If you are looking for fun, affordable racing against a diverse group of competitive sailors, join the Pacific Coast Dragon fleet. Dragons, the largest Olympic keelboat class from 1952 to 1972, remain a very actively campaigned one-design fleet in English Bay, Vancouver. The proud tradition began in 1953 when W.H. (Bud) Day brought the first Dragon to Canada.
Owning a Dragon is one of the most inexpensive ways to race but still with all the thrills, spills, satisfactions and frustrations. Sailing Dragons is technically complex providing a lifelong challenge even for Olympic class sailors. Once you have mastered the basics crewing for Wednesday night races you move up to weekend regattas and, if you choose, to international interport competition. Dragon interports rotate between the competing clubs, with fleets from Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and RVYC.
The fleet has social functions throughout the year. An example is the annual social at the regatta in Centre Bay. The regatta includes a single-handed race, a "novice skipper" race and an evening dock party with famous "Dragon's breath" punch, created by Paul Taylor. This year the Dragon fleet will also be hosting a first-class social evening extravganza for all RVYC members as part of the Interport.
For information contact Paul Taylor at dragonman@shaw.ca