The 9th Puerto Portals Dragon Winter Series kicks off

The competition will bring together 42 boats from a dozen countries over the months of November, December, and January, figures that clearly show this regatta has become a true benchmark in Europe.

The Dragon class returns to Mallorca for the ninth edition of the Puerto Portals Dragon Winter Series, a competition that will gather 42 boats from a dozen countries throughout November, December, and January, and which has become a true point of reference for this category in Europe.

The first round of the regatta, organized by the Puerto Portals Yacht Club and supported by the National Dragon Class Association, the Balearic Sailing Federation, and the International Dragon Association, will be held today, Friday, November 21st, as well as on Saturday and Sunday.

This year’s strong participation in the IX Puerto Portals Dragon Winter Series is driven by the upcoming Dragon Gold Cup in 2026, which will be held in Puerto Portals in March and will feature many of these teams. It is a Category 0 competition, equivalent to a European or World Championship, ensuring the highest level of racing, and around 80 boats are expected on the starting line.

The IX Puerto Portals Dragon Winter Series will be made up of three rounds, scheduled for November 21–23, December 12–14, and January 23–25. The program includes a maximum of 18 races in total, with up to two races per day, following a windward-leeward course in the Bay of Palma, and with the possibility of discards beginning after the fifth and twelfth races. The organization will award prizes to the top three finishers overall and to the best boat in the Corinthian division.

“We always run five months of racing for the Dragon class, which is why this season we will hold three Dragon Winter Series events, then the Mediterranean Cup in February, and we’ll finish in March with the Puerto Portals Dragon Gold Cup,” explains Marta Reynés, director of the Puerto Portals Yacht Club and sports coordinator for the event.

The two best boats from last year’s Puerto Portals Dragon Winter Series have already confirmed their return to Mallorca to fight for the title in this ninth season. The Portuguese boat Easy, crewed by Michael Zankel, claimed victory after a thrilling finale in which it overtook the Austrian Basic Logic.

Today’s weather forecast predicts strong, cold northerly winds in the Bay of Palma. “The weather is very changeable these days, and some forecasts indicate it will blow very strongly while others suggest not as much. If we have 20 or 22 knots of steady wind, the regatta can go ahead without issue, the problem is if gusts above 30 knots come in,” notes Marta Reynés.

The competition is scheduled to start today at midday, while on Saturday and Sunday the first starts may be given from 11:00 a.m. At the end of the event, an awards ceremony will be held for the winners of this weekend’s competition.