All OK-Autumn 2010

AUTUMN EDITION 2010

INSIDE:

CHAIRMAN’S RAMBLINGS

IT’S ALL MEMORIES NOW

FIXTURES REVIEW 2010

UK NATIONALS 2009

OK ON THE SMALL SCREEN

TRAVELLERS’ TROPHY 2009

INSURING YOUR OK

SWEDISH WORLDS 2009

AN OK MILESTONE

UK MAGAZINEwww.okdinghy.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL OK DINGHY BRITISH CLASS ASSOCIATION

2 AUTUMN 2010 www.okdinghy.co.uk

CONTENTS AUTUMN 2010

03 RAMBLINGS FROM ON-HIGH 2010 - The Word from Neil Goodhead

04 IT’S ALL MEMORIES NOW - A Mike Edwards’ Comeback

05 FIXTURES REVIEW 2010 - Some key events for the year from Deryck Lovegrove

06 A NATIONALS PERSPECTIVE 2009 - Robert Deaves’ looks back at Dabchicks

08 OK ON THE SMALL SCREEN - Peter Bessey spies OKs on the box

09 TRAVELLER’S TROPHY 2009 - Tony Rich reviews the results from last year’s Traveller

11 INSURING YOUR OK - Jonathan Langford offers some important advice

13 KALMAR WORLDS 2009 - Mary Reddyhoff’s view of events at Kalmar Sweden

23 AN OK MILESTONE - Deryck Lovegrove on a giant step for one man

COVER PHOTOS: Neil GoodheadFRONT COVER: The sharp end of a familiar OK at the Practice Race of Dabchicks’ Nationals 2009.REAR COVER: Unusually, our current National Champion Terry Curtis brings up the rear (in print only)

AllOK EDITOR: Peter Bessey <[email protected]>CLASS PR OFFICER: Mike Edwards <[email protected]> CLASS SECRETARY: Andy Turner <[email protected]> PUBLISHED BY: IOKDBCA, The Shelling, Gong Lane, Burnham Overy Staithe, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, PE31 8JG

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AUTUMN 2010 3 www.okdinghy.co.uk

RAMBLINGS FROM ON-HIGH 2009-10Neil Goodhead reviews his first year

West Oxford Sailing Club. Our Committee encourages willing OK owners to lend their boats to a Youth, Junior or Cadet as a means of attracting younger sailors into the Class. This has worked very well over the last couple of years, resulting in several youngsters buying their own boat.

So PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, loan us your boats for the day. But also bring along your own kit too, so that you can race the Open Meeting on Sunday August 15.If you are willing to allow use of your boat, or are under-21 and would like to participate, please make contact with me. I can then pair up helms with boats.

Finally, I would like to thank my committee for its continuing support and hard work, all of which is done on a voluntary basis. I would especially like to thank Andy Turner for holding everything together as Class Secretary during a very diffi cult year for his family, and Dave Cooper, for such an excellent job keeping everyone informed online in his role as UK webmaster. The UK website Forum is probably the most visited OK forum in the world with regular postings from OK sailors worldwide.

Last but not least, I should mention Peter Bessey as magazine editor. This is certainly a role I don’t envy, as extracting articles from a bunch of illiterate sailors is a task that would try the patience of a saint. Please feel free to send Peter your ideas for the magazine and anything you would like published, as we are always short of material and pictures. It would be great to hear from less well-known members on their experiences in OK dinghies.

Happy Sailing.Neil GoodheadClass Chairman

Editor’s footnote: Please take note of Neil’s last remarks. Your input and comments are important. So defi nitely send them in to me.

After taking over as Chairman in August, time seems to have evaporated ever more quickly and I fi nd myself with a hard act to follow from the outgoing Mike Edwards. On behalf of the Class, I would like to thank Mike for all his excellent efforts over the last three

years. I know for a fact that he has worked tirelessly, with enough energy to power a small city. He now carries this into his new role as Publicity Offi cer, where he is a key player in organising next year’s World Championships at Largs in Scotland.

My OK sailing began in 1994 and I have found enjoyment at all levels of OK competition, from club sailing right up to World Championships. I am lucky to belong to a very keen fl eet at South Staffs, where we regularly have 6 to 10 OKs out on a Sunday, including several youths, juniors and the cadets who can give us all a run for our money. Over this time, I have also been fortunate enough to travel with my boat to events in New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium. The OK is not only great to sail at national level, but also has a hugely enthusiastic following internationally. I would highly recommend you to race abroad, if you get the chance. Go for it! You won’t regret it.

This July offers a great opportunity to do so, from 26-30th, at the European Championships 2010 in Medemblik, Netherlands. This is one of the premiere sailing venues in Europe and the event is open to anybody with an OK. No pre-qualifi cation is required. So there is no excuse not to get practicing and head across the channel.

