With 49 boats entered, the 2026 Dragon Edinburgh Cup featuring the International Dragon Association's UK Grand Prix, will be the largest edition of the regatta in 30 years. Hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes, the regatta will take place from 16th to 21st August.
Crews from Germany, the USA, Sweden, Turkey, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Hong Kong, Austria and across the UK will compete to win the historic Edinburgh Cup, which was presented to the British Dragon Association (BDA) in 1949 by the late Duke of Edinburgh, himself a keen Dragon sailor whose famous Dragon Bluebottle will race in the regatta. The Edinburgh Cup is awarded annually to the winner of the British Dragon Open National Championship. For 2026 the event is combined with the International Dragon Association's UK Grand Prix, the third of the four event 2026 European Dragon Grade 1 regattas, which adds to the international interest.
Registration will take place on 16th and 17th August and on Monday 17th August the teams will take part in a special warm up race to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the BDA. Championship racing will run from Tuesday 18th to Friday 21st August, with racing on windward leeward courses in the central Solent.
Many of the big names of International Dragon sailing are set to participate. Reigning Dragon World Champion and 2022 Edinburgh Cup winner Andy Beadsworth, who will sail with his Turkish Provezza Dragon team, summed up the competition succinctly saying; "The Edinburgh Cup is one of the most prestigious trophies in sailing and racing Dragons on the Solent is always a good challenge, so we're definitely looking forward to the Edinburgh Cup and UK Grand Prix. It's fantastic that 49 boats including many of the top teams are confirmed, so we're excited to be going up against the likes of Christoph Toepfer, Graham Bailey, Jan Eckert, Grant Gordon and Jan Secher."
One of the interesting new faces joining the fleet for her first Dragon Grand Prix event is top German ILCA sailor Laura Schewe. To familiarise herself with both the Dragon and the race area Laura and her team took park in the recent North Sails Cowes Week, where she finished a very respectable tenth out of 25 boats. "Cowes Week was my first time in Cowes and also my first time steering the Dragon at an event. I am really looking forward to the Edinburgh Cup because Cowes Week was an amazing week. I am both a little excited and nervous to be sailing with nearly 50 Dragons, but I used to sail an ILCA dinghy which is a much bigger fleet, but I am still adjusting to the Dragon, I think I will be fine. Thank you for having us."
25 Dragons completing North Sails Cowes Week served as a great warm up opportunity for many crews. Once again Graham Bailey, sailing the beautifully restored Bluebottle took the victor's laurels. Graham has won the Edinburgh Cup three times in 2014, 2017 and 2018, but a win on home turf in the 1948 Camper & Nicholson built Bluebottle, would be a particularly special achievement. Also featuring strongly in the Cowes Week rankings and ones to watch out for at the Edinburgh Cup are Ivan Bradbury's Blue Haze in third, fourth placed Jono Brown's Fit Chick - the 2023 Corinthian Edinburgh Cup winner, and Gavia Wilkinson-Cox's Jerboa which came fifth.
There is always strong competition in the Dragon class for the Corinthian trophies, and this regatta will be no different. Sixteen all amateur crews will compete including the defending Corinthian Edinburgh Cup Champion William Swigart from the USA, Austria's Martin Lutz, Ireland's Martin Byrne who won the Edinburgh Cup in 2011 and was Corinthian Champion in 2022, Scotland's Cathy Ogden and Belgium's Guy Celis.
Dragon regattas in Cowes are famed for both great racing and great parties, and this event will be no different. Shoreside festivities get under way on Monday 17th August with an Opening Ceremony Cocktail Party which will also feature the prize-giving for the BDA 70th Anniversary Race. On Tuesday and Thursday crews will enjoy an Apres Sailing Happy Hour on the Royal Yacht Squadron lawn courtesy of sponsor Hendricks Gin. On Wednesday Happy Hour will be courtesy of Dragon maintenance specialist Katie Cole and will be followed by the Edinburgh Cup Summer Party at the Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club. The regatta will conclude with a Gala Prize Giving Dinner supported by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, which will commence with a Laurent Perrier champagne reception in the Royal Yacht Squadron Pavilion on Friday evening.
Live Coverage of the event will begin on Monday 17th August with updates available via the event website and the British Dragon Association's Facebook and Instagram pages.
For further information about the 2026 Dragon Edinburgh Cup and UK Grand Prix please visit the event website.
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