THE WEDDING GIFT
Built in 1948 by Camper and Nicholsons, BLUEBOTTLE was presented as a wedding gift to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip by the Island Sailing Club, Isle of Wight.
Bluebottle's Story
International Dragon class yacht BLUEBOTTLE (GBR 192) was presented to the then Princess Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh by the members of the Island Sailing Club, Cowes, following an offer made by the Club's Commodore on 2 April 1948 to gift the Royal couple a Dragon as a wedding present. Construction by Camper & Nicholsons began with the keel being laid on 12 May 1948, and the yacht was launched in June 1948. BLUEBOTTLE raced for the first time on 10 July 1948, quickly becoming a familiar sight in Royal sailing campaigns.
BLUEBOTTLE was the third and final Royal sailing yacht to join The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust's historic fleet and is kindly on loan from the Royal Collection Trust. Following a painstaking restoration by David Heritage Racing Yachts, the yacht has enjoyed a highly successful return to competitive racing, preserving the legacy of one of the most significant Royal racing yachts of the post-war era.
Read on for BLUEBOTTLE's story and success.
1948
1949
VIRGINIE HÉRIOT CUP WINNER
In a remarkable feat for a keelboat, BLUEBOTTLE crossed the English Channel to race in Deauville, where she went on to win the prestigious Virginie Hériot Cup and gain international acclaim.
1952
BLUEBOTTLE AT COWES
In 1952, a fleet of Dragon Class keelboats assembled at the starting line in calm conditions as Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, took part aboard BLUEBOTTLE. The Duke was seen steering through the fleet while spectators gathered along the shore and at the Royal Yacht Squadron to watch the action unfold.
1956
MELBOURNE OLYMPIC GAMES
In 1956, the yacht was loaned to the British sailing team for the Melbourne Olympic Games, where, under Lt Cdr Graham Mann, it secured a bronze medal - the only Olympic medal ever won by a British Dragon.
2022
RESTORATION PROJECT
The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust commissioned a major restoration project to return the vessel to racing condition. The work was carried out by David Heritage Racing Yachts in Cowes, allowing Bluebottle to once again compete at the highest level of international sailing.
2024
LINKERS FRENCH DRAGON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
In 1949, BLUEBOTTLE famously sailed across the English Channel to Deauville and triumphed in the Virginie Heriot Cup. Seventy-five years later, she returned to French waters and emerged victorious, winning the 2024 Linkers French Dragon National Championship in Deauville. This was a memorable and historic victory for the iconic Royal yacht.
2025
FRENCH DRAGON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2025 French Dragon National Championship, held in Port Camargue, delivered four days of closely fought racing. Sixteen teams competed in challenging yet stunning conditions, with BLUEBOTTLE engaged in a thrilling battle throughout the event against Jan Eckert’s SUI 355 Ginkgo Racing. Demonstrating remarkable consistency and precision, BLUEBOTTLE secured victory and retained the French National Championship title for a second consecutive year.
2025
BRITISH DRAGON ASSOCIATION SOUTH COAST CHAMPIONSHIP
BLUEBOTTLE won the British Dragon Association South Coast Championship and was crowned Overall Champion at Cowes.
2025
COWES WEEK
BLUEBOTTLE wins 4 races, Dragon Class Oerall and Solent Team Trophy Winners.
2025
DRAGON GOLD CUP DOUARNENEZ, FRANCE
BLUEBOTTLE won 2 race wins, 5th overall and Nationals Cup Champions.
2025
MARBLEHEAD TROPHY
BLUEBOTTLE's win at the 2025 Marblehead Trophy in Saint Tropez marked one of the most significant achievements in her 78-year history. She is also the first British Dragon to secure this prestigious title on French waters.
2026
DRAGON GOLD CUP PUERTO PORTALS
BLUEBOTTLE joined 65 Dragons in Mallorca to take on the world’s best for the Yanmar Dragon Gold Cup title. Across the six days BLUEBOTTLE claimed the race two win and after a difficult week of conditions finished with a 3rd in race six to finish in second overall. They were also part of the British Team to once again win the Gold Cup Nations Trophy.
2026
FINNISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Another National Championship title for Team BLUEBOTTLE. The warm-up event to the 2026 Dragon Europeans was held in Helsinki, on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland. BLUEBOTTLE raced through intense conditions but remained fast in Finland winning three out of five races to take the 2026 Finnish Dragon National Championship.
2026
DRAGON EUROPEANS HELSINKI
60 teams and some 200 sailors came together in Helsinki for the European Championship regatta. BLUEBOTTLE took the first race win in champagne conditions. They dominated from the first mark in race two leading to a second race win, this was followed by a third race win on day three. Testing and changeable conditions challenged the fleet throughout the week that saw BLUEBOTTLE finish fourth overall and first Classic Wooden Dragon.
2026
BRITISH DRAGON ASSOCIATION SOUTH COAST CHAMPIONSHIP
BLUEBOTTLE was back in Cowes after a lot of travelling. The two-day British Dragon regional championship featured six races in light and shifting breezes on the Solent. Team BLUEBOTTLE had a good first day with two race wins and led the fleet going into day two. BLUEBOTTLE used their local knowledge and boat speed to convincingly take the win in race four followed by a fourth win in race five. It came down to an exciting final race of the series, and a second place was enough to secure the Championship title and the back-to-back win for BLUEBOTTLE.
2026
COWES WEEK
A 200th regatta anniversary and the largest Dragon entry list for many years. 25 Dragons took part in seven days of racing on the Solent for the 2026 North Sails Cowes Week. With strong competition from home and travelling Dragons and a variety of weather conditions, BLUEBOTTLE claimed three race wins and a comfortable lead to take the overall Cowes Week Dragon Class title, for the second-year running.
2026
EDINBURGH CUP AND INTERNATIONAL DRAGON ASSOCIATION UK GRAND PRIX
The 2026 Edinburgh Cup, hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron, brought together a highly competitive international fleet for four days of racing on the Solent. BLUEBOTTLE established herself among the leaders from the outset and secured the championship with a race to spare. The victory marked Graham Bailey’s fourth Edinburgh Cup title and Julia Bailey’s fifth as a member of a winning team, but most significantly, it was a first Edinburgh Cup victory for BLUEBOTTLE herself.
2026
MARBLEHEAD TROPHY
After delivering a superb racing performance in Saint Tropez in 2025 to secure one of the most coveted trophies in sailing, BLUEBOTTLE brought the Marblehead Trophy to England on behalf of a winning British team and club for the first time. As defending Champions, the event was held in Cowes hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron with 24 Dragons racing over three days. A win in race five and a selection of great finishes saw BLUEBOTTLE return to the podium in third overall. From a first British victory in 2025 to a first UK regatta and an all-British podium in 2026.
2026
DRAGON CLASS INTERNATIONAL RANKING LIST
BLUEBOTTLE (GBR 192) has brought an exceptional 2026 racing season to a fitting conclusion by winning the International Dragon Class European Grade 1 Series and the prestigious 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.
2027
UPCOMING EVENT: Dragon World Championship in Hong Kong
BLUEBOTTLE will be competing in the inaugural Asia Pacific Cup, 17 to the 11th November in Hong Kong. They will also join over 80 Dragons from across the globe to take part in the 2027 Dragon World Championship from 24 – 30th November, hosted by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.
