In the beginning boats were built by the designer's yard, Anker and Jensen. When the design was submitted to the IYRU (now ISAF) he or someone else translated his name "Anker" into the Norwegian "Draggen" and the English, being reluctant to speak other languages, made out "Dragon".
The first in a long line of boats left shipyards and quickly took hold on neighbouring shores in Norway, Germany and Holland. In 1935, she reached the Clyde in Scotland and then also to England in 1938. Ten years later, including the interruption of the Second World War, the Dragon was chosen as the Olympic three-man keel class for the games in Torquay. The winner, Pan, was built of northern pine by the Norwegian architect Bjaarne Aas and was varnished throughout. The splendour of the boat impressed all the participants and the class was consecrated, the world then welcomed this yacht with open arms. The Dragon was sailed by an entire generation of regatta competitors in the immediate post-war era. The position encouraged the development of the class throughout the world.
In more recent years the pressures of Olympic status have become a mixed blessing for classes which cater primarily for the amateur sailor, and so the Dragon's replacement at the Olympics by the Soling in 1976 was welcomed in many quarters. Far from damaging the Dragon, this decision allowed it to chart a course away from the physical and financial demands of Olympic competition, concentrating instead on offering value through long lasting hulls with closely controlled rig development providing level competition for all ages and degrees of athleticism.
The Dragon embodies all the qualities that have made day-racing keelboats the preferred form of competition of many of the best helmsmen from dinghy sailors to America's Cup competitors. The crew of three makes a tightly knit unit without the need for hired heavyweights, one-design rules ensure level racing and the ease of trailing makes international competition attractive.
Yet the Dragon's greatest strength is its depth of support. Dragons fresh from world class events line up the next weekend to do battle with their local fleets. Olympians and royalty, amateurs and professionals are united in the Dragon class by their love of racing and of the boat. Prince Philip was given the Dragon Bluebottle as a wedding gift, leading to Dominion support such as the Prince Philip Cup for Australia in 1954, and the Duke of Edinburgh Trophy for the Canadian Championships.
The Dragon's philosophy of gradual evolution within one-design principles has produced a boat with state of the art rig and boat handling controls, reducing the learning curve for sailors transferring from other classes and making the boat flexible enough to cater for every level of ability. It remains one of the few top level racing classes where body weight and fitness are less important when compared to sailing skill. It is perhaps the only international class which allows the gifted amateur the opportunity to race on truly level terms with leading professionals.
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 can win major competitions while looking as beautiful as any craft afloat. Exotic materials are banned and strict rules are applied to avoid sacrificing value for a fractional increase in speed.
Spars and sails are infinitely and easily adjustable. A skilful crew can optimise the boat for any conditions and there is little need for the optimum body weights that characterise so many other classes. The Dragon's design philosophy has made it a class where extremely close racing is the norm and where races are won by the crew's mastery of the conditions and tactics on the course rather than by outright speed advantage.
The Epathlon Vassileos (Royal Hellenic Cup), was donated in 1965 for the World Championships in memory of King Paul by His Majesty King Constantine of Greece, himself an Olympic Dragon Gold medallist. The series is held in alternate years, rotating through the three major yacht racing areas of Europe, North America and Asia- Pacific. Many of the worlds finest sailors have spent years trying to lift this trophy, the event attracting worldwide media attention and a lifetime's respect for the winner.
In 1973 thanks to the hard work of Borge Borresen of Denmark, a GRP specification was adopted, metal spars having been introduced in 1970. This proved to be a major milestone in the class' development. Designed from the first to compete on equal terms with the existing wooden boats, the GRP dragons are incredibly stiff - one reason why boats remain competitive at top level for years.
Petticrows Boatyard in the UK further developed the Dragon by optimising weight distribution, systems and hull lines within tolerances allowed by the strict one-design rules. It also developed the rare cold moulded method of construction. The object of the laminated version was to make one-off home construction simpler and cheaper.
The Dragon's design makes it a boat where all ages and abilities can compete and create a camaraderie that is the envy of the yachting world. The Dragon racing circuit takes its parties as seriously as its races. Many Dragon owners freely admit to choosing regattas on the basis of apres-sail potential.