The Aldeburgh Dragon fleet has been established for nearly sixty years, based at the Aldeburgh Yacht Club. Aldeburgh YC is one of the largest sailing clubs on the East Coast with over 2,000 members.
Racing takes place from Easter to November. The AYC regatta takes place in August and is one of the largest events of its kind on the East Coast. The sailing water is the estuary of the Alde and Ore, formed by the spit of Orfordness. This provides generally sheltered water with good winds due to its proximity to the sea. The estuary provides challenging courses on which it is hard to get away from competition and racing is generally close. The Dragon fleet is highly competitive at the top end and also provides competition throughout the fleet and especially for older boats and less experienced crews through a personal handicap system.
There is a considerable store of expertise on the class available to anyone from the likes of Rory Bowman, multiple winner of the Edinburgh Cup, Mike Hayles, Chairman of the IDA Technical committee, Patrick Gifford, Fleet Chairman, and Peter Wilson, builder of St. George's Dragons and source of much historical knowledge.
We are delighted to welcome any newcomers to the fleet and to help them if required with the relative complexities of the Dragon. For more information please contact Patrick Gifford either by e-mail or by telephone on either 020-7625-3090 or 07930558737. Or visit the club website at www.aldeburghyc.org.uk