The 2nd Cascais Dragon Winter Series, combined with the prestigious Prince Henry the Navigator Trophy, started on Friday February 14th under sunny skies and a steady 8-12 knot southeast wind. Thirteen Dragon class boats competed in two exhilarating races, showcasing impressive skill and fierce competition.
Day 1 top 3 standings:
GBR 402 Meteor (Cooke, Mirsky, Melo)
SWE 409 Pilsner (Stalheim, Moeller, Moeller)
GBR 833 Louise (Gordon, Dahlberg, Barnes)
Pete Cook form Meteor commented: “ Today we had the challenge of the waves which were all over the place and the wind shifts and lots of other very competitive boats. The key moment was getting good starts and specially on the second race where we get the lead.”
This event also marked a significant milestone for the Dragon class, with the inaugural use of Vakaros Race Sense technology. This innovative system, made possible through the collaboration with SailCascais and Vakaros, promises to enhance the racing experience, with no general recall nor OCS boats, and data analysis for competitors during the first day.
Day two of the event presented challenging conditions with 15-17 knot winds and big waves. After a delay to the first race due to large waves, the thirteen-boat fleet successfully completed two more races.
The intense competition continued to shake up the leaderboard.
Day 2 top 3 standings:
SWE 409 Pilsner Stalheim, Moeller and Moeller
GBR 402 Meteor Cooke, Mirsky and Melo
GBR 819 Fever Diederichs, Negri and Lea
Jesper Stalheim from Pilsner commented: “ we’ve got two races in the afternoon with big waves and the wind with 15 knots and really tricky conditions but super nice sailing.”
The final day of racing promised more exciting action as the as the top teams were quite close.
On the final day, the thirteen-boat fleet completed three races under clear blue skies and a northern light wind. The favourable weather conditions provided an excellent backdrop for the intense competition. Competitors were getting the true advantage from Vakaros RaceSense system with several boats getting OCS signal on their devices and coming back to the line and make them clear to race.
Final top 3 standings:
1st -GBR 402 Meteor Cooke, Mirsky and Melo
2nd GBR 833 Louise Gordon, Dahlberg, Barnes and Grube
3rd SWE 409 Pilsner Stalheim, Moeller and Moeller
The first Corinthian team, only composed of non-professional sailors:
SWE 416 NONO Palsson, Langstrom and Lundberg
Martin Palsson from NONO said:” Our biggest challenge was the big seas and the shifty conditions and of course this thirteen boats that provide though competition. Good challenge super sailing!!
There will be more action next month, March 14th to March 16th, on the 3rd Dragon Winter Series which will take place with the Portuguese Dragon Nationals
The championship was supported by Turismo de Portugal, Visit Cascais, Cascais City Council, Marina de Cascais, Sagres, Vista Alegre , Petticrows, SailCascais and Vakaros.
Day 1 Video:
Day 2 Video:
Day 3 Video:
