Classic Dragon "Point Man"

11 October 2009

About two years ago David Dale, Mike Hayles and Rob Campbell invited me to become the International Dragon Association's "point man" for its dealings with the owners of "Classic" Dragons. Their rationale was that Classic Dragon owners were taking up a lot of David's time and that they wanted to find a mug who also knew a certain amount about the wooden boats. I had to admit that I did indeed know quite a lot about wooden boats, having sailed in the class since 1962 and owned five such boats over the years. I therefore got the job probably on an uncontested basis.

I then found out what it really involves. It doesn't involve the restoration of, typically, Pedersen and Thuesen boats by the leading lights in the class such as Lars Hendriksen and Frank Berg. They understand the rules, have a good relationship with Mike on the Technical Committee and don't need the kind of information and contacts that I can help with. It is, however, very much about helping individuals who have a "project" and need to understand more about Dragons in general, what is involved in restoration and how the class can help them. I have found myself dealing with people who range from expert wooden boatbuilders to those who have seen and bought an attractive hull shape which is now residing in their garden, probably much to their partner's disgust. From a geographical point of view contacts have ranged from Brazil and Australia to Sweden and Poland and particularly the US and Canada. The latter two countries virtually dropped out of the class when it lost Olympic status after 1972 and as a result their fleets are largely wooden with a number of very enthusiastic restorers who are looking for a distinctive and elegant boat. 

The brief from the IDA was to try to be helpful rather than invoking the full force of the rules unless I suspect that someone is really trying to take advantage by rebuilding an old boat. So far this hasn't happened, though I sometimes wonder whether there isn't a rebuilding project in the US to restore one of the very quick and somewhat rule-pushing boats built by Kelvin Savell. Where for example is Lowell North's Aphrodite? I do hope that we don't hit any problems of this nature and try to monitor the position by my knowledge of the boats and the original builders.

The questions take many forms. For example:

How can I build a new wooden Dragon? Answer: Jill Hayward has the plans and all the registration details.
How do I find my local Dragon Association? Answer: Here is their e-mail address.

Are the keel bolts on a McGruer Dragon different from others? Answer: Yes. They are pocket bolts(answer supplied by Peter Wilson at the Aldeburgh Boatyard, who has been very helpful on this kind of question).

How do I know whether my mast has been moved when the rig changed? Answer: Measure the distance from the bow, since the stations won't be marked.

How do I get a certificate? Answer: It depends whether there is evidence that the  boat had one in the past. How necessary it is may depend on the intended use of the boat.

Can you supply photos or plans for the layout of the fittings? Answer: Yes. Petticrows have some very useful ones which they are happy to make available.

And so it goes on. I have made a very wide range of contacts, it has been stimulating to be of help to such an enthusiastic collection of people and I have learnt a lot about the many out-of-the way places that old Dragons can be found in.

To find out more about just one of the restoration projects I've consulted on since I took over this role CLICK HERE.

Patrick Gifford 24.9.09

Fiona Brown
Press Officer
Fiona.Brown@fionabrown.com