2025 Scottish Dragon Championship at the Royal Forth Yacht Club
by Cathy Ogden 3 Oct 07:29 UTC
20-21 September 2025
Wizz Too (GBR 343) during the 2025 Scottish Dragon Championship © Joe O'Leary and Lewis Smith
The 2025 Scottish Dragon Championship, the final regional regatta of the season, delivered a classic mix of drama, challenges, and camaraderie on the water. After a summer of unusually warm, dry conditions and steady westerlies, the Scottish event reminded us all of its reputation.
We have enjoyed an amazingly warm and dry season with predominantly West winds, often strong but warming. It must be the Scottish Dragon Championship as we woke on Saturday to a Met Office yellow warning for rain, a northerly airstream and a plummet in temperature. Three Dragons had entered. Wizz Too (Helen Horsfall and Henry Boyd GBR 343), which was to be an all-ladies crew on Saturday, with the co-owner, Henry, joining on Sunday. Kismet (Cathy Ogden and Sheena Kerr GBR 821) would also be an all-lady crew this weekend. Kismet II (helmed by Charles Morton GBR508) had been launched two weeks earlier, and some practice sails had been held in all weathers to test out the boat and 'new to a Dragon crew', ready to compete.
The Dragon championship was held as part of a One Design weekend with H-boats and Squibs also having their own Scottish, Northern or National events.
Race one was started in seven knots with a swinging NE breeze. There were rain showers on the North shore. Kismet II got off to a great start with an early tack out of the flooding tide and made the windward mark first. Downwind, Kismet was gaining and gybed early for what we thought was the leeward mark. After rounding it, Sheena realised it was A mark, not R, but all the Dragons and the H-boats starting five minutes later had all followed us!
We finished in that order, having pulled out a lead with the course confusion. The wind was building, after the rain passed through, for races two and three, testing all the crews who had at least led all the classes round the correct courses. Race three built to gusting 20 knots, and all the Dragons goose-winged downwind with the tired crews happy to have a shortened course after 2 laps. There was a very welcome evening meal prepared for us, and we were suitably ribbed for getting all the fleets lost!
Day two of the championship dawned with a clear blue sky, but a cool wind direction. The races were delayed while the NW breeze settled to NNW mostly and 6 -12 kn. Wizz Too led at the first mark and on the downwind leg kept pushing Kismet high, leaving room for Kismet II to claim inside boat. A late gybe at the mark rounding and some requirement for Wizz Too to take avoiding action opened the door for Kismet to get the inside line. The final beat with Kismet covering Wizz Too allowed Kismet II to follow the shifts and near simultaneous hoots followed at the finish with Kismet just ahead of her namesake.
Wizz Too gained the lead in the second race on the first downwind leg and hung on to the very last beat when Kismet learned the lessons from the earlier race and followed the contrary shifts to steal the win. The final race saw Wizz Too win with Kismet II a close second.
We all had a great weekend with the weather gods giving us great sailing. The Dragon crews had the biggest smiles and had some close, exciting racing.
Overall Results:
3rd Place and winner of the Scottish Dragon Classic Quaich - Wizz Too GBR 343
Helen Horsfall, Henry Boyd, Lois Flounders and Morag Slesser
2nd Place and winner of the Scottish Dragon Vintage Quaich - Kismet II GBR 508
Charles Morton, Fiona Drennan and John Witchell
1st Place and Winner of the Scottish Dragon Trophy, Mirage Cup and Corinthian - Kismet GBR 821
Cathy Ogden, Sheena Kerr, Fiona Hutchison, Caitlin Sedgeworth and Morag Slesser
The Scottish Dragon Championship offered a fitting finale to the 2025 regional series. The small but determined fleet showcased the camaraderie and competitive spirit that define Dragon sailing, while proving that Scotland can still throw every condition at its sailors. As the season draws to a close, the focus now shifts to the exciting calendar ahead in 2026, when the Dragons will once again gather in force for another year of racing, rivalry, and friendship.