Dragons head north

Following successful European Championship

Hot on the heels of a successful European Championship in Kinsale, the Dragon fleet is heading further west for the Horgan Lynch & Partners Irish Dragon National Championship. The championship runs from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 September 2003 inclusive, and is being hosted for the first time by Glandore Harbour Yacht Club, under the auspicis of the Irish Dragon Association.

A number of big names from the international fleet are expected for the event, including Double Olympic gold medallist Poul-Richard Hoj-Jensen as well as an impressive Irish line-up including Johnny Ross Murphy recent winner in Douarnenez,, current National and Southern Champions Neil Hegarty, Peter Bowring and Dave Willimas, and former National Champion Andrew Craig.

The International Dragon, a former Olympic sailing class, is one of the most widely sailed keelboat classes in the world, with fleets in Europe, North America, Japan and Australia. The boat design is now heading towards its 75th anniversary and is still at the forefront of Irish one design racing, with three active fleets and over forty boats actively campaigning.

The fleet in Glandore has been ongoing since first started by the O’Donoghue brothers in the early 1980’s. Brothers Don and Kieran are still active class members campaigning in Dublin and Glandore respectively, with Don presently Class captain in the Dublin fleet and well known West Cork publican Kieran carrying local hopes going into the event.

The event is being sponsored for the first time this year by structural engineering firm Horgan Lynch & Partners, with the company torn between attending the championships and supporting Cork hurlers in the Horgan Lynch & Partners designed Croke Park.