky starting with the tide. The current was completely new for us, especially me. I've never sailed in such conditions and haven't sailed for a few months as well. So, we just needed to get back into our heads about where everything is and how the manoeuvres are. It was our first time with Vakaros, and that was interesting. Also interesting with the OCS and when you need to go back, but I think we made it in quite well, and so hopefully will do it tomorrow as well."
After racing the skippers gathered on the Royal Yacht Squadron's famous Platform for the Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix briefing, before moving out to the lawn for the Opening Ceremony Cocktail Party and 70th Anniversary Race prize-giving.
British Dragon Association Chairman Chris Grosscurth was delighted to welcome a world class fleet of international competitors saying; "It is a pleasure to see such a strong fleet gathered here as we celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the British Dragon Association. Reaching seventy years is a remarkable achievement and reflects the enduring appeal, heritage and prominence of the Dragon Class, not only in the UK but around the world. It is fantastic to have so many competitors here to be part of this milestone event. And for the club to put on a traditional Cowes Week style race today finishing on the Squadron Line for the 70th Anniversary Race was special. Thank you all for coming. Whether you've travelled from around the Solent or much further afield, your support is what makes this class so special. We have a great week of racing ahead of us and I wish you fair winds, close racing and an enjoyable week both on and off the water."
Racing for the Edinburgh Cup and UK Grand Prix commence tomorrow, Tuesday 18 August and continues until Friday 21 August on windward leeward courses in the central Solent. You can keep up with all the latest coverage from the event via the event website and the British Dragon Association's Facebook and Instagram pages.
British Dragon Association 70th Anniversary Race Results: (top ten)
- SWE800 - Miss Behaviour - Jan Secher
- SUI355 - Ginkgo Racing - Jan Eckert
- GBR818 - True Story - Martin Payne
- TUR12 - Provessa Dragon - Andy Beadsworth
- GBR192 - Bluebottle - Graham Bailey
- GBR375 - Blue Haze - Ivan Bradbury
- GBR816 - Dreki - Glynn Williams
- AUT204 - Diavel III - Martin Lutz
- GER1151 - Lilibeth - Magdalena Gründt
- IRL233 - Zinzan - Nicola Halloran
Full results can be found here
For further information about the 2026 Dragon Edinburgh Cup and UK Grand Prix please visit the event website.