< 07522 695526 > FIND US ON
This month we have sourced two fabulous Dragon Keel boats which offer great scope for restoration and an excellent opportunity to buy a classic sailing boat at a very low price.
1962 Dragon Keel Boat 'Karan'
Danish hull no 377
Builder: Borresen
Designer: Johan Anker
LOA: 8.84m (29ft)
LWL: 5.7m
Beam: 2.0m
Draft: 1.2m
Weight : 1700 Kg
Go to 1961 Dragon Keel Boat Whirlwind here.
Borge Borresen built his first Dragon in 1935/6 and went on to establish the Börresens Boatyard in Vejle, Denmark. His boatyard became world famous for the beautiful wooden Dragon keel boats and in the 1980's he was instrumental in leading the way for Dragons to use GRP construction. Borrensen is a name that will be forever associated with the Dragon class as amongst his prowess as a builder should be added his sailing success with them, when he went on to win the world championships at the tender age of 74, and was also president of the IDA for many years.
​
The Borrensen boatyard in all built 325 Dragon in wood. All boats have consistently been built to the highest quality standards, and testament to this was the success of this yard selling to many customers which then returned to buy several boats from the same boatyard. Borrensen died in 2007, and the tradition of excellent boat building is continued by his sons.
​
The Dragon class was officially adopted for keel boat racing in the 1948 Olympics and continued to compete at the Olympics up to its last appearance at the Munich Games of 1972.
Karan was originally owned by Ken Gormley, who competitively raced Karan in the Edinburgh Cup. She was sold in 1967 and was sailed in clubs along the Forth River. More recently David Crout owned her and carried out extensive restoration.
​
The current owner acquired the boat a couple of years ago and has kept her in clean dry storage and carried out some minor repairs to the hull. The wooden hull has fully dried out and as such will need to soaked to close up gaps in the planking and recaulked but otherwise she looks a sound hull with no obvious signs of rot. She has also been fitted with new keel bolts by the present owner.
Any prospective purchaser should carry out their own inspection to fully assess the condition and the work involved in the restoration.
​
With fully restored International Dragons of a similar vintage changing hands for £14,000 to £15,000 and for new wooden boats being built for £50,000 this boat represents a rare opportunity to pick up a true classic at a very attractive price.
​
The boat comes complete with aluminium mast, and set of sails, rigging and wash boards and two axle braked road trailer.
​
Price: Offers invited
​
1961 Dragon Keel Boat 'Whirlwind'
British hull no 359
Builder: W A Souters Cowes Boatbuilding Company
Designer: Johan Anker
LOA: 8.84m (29ft)
LWL: 5.7m
Beam: 2.0m
Draft: 1.2m
Weight : 1700 Kg
To go to 1962 Dragon Keel Boat Karan click here.
Johan Anker from 1905 worked with Christian Jensen to build a wide range of dinghies, 6, 8, 12 metre yachts and schooners. Johan Anker quickly became renowned as a designer of very high merit. With the long sleek and beautiful boats that Anker designed he soon became known as the “Master of lines”, not only in his home country of Norway but around the world.
It was in 1929 that the Dragon class was born when the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club, iniatiated a competition for the best design for an affordable cruising boat that would also be cable of entering racing. The Norwegian yacht designer Johan Anker won the competition to design a boat with 20 square metres (220 sq ft) of sail area.
​
Whirlwind was built in 1961 by W A Souters on the Isle of Wight originally for use by a consortium of owners, led by Bruce Banks of Banks Sails. The deck was made canvas from canvas on plywood and is currently painted blue. This construction was used in order to save weight. She was raced at the Isle of Arran regatta in 1979.
​
Whirlwind was purchased by her current owner in 2015, and since then has been kept in clean dry storage and has had some minor repairs to the hull carried out . She is sold as seen, complete with a double axle road trailer. Her keel looks like it needs attention. She comes complete with suite of sails, and a wooden and aluminium masts. Her hull has dried out and needs to be soaked again to close up the gaps and recaulked. These boats are sold as a restoration project and therefore any buyer should make their own assessment of the work required.
​
With fully restored International Dragons of a similar vintage changing hands for £14,000 to £15,000 and for new wooden boats being built for £50,000 this boat represents a rare opportunity to pick up a true classic at a very attractive price.
​
Price: Offers Invited
​