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Kinsale's Good, Kingston and Hellstern Claim Irish Dragon Title on Dublin Bay

5th September 2022
Kinsale's Cameron Good (hidden from view), Henry Kingston and Matthias Hellstern sailing 'Little Fella' are the 2022 Irish Dragon champions after leading a six-race contest at the Royal St. George Yacht Club on Dublin Bay from start to finish
Kinsale's Cameron Good, Henry Kingston and Matthias Hellstern 'Little Fella' are the 2022 Irish Dragon champions after leading a seven-race contest at the Royal St. George Yacht Club on Dublin Bay from start to finish Credit: Afloat

Leading the championships from start to finish, Kinsale Yacht Club crew Cameron Good, Henry Kingston and Matthias Hellstern, sailing Little Fella claimed the Irish Dragon National Championships at the Royal St. George YC on Sunday.

Royal St. George's Alistair Kissane, Ronan Murphy and Cian Hughes in Dragon number 180 SerafinaRoyal St. George's Alistair Kissane, Ronan Murphy and Cian Hughes in Dragon number 180 Serafina Photo: Afloat

Despite a strong challenge from the host club's Jaguar Sailing Team of Martin Byrne, Adam Winkelmann and John Simms and also Kinsale clubmates Colm Dunne, Colm Daly and Daniel McCloskey in Ghost, the Good crew prevailed on Sunday afternoon taking the title by a six-point margin with a final race win. 

The host club's Jaguar Sailing Team of Martin Byrne, Adam Winkelmann and John Simms finished third overallThe host club's Jaguar Sailing Team of Martin Byrne, Adam Winkelmann and John Simms finished third overall and top Dublin boat

In an exciting climax to the competition, second and third places overall were decided on the tie-break rule in Ghost's favour on 24 points, a score shared with the Jaguar Sailing Team in third.

Supremacy (Lee Miles) looks for a lane to the weather mark during race six of the Irish Dragon National Championships Photo: AfloatSupremacy number 122 (Lee Miles) looks for a lane to the weather mark during race six of the Irish Dragon National Championships Photo: Afloat

 Race Officer Con Murphy staged seven races for the Irish Dragon Nationals in conditions from light, medium to heavy weather on Dublin Bay Photo: AfloatRace Officer Con Murphy staged seven races for the Irish Dragon Nationals in conditions from light, medium to heavy weather on Dublin Bay Photo: Afloat

 The final two races for the 17-boat fleet were sailed in a 20 knot south easterly on Dublin Bay.

Race Results

You may need to scroll vertically and horizontally within the box to view the full results

Published in Dragon, RStGYC, Kinsale
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The Dragon was designed by Johan Anker in 1929 as an entry for a competition run by the Royal Yacht Club of Gothenburg, to find a small keel-boat that could be used for simple weekend cruising among the islands and fjords of the Scandinavian seaboard. The original design had two berths and was ideally suited for cruising in his home waters of Norway. The boat quickly attracted owners and within ten years it had spread all over Europe.

The Dragon's long keel and elegant metre-boat lines remain unchanged, but today Dragons are constructed using the latest technology to make the boat durable and easy to maintain. GRP is the most popular material, but both new and old wooden boats regularly win major competitions while looking as beautiful as any craft afloat. Exotic materials are banned throughout the boat, and strict rules are applied to all areas of construction to avoid sacrificing value for a fractional increase in speed.

The key to the Dragon's enduring appeal lies in the careful development of its rig. Its well-balanced sail plan makes boat handling easy for lightweights, while a controlled process of development has produced one of the most flexible and controllable rigs of any racing boat.