Petticrows - News
In
the early 70s (1972?)the Turkish fleet participated to the
Kings Trophy in Athens, these fantastic pictures show the
event. This year 3 Turkish boats are planning to
visit again in May for the Greek Nationals See
more >>>
Petticrows
are now in full production of Finn dinghies with many boats
already on order.
Petticrows
Finn 4 - Giles Scott. >>>
The
legendary Douarnenez lottery Great news, the legendary
Douarnenez lottery is back for 2015 with a chance to win a
new Petticrows Dragon. You have to be “in it to win
it” so make your entry via the regatta website http://www.grandprixguyader.com/
Dragon Sailing in Turkey Pegasus Airlines
and Turkish Airlines has everyday flights from Major English
airports as London Gatwick, Heathrow to Bodrum with one transfer
from Istanbul
Read more
>>>
Visitors
from overseas... At Petticrows we regularly get visitors
from overseas popping in to have a look around. Recently we
have had quite a bit of contact with our friends in Vancouver,
who report that the west coast Dragon fleet have had a great
summer. Read
more >>>
Finn
Update 24/10/14 ... The Petticrows Finn hull mould
is now complete. Now working hard to finish the deck mould
and get Finns on the water by the end of the year.
See more >>>
Josephine... almost complete. Over the last
3 years we have been slowly renovation a beautiful 1957 Pedersen
and Theusen Dragon. Built in 1957 she has a great racing history.
It has been a long process which is now approaching completion,
she is currently being fitted out to a completely modern specification
and will come complete with Harbeck trailer, covers and sails
if required. All she needs now is a new owner! See
the photos
Petticrows Finns Following numerious requests
Petticrows is now in the process of starting the production
of Finns. Currently we are adding people to our waiting list,
if you wish to reserve a place please contact kay@petticrows.com to place your order which will need to be accompanied by a
deposit. See the story
so far!
Turkish
National Championships Tim Tavinor is delighted to
have been invited to race in the Turkish Nationals and looks
forward to racing in Bodrum at the end of November. There
are number of Dragons in Turkey and they are keen to increase
and upgrade their fleet and invite foreign sailors to join
them in their beautiful location.
Rannoch
range Looking out the office window is a great photo
opportunity for the Rannoch Ocean rowing boats that we are
involved in producing.
Read more >>>
The Gold Cup in Medemblik rounded off the 2014 Grade
1 Dragon regattas in style. A mix of conditions provided
great racing, and good facilities at both the sailing centre
and the town of Medemblik created a nice atmosphere.
Read
more >>>
R45
Ocean rowing boat. The first Rannoch Adventure R45
Ocean rowing boat is now complete, this boat is due to cross
the Atlantic in 2015 with an all ladies team http://www.yorkshirerows.com/ For those unfamiliar with ocean rowing it is a real development
sport. To get an insight into this sport you might like to
read the blog on http://www.fastrowwest.com/ Angus from Rannoch Adventure and his team are taking part
in a Pacific record attempt, their blog is both entertaining
and informative. See
more
A
fine few weeks of Dragon sailing... With the sailing
season now under way in Europe many fleets have recently enjoyed
few great weeks of racing, reports filter back from around
Europe from many of the smaller but highly competitive and
social races. We would like to congratulate many Petticrows
owners and their teams on their recent successes sailing in
a diverse range of Petticrows boats. Read
more >>>
What's
hot for Summer 2014? Over the winter we have been
responding to requests from sailors to produce a Dragon with
no spinnaker chute. After testing and refining the original
ideas we have now achieved this in a simple but effective
way, and are very happy with the solution now offered. The
new boats can be seen at regattas. Read
more >>>
The
Rannoch adventure R45 mould is now complete and being
waxed in preparation to begin moulding the first boat.
This
Petticrows have been very busy despatching 3 new Dragons to
Denmark ready for the Nordic championship. The 3
well known dragon sailing Danes are Jens Christensen, Jorgen
Schonherr and the crown prince. the 3 boats were built together
as sister ships and feature many of our new 2014 developments.
The most noticeable is the lack of spinnaker chute; the spinnaker
being launched from a bag in the cockpit.
Congratulations to Tommy Mueller, Vincie Hoesch and
Marc Pickel who won the Grade 1 Dragon Grand Prix Guyader
recently hosted in Douarnenez. Racing was held in
largely medium to strong wind conditions with racing on the
last day cancelled due to blustery weather. Tommy and his
team most certainly got it right... good boat speed, excellent
boat handling and tactics. Their consistency lead them to
dominate the fleet sailing in their 2013 built Petticrows
boat. Third was Evgeniy Braslevets sailing Petticrows with
5th place going to Lawrie Smith sailing a new Petticrows Dragon
which features the cockpit launch spinnaker system and many
of the latest developments including a new easy genoa furling
system. In 2nd and 4th places were Lars Hendriksen and Pieter
Heerema sailing their beautiful, fast but controversial classic
Pedersen Theusen boats.
Stockholm
boat show (1st-9th March). The Swedish Dragon fleet
are busily preparing the stand for the Stockholm boat show
(1st-9th March). The stand will feature Leif Carlssens brand
new 2014 boat "Miss Octane" See
the images >>>
Dragons'
Den Antigua Hosted by Harmony Hall Yacht Club and
Antigua Yacht Club Marina sponsored by The Inn at English
Harbour and United Insurance. The first ever Antigua Dragon
YC Challenge comprised a week of gentlemen's racing in the
tight confines of Falmouth Harbour and the exhilarating ocean
swell of Antigua. Nine highly competitive races were held
over five days with yachts representing world famous yacht
clubs.
Read
the full report and see the video >>>
Antigua
Dragon Yacht Club - Challenge - 2nd-9th February 2014 Harmony
Hall Yacht Club, with the support of the Antigua Yacht Club
Marina and The Inn at English Harbour, is currently hosting
the inaugural Antigua Dragon Yacht Club Challenge with nine
races scheduled to take place over five days in idyllic Caribbean
conditions on identical Petticrows Dragons. Read
more >>>
Ocean
Rowing Boats Petticrows are pleased to announce their
association with Rannoch Adventure to build their cutting
edge ocean rowing boats.
Read more >>>
Ski
Voile 2014 One of the first tests for the International
Dragon fleet this year was held at Juan les Pins, February
23rd to 26th. The annual Ski Voile. The Ski part was cancelled
due to recent excess rain had caused a landslide on the road
to the resort. So that left everyone to concentrate on the
sailing. Read
more >>>
Thinking
of joining the Dragon class? We currently have 2
excellent 2003 boats at our workshop which would be ideal
for newcomers to the class. Both boats are to be fully serviced
and in great condition. One boat has the hull antifouled the
other does not. For more details contact kay@petticrows.com
or view the used
boats page >>>
5*
winter treatment for Dragons in Sweden Leif Carlssen
from Sweden just sent a picture of his new winter storage
facilities in the Stockholm area. Many of the Swedish fleet
head south for the Dragon regattas in France and Portugal,
but those who remain in Sweden will be tucked up warm and
dry in this great storage unit.
http://www.sunecarlssonbatvarv.se/index.html
Where
in the world is this?......Most Dragon sailors are
used to the view of shore from their favourite regatta venues.
But I wonder whether you can spot where this is......... Find
out >>>
New
redesigned mast supports... We constantly review
our products and try to improve them, one thing that we felt
needed attention was our mast supports. We have listened to
sailors and created new masts supports which are much sturdier
and taller so they are a sensible height for working on your
mast.
Find
out more >>>
BMW European Championship. Cascais Our congratulations
go to Jose Matoso, Frederico Melo, Gustavo Lima for their
victory in the BMW European Championship. It is especially
nice to see their victory at their home club as over the last
few years Jose has been instrumental in organizing the Dragon
calendar of events that have been so popular and successful
in Cascais. read
more >>>
BEAR…. for sale or charter
One boat that is consistently achieving great results is “The
Bear” it seems that sailors who charter this boat seem
to get a great result. Bear is on her way back to the UK after
a winter in Cascais. This 2011 Dragon is available to charter
for the Worlds, Edinburgh Cup and Gold Cup. Alternatively
if you wish to own this boat with a great track record she
can be purchased fully equipped for £48,000.
The Magic Dragon What started as a stunning
one off project, has taken the eye of many sailors who are
interested in the ”modern yet retro” look of our
Magic Dragon. A great looking boat for summer cruising with
your friends. Read
more
Rejuvenated Sydney Dragon Fleet Around our
Dragon sailing states of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania
and West Australia, we are coming to the end of our 2012/2013
sailing season. Read
more >>>
Petticrows
goes East, Moscow Boat Show For the first time in
the history of the shipyard since its foundation more than
100 years ago, Petticrows went REALLY East and participated
in the International Moscow Boat Show, that has just taken
place from 12 till 17 March. Moscow Boat Show is one of the
relatively young fairs on the maritime market, celebrating
its 6th anniversary this year. Read
more >>>
Sometimes
we all need a bit of help. We were please to notice
that our efforts do not go unnoticed and unappreciated, our
service team is doing a great job An extract from a Stavros’
recent blog..….. read
more >>>
Cannes
Grand Prix Grade 1 Dragon regatta..... Dragon crews keep on
sailing with the help of Denis and his team The recent
Grade 1 Dragon regatta experienced a real mix of conditions,
with some tough sailing. As always racing was close and inevitably
in these conditions there are always a few incidents and collision.
read more
>>>
Sailing
in the sun.....The cold Northern European winter
makes you think of sailing in the sunshine, we were sent this
lovely picture from a Dragon sailor who spotted the Antiguan
Dragons poised and ready for a sail. Roll on the Summer.
Taking
model yachts to the extreme... At Petticrows as well
as building Dragons we also are able to take on some specialist
one off projects. Over the summer we were commissioned to
build a boat with similar traditional lines to the Dragon,
but with a modern twist. Read
more >>>
Charter
boat still available.... Cascais winter series 5
is coming up on 22nd February. The legendary "Bear"
(2011 Petticrows Dragon) is still available for charter. There
are about 50 boats now in Cascais so why not leave the winter
behind and join the fleet in the sunshine.
Find out more >>>
10
years, 10 Dragons. We were delighted to have a visit
from our Dutch
dealer Andre Dupon and his crew. His 10th Petticrows Dragon
is under construction (infusion process just being completed
in the picture) and due for delivery at the end of March in
time for the Easter Dragon clinic which he is organising at
Aalsmeer. Read
more >>>
IMPERIA
REGATTA: NEVER SEEN SO MANY ITALIAN TOP SAILORS! The
second Memorial Ernesto Quaranta regatta took place last week
end in Imperia, showing a growing interest of Italian sailors
in the Dragon class. Two sunny days with western wind from
7 to 15 knots allowed five very technical races. The winner
was CLOUD - Beppe Duca the current Italian champion with his
strong French crew: Jean Sebastien Ponce and Guillaume Berengé.
Read more
>>>
Make
your crew happy for 2013... A comfortable crew is
a happy crew..... We cannot stop the wind and the waves making
you cold and wet but our latest model Dragon is designed to
give you a more comfortable ride. Read
more >>>
Gold Cup gear roundup Massive courses, good
wind and lumpy sea conditions pushed
competitors hard at the recent Gold Cup in Kinsale.The Gold
Cup is unusual in that it is a series without discard which
focuses sailors on consistent sailing. The big courses mean
that good boat speed is essential. Petticrows were delighted
that the hard work that has gone into our new 2012 model has
paid off with new boats taking both first and second positions.
The majority of the top ten boats were also using the stiff
(i-mast) with either Fritz or North sails.
View the details >>>
Calling
all wood enthusiasts Could this be the Dragon of
your dreams..... We rarely see cold moulded boats that are
so well maintained and up for sale; stored inside and varnish
work really well looked after. This 2001 Dragon is currently
at Petticrows and looking for a new owner. She is fully equipped
and ready for racing. The stunning picture was taken during
her last race, which she won. Contact kay@petticrows.com
for more information.
Herbie
goes to Belgium..... Frequent and popular visitors
to Burnham, Xavier and his sister Ann Vanneste had special
cause for celebration when they launched their new Dragon
"Herbie" in Burnham-on-Crouch last weekend. Read
more >>>
Beautiful
Naples Bay I was a great pleasure to go off the usual
European Dragon circuit for a visit to the Reale Yacht Club
Canottieri Savoia, Naples, Southern Italy. The yacht club
has a small but active Dragon fleet with some lovely classic
Dragons and a number of visitors also turned up to take part
in the event. Read
more >>>
Available now.... some excellent Dragons....
Petticrows currently have some superb used boats all come
fully equipped and ready to race. All are ready to be viewed
at Petticrows now! More
details >>>
Poul
Richard in his new Danish Blue The UK Dragon East
coast championship was fiercely fought out in Levington on
25th -27th May. Poul Richard Hoj-Jensen crewed by Tim Tavinor
and Matt Walker took the title after a battle with Rob Campbell,
crewed by Katie Cole and Noddy Norden. Read
more >>>
Olinghi
is launched Congratulations to Wouter Ten Wolde who
launched his new 2012 Dragon "Olinghi" at the Alpencup
on Lake Constance. Wouter sailing with his daughter Charlotte
and Pedro Andrade won the event. Read
more >>>
The
Ghost of Olga and Misha lives on Downunder Olga White
and Misha Mouratov have always been generous in their support
of our Dragon sailing in Australia. They brought their boats
out for the Prince Philip Cup in Sydney 3 years ago and participated
in our Easter pre-Worlds regatta in Melbourne and then again
at the Melbourne Worlds. Read
more >>>
Full
of bounce..... Despite taxing weather conditions
in Douarnenez - Petticrows are delighted that our new style
2012 Dragons are at the front of the fleet. The Danish team
Jen Christensen, Kin Andersen and Anders Bagger completed
the perfect double by winning both the Coup de Bretagne and
the Grand Prix Guyader. Read
more >>>
Dutch
spring clinic.... We can really say that our Dutch
2012 Clinic, superbly organised by Andre Dupon, was a big
success. In 2 days we sailed with 12 different Dragon teams
from the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium on Aalsmeer lake.
Read more
>>>
The
Aussies on the move... We received this fantastic
e-mail from Roger Hickman in Australia. The "Shapes"
team have been busy attending all the Australian Interstate
events...... Read
more >>>
Look
out for the 2012 model Petticrows Dragon. Over the
winter we have been working hard on our 2012 model Dragon,
which incorporates a number of new and exciting features to
improve comfort, performance and safety. Read
more >>>
French
Dragon sailors promote class at Paris Boat show.....
An almost new Petticrows Dragon has been on display for two
weeks outside the VIP entrance at the Paris boat show. Readmore
>>>
Katie
clocks back in.... We have missed Katie Cole at Petticrows
for the last 15 months since we were all struck with the bad
news of her leukaemia diagnosis. It was a very happy day both
for Petticrows and for her Dragon friends when she returned
to work last week, having being given the all clear by the
doctors.
Read more
>>>
Team Tigger take the Open Belgian Championships.
Ostend was the setting for the Open Belgian Championships;
a regatta in its
own right and a warm up for the Dragon Gold Cup which is being
held there next week. After a tough regatta with long days
on the water and extreme tidal conditions mathematically 4
boats could win the championship going into the last race.
Read
more >>>
DRAGONS
MAKE IT TO THE CITY……. Aberdeen Asset
Management are a major sponsor of the UK Dragon Fleet and
also of Cowes Week that starts on Saturday. We had fun displaying
the Dragon in the City outside the Aberdeen London offices
in the courtyard of Mary-le-Bow Church with the kind permission
of the reverend . This allowed us to use Dragon as a focal
point of a photo opportunity to promote their involvement
in our sport. Read
more >>>
Jens,
Kim and Anders win 2011 Europeans In a thrilling
showdown in the final Race in the 2011 Dragon Europeans in
Boltenhagen, Germany. The Danish team Jens Christensen, Kim
Anderson and Anders Bagger have taken the title sailing their
2010 Petticrows Dragon from Markus Wieser who was second.
Read more
>>>
The
new Yevis II It is great news that our Japanese friend
Bocci Aoyama and his crew will be joining the excellent fleet
at the Edinburgh Cup in Abersoch in his new Dragon Yevis II.
Read more
>>>
Stavros
with 3 lovely ladies The IDA’s roving bloggist
Martin “Stavros” Payne sent this picture to the
office of him launching his brand new charter boat “Bear.”
Read more
>>>
Poul Richard Hoj-Jensen back on the podium.
After wintering in Antigua, sailing a variety of boats, Pouls
summer migration has bought him back to La Baule, France where
he sailed a brand new Petticrow Dragon. Pushed all the way
by Remy Arnaud and Gavia Wilkinson Cox, Stavros
takes up the story
Daddy’s
on form in Oslo race week.
“Daddy’s” is a very distinctive and beautiful
new, dark blue and cream Petticrows Dragon which was delivered
to Norway as the snow was melting in the spring. Read
more >>>
Petticrows
service van to go to European championship 2011 Our
service team will be on site in Boltenhagen from 30th June.
If you would like any items taken to the regatta please place
orders in advance to paul@petticrows.com
Please try to place orders prior to 22nd June.
Katie
back on board.
1 year on from winning the 2010 UK East coast championship
we are pleased to report that Jorgen Schonherr, Tim Tavinor
and Katie Cole have again won the event again in 2011.
Read more >>>
Hanni wins race at first Dragon regatta The
Dragon fleet is quietly gaining in strength in Hungary following
a successful European Championship, Vilmos Naray head of the
Hungarian Association reports that their local fleet is growing
in activity. Vilmos himself has recently upgraded his Dragon
to a newer model. More
>>>
Petticrows
Soling success in Soling Worlds Over the past few
months Petticrows have been working alongside Ex world Champion
Soling sailor Roman Koch to develop a new Soling. Petticrows
was approached by a number of Soling sailors wanting a new
class builder following the fire that destroyed Abbott boatyard
their former major builder. More
>>>
Dutch sailors launch into 2011 season. About
30 Dutch Dragon sailors got together on 31st March/1st April
at a training camp brilliantly organised by Petticrows Benelux
dealer Andre Dupon. Read
more >>>
Even
Better.... As good as it gets in Cannes The Allianz
Dragon Grand Prix in Cannes kicked of the 2011 Grade 1 listed
Dragon events. While many sailors still await the return of
their Dragons from the worlds in Australia it was still impressive
to see almost 70 Dragons turn out for the regatta. Read
more >>>
Petticrows
exhibit their new Soling at the Dusseldorf boat show.
With increasing pressure from Soling sailors for a new European
builder, Petticrow, with their expertise in building racing
keelboats, have stepped forward to offer their services. Read
more >>>
Brand
new Petticrows Dragons take first and second place in the
Melbourne World Championship Tim Tavinor the Director
of Petticrows, was doubly pleased as the first two placed
boats were sent to Melbourne straight off the production line
and had never been sailed prior to arriving in Melbourne.
Read
more >>>
First
Russian winner of the Gold Cup. Marstand 2010 A full
range in wind conditions hit Marstrand during the 2010 Gold
Cup. Unfortunately only 4 races were completed due to adverse
winds on some of the race days; some too much, some too little!
Calculating the winner was easier than most sailing regattas
as unusually the rules are that the series should be sailed
with no discard. In a 96 boat fleet this can lead to some
high scores. Read
more >>>
A
beautiful boat, a great result. During 2010 we have
been working hard to produce a beautiful new Dragon "Zenith"
She has a dark blue and white GRP hull and a hand crafted
wooden deck in teak and varnished mahogany. See
more >>>
Joergen
comes to UK! I was delighted when Joergen Schonherr
accepted my invitation to come to the UK to sail at the East
Coast Championship held at Medway YC. It was great to show
off what great and active domestic racing we have in the UK,
with a well organised event in blustery conditions.
Read more >>>
Douarnenez
2010 The immaculate organisation and race management
that we come to expect from the team at Douarnenez were evident
again in 2010, so that the biggest Dragon turnout of 2010
enjoyed two great series of racing.
Read
more >>>
PETTICROWS
SERVICE VAN TO GO TO HUNGARY AND SWEDEN Our service
team and van will be at the Dragon Europeans in Hungary. If
you would like to pre-order any equipment to be delivered
at the regatta please place your orders in advance before
26th May. Orders to paul@petticrows.com
or 0044 1621 782115 Our van will carry a limited amount of
Dragon spares and accessories for use in emergencies during
the regatta, but if you know you need something then please
order in advance to avoid disappointment. Our van will also
be at the Dragon Gold Cup in Marstrand in August. Orders for
this regatta by 23rd July please.
Training
in the Netherlands Over the winter there have been
several new additions to the Dutch and Belgian Dragon fleet.
Petticrows dealer Andre Dupon felt it would be a great kick
start to the new Dragon owners sailing to put together a training
weekend where some of the important basics of Dragon tuning
and handling could be passed on to these sailors.
Read the
full report >>>
2010 Class rules – Rope rigging now approved
The proposal to allow the use rope rigging was put
to ISAF in 2009 and has now been approved and incorporated
in the new 2010 Dragon class rules (rule 7.1) More
details >>>
Italian
Dragon Dealer. We often have contacts from yards
wishing to associate with Petticrows and help develop their
home Dragon fleet. Italy is one such growing fleet with their
numbers developing greatly over the past few years. Their
Riviera coast is close to the action in Southern France but
the Italians are also keen to develop their own identity too.
I had the pleasure to visit an exceptional yard in Imperia
owned by Dragon sailor Mario Quaranta. More
>>>
PARIS
BOAT SHOW The French Dragon association put on a
fantastic display at the Paris boats show from 5th to 13th
December 2009. Different Dragons fleets from around France
took it in turns to man the stand which and attracted both
non Dragon sailors and existing fleet members to admire the
new Petticrows Dragon on display. More
information >>>
Petticrows
are offering a new gadget to check your pump battery level.
This digital volt meter checker can save you from
carrying your pump battery ashore unnecessarily. Available
through our Dragon Parts at £40.00 + VAT
Consistency
was the key to the 2009 World Championship in Medemblik.
Poul Richard Hoj-Jensen crewed by Theis Palm and Lars Jensen
sailed a steady series to take the title by 7 points from
Lars Hendrikson, with Jorgen Schonherr close behind in 3rd
place. In a season that has been dominated by light and inconsistent
winds Poul was delighted his latest 2009 “Danish Blue”
showed good boat speed throughout the range of conditions
in the regatta. Poul previously won the Worlds in 1989 in
one of the first Petticrows boat produced. ....... the
details are available on the Championship website....
2009 August eNewsletter So far all the races
I have sailed this year, (with the exception of Antigua),
have been in light to very light conditions. I cannot remember
a year with such lack of winds; is it climate change or the
recession causing this phenomenon I wonder! Even stranger,
the minute the boats are back on the trailer and on the way
back home, the wind arrives! Read
more >>>
Queen
Silvia of Sweden presents Poul with a Golden Dragon
During a ceremony at the Hanseatic Lloyd Dragon Grand Prix
in Strande, Queen Silvia of Sweden presented Poul Richard
with a beautiful golden Dragon for his outstanding accomplishments
in sailing. More
>>>
French
new Dragon owners are on form at La Baule. Light
to medium winds and very shifty conditions greeted over 50
Dragons in the Dragon Derby at La Baule. Many large wind shifts
made it difficult to get the tack ticks right all the time.
More >>>
Tommy
Mueller wins Coupe de Bretagne Douarnenez.......
Tommy Mueller sailing with Vincie Hoesch and Micky Lipp scored
emphatic victory in their brand new Petticrows 2009 boat straight
from the factory during the Coupe de Bretagne regatta. Read
more >>>
Go
local......
As well as a jam packed international racing circuit, the
Dragon class offers much more to sailors at national and local
level. The class has something for everyone. Read
more >>>
Capsize and recovery.......
Plans, designs and rules are always easy to make on paper,
but it is nice to know that they work in practice too.
Read
more >>>
eNewsletter - May 2009
The sudden death of Harro Kniffka at the age of 53 in March,
was I am sure, a shock to all of us. Harro was a great benefactor
to the Dragon Class and really loved his Dragon racing. His
generosity enabled the planned 75th Anniversary Race in St.
Tropez to proceed in 2004, when the major sponsor dropped
out. Read
more >>>
Emergency
roadside repairs!
It is never convenient to get a puncture, particularly
if you are not equipped to deal with the problem. Our roadside
rescue kit in your trailer box allows you to deal with the
problem with very little fuss. More
>>>
British Dragon Association exhibits at The Dinghy
Show.
Poul
Richard Hoj-Jensen’s new Dragon “Danish Blue”
was exhibited fully rigged on the BDA stand at the RYA Dinghy
show at Alexandra Palace on 7th and 8th March.
More info >>>
February 2009 eNewsletter
We have had a very busy winter here in Burnham, finishing
the new hull mould Poul talked about in his last newsletter
and finalising some other details for the 2009 model. Read
more >>>
2nd Antiguan National Dragon Championships
The second Antiguan National Dragon Championships took place
in Nonsuch Bay, on the East coast. If you are not familiar
with sailing in the Caribbean in Winter, you may have trouble
to believe this ( specially considering the weather in Europe
right now) Read
more >>>
PRIMO CUP 2009
Primo
Cup 2009 was well supported in its 25th year of the event.
13 Nationalities and 43 teams took part in the Dragon Class.
With its dedicated race area and expert race management headed
by Tony O’ Gorman it was a pity the wind could not have
been steadier and more races finished. Tony and his team could
not have done more; sometimes the conditions are just against
you.
Read more >>>
Dragon Fleet development in Abersoch
A great revival of a traditional Dragon fleet is underway
in Abersoch, North Wales. Traditionally a key Dragon sailing
venue with a once substantial and well supported fleet, the
fleet diminished for a range or reasons in the earlier 1980's.
A group of enthusiastic Dragon sailors is currently reviving
the fleet Find
out more >>>
Jibs
At the 2008 IDA meeting a new class rule was passed to allow
the use of Jibs in the Dragon class. The use of jibs has been
piloted by the newly formed Antiguan fleet who sail largely
in strong winds often with small or inexperienced Dragon crews.
Read More >>>
Oct 2008 eNewsletter
Dear Dragon Sailors, As the financial storm is raging around
us, more or less every other sailor I meet on the dock asks:
"how is your order book?" Just in case you are wondering
too, let me give you the answer: "it is good". The
reason I think is, that for over twenty years, Petticrows
have delivered a good product, listened and supported its
customers with good service, on and off the racecourse. Read
more >>>
Petticrows
Soling wins 2008 Soling Worlds
It is great to see that the Soling Class is thriving after
a tumultuous few years following its de selection as an Olympic
Class. A truly international fleet enjoyed racing their World
Championship at Marina Scarlino in Tuscany. The eventual winners
Bostjan Antoncic, Gennadi Strakh and Karlo Hmeljak from Slovenia
sailed a consistent series to take the title in their Petticrows
built Soling. Read
more >>>
McLube
Hullkote Speed Polish
Over the last few months we have been testing this new speed
polish……it seems to do exactly what it says on
the tin!!
Keeping you hull looking good and clean for extensive periods,
and a clean boat is a fast boat.
Read more >>>
2008 Dragon Gold Cup. Cascais. Portugal
Poul Richard Hoj Jensen sailing with Theis Palm and Andrew
Norden sailed a consistent series of races in the non discard
series to take the championship. Poul was delighted - the
last time he won the Gold Cup was in 1997 in Dublin, he commented
that the standard of racing in the fleet is exceptional and
it take an immense amount of effort and concentration to win
any major regatta. It was a remarkable feat for the Royal
Corinthian Yacht Club who completed a clean sweep as club
members Gavia Wilkinson Cox and Robert Campbell and their
crews finished second and third respectively overall with
team GBR taking the Nations Cup. For full results see www.cascaisdragongoldcup2008.com
Below: The crew of Danish Blue receiving the Gold Cup from
HRH Prince Henrik and Jose Matoso, Commodore of the Caiscais
Yacht Club.

PETTICROWS YNGLINGS TAKE OLYMPIC GOLD AND SILVER
Congratulations
to Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson (Team GBR) who
fought off a fierce challenge from the Dutch team to take
Gold and Silver at the 2008 Olympics in Qingdao, China. Both
the GBR and Dutch teams sailed boats built by Petticrows,
which were built during early 2008. We are very proud to have
been a part of these successful campaigns.
Hankoe Race Week:
The event is described as the "Cowes Week" of
Scandinavia. Great venue and atmosphere; perfect sailing conditions
right "outside the door". 17 Dragons took part;
I crewed for Oddroar Lofterod, an "old" Friend.
Read more >>>
Grand Prix in Kiel/Strande.
The Childhood Foundation /HHL Grand Prix event in Strande
combines the pleasure of racing Dragon (or playing Golf) with
raising money for charity. The brainchild of Ulli and Manuela
Libor, who also organise the event to perfection. Generously
sponsored by Hanseatic Lloyd- Harro Kniffka.
Read more >>>
Newsletter, June 2008.
At the half way stage of the 2008 Dragon season, I can report
that things are going well. The production side at Petticrows
is busy and back on stream after the introduction of the major
rule changes to increase the buoyancy to 2500L. Rule changes
that need to be implemented immediately are very disruptive
to production and lot of new moulds needed to be done.Read
more >>>
Derby de La Baule; 10-15th June
Eleven
Dragons set off from Burnham to attend the Derby de La Baule;
10-15th June. The party started on the ferry the Channel and
never really stopped.
Read
more >>>
Technogym
Wellness Cup 2008
This years Technogym Welness Cup hosted by Køge Sejlklub
was a great success held in perfect summer conditions. Congratulations
to Lars Hendriksen, Martin Leifeldt and Lars Stenfeldt who
sailed a near perfect regatta winning for the second year
in succession. The new team of Jens Christensen, Kim Andersen
and Philip Skafte Holm again showed some sign of their potential
, winning the last race and finishing as runners up The club
did a fantastic job on and off the water. Maybe their only
mistake was giving us the secret of Jorgens success with a
fine display of belly dancing at the gala dinner! Event
website >>>
Friendship Regatta 2008
On
31st May Pirogovo Yacht Club in Moscow were hosts to the 4th
Annual inter club team race against the Royal Corinthian Yacht
Club (Burnham). The week ends activities opened with a flag
raising ceremony with Poul Richard Hoj Jensen and Boris Budnikov
performing the honors acting as a reminder of their epic duel
in the Soling in the eighties.. In Poul Richards speech he
reminded the hosts that although the score was 2 wins to Burnham
against one to the Pirigovo teams the visitors were determined
to improve on the loss they suffered the last time they visited
the Lake just north of Moscow. Read
more >>>
2008 Marble head trophy.
Light winds were the predominant conditions in the historic
2008 Marblehead trophy, held at the defender Frank Bergs,
Royal Danish Yacht Club.
Tommy Mueller sailing with Vincie and Max were victorious
under the burgee of Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, Hamburg.
Read more >>>
Antigua Race week and classic week 2008
Sunshine and good winds have been enjoyed by both local and
foreign sailors in the newly formed 12 boat Dragon fleet based
in Harmony Hall Antigua. Poul Richard won the inaugural Antiguan
Championship. Read
more >>>
Friendship Regatta 2008
On
31st May Pirogovo Yacht Club in Moscow were hosts to the 4th
Annual inter club team race against the Royal Corinthian Yacht
Club (Burnham). The week ends activities opened with a flag
raising ceremony with Poul Richard Hoj Jensen and Boris Budnikov
performing the honors acting as a reminder of their epic duel
in the Soling in the eighties.. In Poul Richards speech he
reminded the hosts that although the score was 2 wins to Burnham
against one to the Pirigovo teams the visitors were determined
to improve on the loss they suffered the last time they visited
the Lake just north of Moscow. Read
more >>>
2008
Marble head trophy.
Light winds were the predominant conditions in the historic
2008 Marblehead trophy, held at the defender Frank Bergs,
Royal Danish Yacht Club.
Tommy Mueller sailing with Vincie and Max were victorious
under the burgee of Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, Hamburg.
In second were some happy sailors, Jens Christiansen, Kim
Anderson and Philip Skafte-Holm who took delivery of their
new 2008 model Petticrows Dragon the previous week.
The boat included the central console option allowing greater
movement about the cockpit, they were pleased to report that
everything worked a treat straight from the factory. To be
runner up to the mighty Mr. Mueller was a great start to their
regatta season.
Douarnenez 2008
A
mixed bag of conditions from sunburn to hails stones, greeted
sailors in Douarnenez in 2008. Consistency paid in the Coup
de Bretagne, a non discard series. The new African Queen sailed
by Jorgen Schonherr and his team stamped their authority on
the event, winning in style including two race wins. The biggest
“if only “ of the regatta must surely go to Quentin
Strauss who scored all top ten positions other than an OCS
– not great when all races count!
Red October - George Shaiduko took his turn at the front
of the fleet in the Grand Prix regatta, taking Victory with
a good consistent series.
Bright yellow waterlines and trailer boxes turned a few heads;
Victor Fogelson’s new “Sunflower” scored
2 race wins. He might start the trend that you have to be
bright to be fast! Read
more >>>
Antigua Race week and classic week 2008
Sunshine and good winds have been enjoyed by both local and
foreign sailors in the newly formed 12 boat Dragon fleet based
in Harmony Hall Antigua. Poul Richard won the
inaugural Antiguan Championship. Congratulations to Olga
White and her team who won the Dragon Class in Classic week.
The Dragon fleet will be planning a busy winter in 2008/2009
so you might like to consider joining the fun.... charter
boats will be available.

Princess Sophia 2008
Poul Richard sailing with Noddy and Theis stormed to victory
in the Princess Sophia trophy 2008, showing particularly good
boat speed during the stronger wind races. Vassily Senatorov
with the unsurpressable Vincie and Max finished second overall.
Read more >>>
Petticrows
Yngling
Petticrow built Ynglings have dominated the 2008 Yngling
Europeans in Spain. In a tense final medal race, any of the
first four boats, all built by Petticrows, could have taken
the title. With a nailbiting finish Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb
and Pippa Wilson (GBR) took the title, on a photo finish,
by 1 point from Sally Barkowus, American Team. Third and fourth
were the Dutch teams lead by Renee Groeneveld and Mandy Mulder.
Read more
>>>
News Rules Modifications
The focus in the factory for the last few months has been
to make the design changes to satisfy the new rules introduced
by the IDA at the AGM last year in Oslo. These were largely
amendments to the existing rules asking the builders to make
necessary changes to increase the floatation and safety of
the Dragon after capsize or swamping.
The safety side of these new rules introduce an increase in
the buoyancy to a minimum of 2500 litres (up from 1700 litres
in the old rules) and a capsize test to be carried out to
test the new design for all new boats measured after March
1st 2008.
Read the full report on the new modifications >>>
Capsize Test

This is the technical side of achieving the new rules and
a new level of safety but the real test was always going to
be the capsize! The new rule calls for new boats to be pulled
over to 90 degrees for one minute and then when fully swamped
after this minute to float with no part of the deck awash
for thirty minutes. Probably naively I was extremely confident
this would be no problem, until the night before we were to
do the test when I did have a sleepless night!
Read the full report on the capsize test >>>
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