The Unsung Heroes of the Dragon Class

The UnsUng heroes of

National Associations are run by volunteers, most having Officers elected by the membership (Dragon owners, crew and other Class supporters). In some countries there is a single person who manages everything, with some help from volunteers for specific tasks. In other countries there is an elected team of Officers plus volunteers who share the tasks. Most National Associations have a website, a social media presence and regular communications with members (email, website, social media, newsletters, annual magazine). They make sure members who are racing are up to date with the latest Racing Rules of Sailing and Dragon Class Rules. In some countries they assign sail numbers and keep track of Measurement Certificates (in other countries this is done by the national authority). They often procure branded merchandise to advertise the Dragon Class locally (sports clothing and accessories) and some have local sponsorship deals. Typical tasks range from the routine (stuffing envelopes, mailing magazines) to the more complex (website design, negotiating sponsorship deals). It’s a fun way to help the Class but can take a surprising amount of time. There is financial management (usually a bank account, a credit card processing account, collection of national dues, annual reporting to the membership), liaison with the IDA (IDA dues and AGM), and communications, communications, and more communications.

Each National Association fields a lot of queries about the Dragon from prospective members and existing Dragon owners. If someone is doing a restoration, the questions can be quite specific and may require reference to the Class Rules and Plans or consultation with the Technical Committee. Where the class size is relatively small and the geography large for example Australia, the USA and Canada, a lot of queries are about logistics (usually shipping a boat from one part of the continent to another, which can involve a border and national/local regulations). – How do I get a boat from Toronto to San Juan

Island? Rail? Truck? Tow?

– What documents do I need to import a boat into my country? – How high above the water is the top of the Dragon mast? (From someone wanting to be sure they would fit under a bridge.) – What is the keel made of? (From someone salvaging parts from an old Dragon.) – How do we ship sails and parts from a used

Dragon? – How do I change from a wooden mast to an aluminum one?