Bluebottle Caps Remarkable 2026 Dragon Season with European Grade 1 Series Victory

by Emma York 2 Oct 11:23 BST

Royal Racing Yacht 'Bluebottle' © Paul Wyeth / www.pwpictures.com

Royal Racing Yacht Bluebottle (GBR 192) has brought an exceptional 2026 racing season to a fitting conclusion by winning the International Dragon Association's European Grade 1 Series and the prestigious Standfast Trophy.

Cared for by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust and raced by Graham Bailey, Julia Bailey, Will Bedford and Killian Boag, Bluebottle secured the series with a remarkably consistent performance across three of Europe's most competitive Grade 1 regattas.

The team recorded fourth place at the opening Grade 1 in San Remo, followed by another fourth at Lake Balaton, before winning the UK Grade 1 in Cowes as part of the 2026 Edinburgh Cup.

With the best three results counting towards the overall series, Bluebottle finished with just nine points to take the Standfast Trophy.

The result crowns a season in which the historic wooden Dragon has continued to compete successfully against the very best modern boats and crews on the international circuit.

Bluebottle opened her major championship campaign with second overall at the 2026 Yanmar Dragon Gold Cup in Puerto Portals, also forming part of the British team that won the Nations Cup.

Further success followed in Helsinki, where victory in the Finnish National Championship propelled team Bluebottle to the top of the International Dragon Class Ranking List during the summer.

The season reached another high point in August when Bluebottle returned to Cowes for an exceptional period of racing on the Solent.

At the Edinburgh Cup and International Dragon Association UK Grand Prix, hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron, Graham and Julia Bailey, Will Bedford and Killian Boag secured the championship with a race to spare.

It was a particularly significant victory in Bluebottle's long racing history. Although she had achieved Edinburgh Cup podium finishes during the 1950s and 1960s, 2026 marked the first time Bluebottle herself had won the famous trophy.

For Graham Bailey it was his fourth Edinburgh Cup victory, while Julia Bailey became a member of an Edinburgh Cup-winning crew for the fifth time.

Just days later Bluebottle returned to the start line to defend the Marblehead Trophy, which she had won in St Tropez in 2025 as the first British challenger ever to claim the historic inter-club competition.

The 2026 edition was held in Britain for the first time as a consequence of that victory. Bluebottle, representing the Royal Yacht Squadron, added another podium finish to her season by taking third overall, including a race victory in the closely fought six-race series.

Franck Bruyère, Chief Executive Officer of The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, said: "Bluebottle's achievements throughout 2026 have been remarkable and everyone at the Trust is enormously proud of what Graham, Julia, Will and Killian have achieved.

"To see a yacht with such an extraordinary history not simply taking part, but competing successfully against the very best modern Dragons in the world, demonstrates exactly why returning Bluebottle to racing was so worthwhile.

"Winning the European Grade 1 Series and the Standfast Trophy is a fitting conclusion to an outstanding season and reflects the commitment of the race team, David Heritage Racing Yachts and everyone involved in caring for Bluebottle and ensuring that this important piece of British maritime history continues to be enjoyed on the water."

Built by Camper and Nicholsons, Bluebottle was presented to Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip as a wedding gift from members of the Island Sailing Club in Cowes. In 1956 she was loaned to the British sailing team for the Melbourne Olympic Games, where Lt Cdr Graham Mann and his crew won the bronze medal, the only Olympic medal ever won by a British Dragon.

Following an extensive restoration by David Heritage Racing Yachts in Cowes, commissioned by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, Bluebottle returned to competitive sailing and has since raced extensively at national and international level.

The 2026 Grade 1 Series featured fleets of 50 boats in San Remo, 27 at Lake Balaton, 50 in Cowes and 42 at Medemblik, underlining the calibre and depth of competition across the season.

Bluebottle's victory also places Graham Bailey among the 20 helms invited to compete in the inaugural Grade 1 Finals in San Remo on 16-17 March 2027, where the Flow Trophy will be contested. The Standfast Trophy will also be presented in San Remo.

2026 season highlights include: