Puerto Portals kicks off the X Dragon Winter Series

Puerto Portals will host the opening event of the 10th Dragon Winter Series from 6 to 8 November. The first regatta is expected to bring together nearly 20 boats and more than 50 sailors from eight countries, racing in Palma Bay and off Calvià. The programme includes up to six windward-leeward races.

The Dragon class returns to Mallorca this weekend for the opening  event of the “X Puerto Portals Dragon Winter Series”. Organised by Club de Regatas Puerto Portals in  collaboration with the Spanish National Dragon Class Association and the Balearic Sailing Federation,  and in conjunction with the International Dragon Association, the first event of the 2026/27 series is  expected to bring together nearly 20 boats and more than 50 sailors. 

Sailors representing Germany, Australia, Austria, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Hungary  and Portugal will compete from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November. Racing will take place in Palma Bay  and off Calvià, while ashore the Club de Regatas Puerto Portals will bring crew services and the Race  Office together in a dedicated hospitality area, creating a central meeting point for competitors  throughout the event. 

The first warning signal is scheduled for 12:00 on Friday, following the skippers’ briefing at 1000. Racing  is due to start at 11:00 on Saturday and Sunday. Up to six races are planned over the three days, with  the fleet sailing windward to a mark before returning downwind. No more than two races will normally  be sailed each day, although the Race Committee may schedule a third if required by the progress of  the event. 

The Puerto Portals Dragon Winter Series comprises four weekend events, all running from Friday to  Sunday: the first, from 6 to 8 November 2026; the second, from 11 to 13 December; the third, from 15 to 17 January 2027; and the fourth, from 12 to 14 February. Puerto Portals will then host the 10th  Mediterranean Cup, a separate four-day event scheduled for 11 to 14 March 2027.

Last March, Puerto Portals hosted the Yanmar Dragon Gold Cup, which attracted 65 boats from 17  countries. The Winter Series once again brings Mallorca into the international Dragon calendar for the  winter season. 

The entry for this opening event has been affected by the presence of part of the fleet in Hong Kong,  which will host two major international competitions in late November: the Asian-Pacific Championship,  from 17 to 21 November, and the World Championship, from 21 to 29 November. The scale of the latter  reflects the strength of the Dragon class worldwide, with 95 boats and 297 sailors from 21 countries  registered as of 5 November. The event is titled the 2027 World Championship because it opens the  class’s 2027 season. Many boats and crews are expected to return to Mallorca in early 2027 after the  Asian events and continue racing from the island. 

Designed by Johan Anker in 1929, the Dragon remains popular nearly a century after its creation. This  one-design keelboat is 8.90 metres long and has a minimum weight of 1,700 kilograms. It is usually  sailed by a crew of three, although class rules allow up to four. Modern GRP boats and classic wooden  Dragons compete together in the same fleet.