Here at home, the 2011 World Qualifi er series gets underway. If you fancy competing in the OK Worlds in Largs next year, then you need to get organised. Plan to do at least 2 or 3 qualifi er events, which will include the Nationals on August Bank Holiday weekend (27-30), when we are making a welcome return to Christchurch Sailing Club near Bournemouth. This venue has a long association with the OK dinghy and guarantees a fabulous programme both on and off the water.

Could I also remind those who wish to enter the World Qualifi er at Weymouth July 3-4, that they need to register on the club’s website as soon as possible. We are sharing the venue with other classes and there is a limit to the number of boats allowed on the water at one time. We shall also be visiting Brightlingsea (June 12-13) as well as Largs May 22-23, which offers a great opportunity to check out the sailing, facilities and beautiful scenery of next year’s World’s venue.

Another highlight of the year will be the Youth and Junior Championship, to be held on Saturday August 14 at

years I know for a

The author and his OK competing at South Staffs Open 2009Photos: Ed Bradburn


IT’S ALL MEMORIES NOWPublicity Officer Mike Edwards reflects World Championships and the Nationals, the week

before, are well publicised and reported. I am also endeavouring to gain the type of sponsorship that will enable us to deliver an exciting and memorable event, which will be value-for-money for everyone.

Last year, found us again with a good number of new people buying boats and joining the Association. It would be great to see you all out on the open meeting circuit and at the National and Inland Championships. So do come and join us.

Deryck Lovegrove took over as Fixtures Secretary and has done a great job in putting together a varied fi xtures list, with some very good new venues to try out. Well done Deryck! We should all try to support these events and to grow the numbers attending. It is a fact of life these days, that the best venues and clubs are not interested in hosting classes mustering low numbers. They have to be commercially minded to make a profi t from running Open Meetings. So please make the effort.

We were all rocked last year by the devastating news of the sudden death of Mecky Turner, wife of our long-time Class Secretary Andy and mother to OK sailors Will, Pete and daughter Becks. Mecky was truly a rare person - a calm, patient, thoughtful and caring lady, always welcoming, smiling and putting others fi rst.

These thoughts should not end without me thanking you all for your support over the last three years. I have thoroughly enjoyed my years as Class Chairman and would recommend it to anyone. It may have taken a good deal of my time and effort, but I certainly received a great deal in return. Neil my mate … (Oh *@$ did I say that?)... will, I am sure, do a terrifi c job. So, please support him as much as you can and be sure to pass on any ideas you may have that might benefi t the Class.

Wishing you all great sailing for 2010. Mike

My three year stint as Class Chairman came to an end last August. 2010 is already well underway, with the Chair now in the hands of Neil Goodhead and Tony Rich replacing Neil as Vice C h a i r m a n . That role is all

about supporting the Chairman, working together to come up with the ideas and plans for a better OK Class future - much like Cameron and Clegg I suppose. But will it be a partnership made in heaven? We will have to wait and see! Congratulations to them both.

Taking on that top spot is not always easy. I well remember wondering what I should be saying and doing. But with good timing for me, planning for the OK 50th Anniversary was upon us. That had me up and running and the main event made me acutely aware of the legacy I had taken on. History was there for all to see at Upper Thames Sailing Club that weekend - the tales, boats and faces of OK sailors from years gone by. Many of these had been instrumental in shaping and making the OK class the success that it became over the last 50 years. That really made me focus on what I might do to ensure continued progress for our class during the next half a century.

The UK Association faces another milestone soon. Our upcoming task is to hold the OK World Championships in Largs, Scotland, in 2011. As hosts we must ensure that this gathering will be the attractive, well organised, and smooth-run event that all expect. It should be thoroughly enjoyed, both by all who compete and their families.

We have formed a Worlds Committee whose job it is to handle this. But other volunteers will be needed and welcome, particularly during the event. So, if you can offer some time and are interested in helping out, please do get in touch. In my new role as Publicity Offi cer, my aim is to ensure that both the

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The Venue at LargsPhotos: Scottish National

Watersports Centre


FIXTURES REVIEW 2010Fixtures Secretary Deryck Lovegrove reminds

events around the country to wet our appetite for international success next year. Even if you have no intention of going to the Worlds next year or you feel these events are for the big boys. This is defi nitely not the case. Like all our OK meetings, they are open to anyone in the Class, of any standard and any age of boat. You will not be disappointed and our Class needs your support.

On the international scene, Medemblik, Holland, hosts the Europeans 2010, running over 21-30 July. But if a full week is too long you can always try their Spring Cup, held at the end of April. Medemblik is one of the great sailing venues of Europe with the added bonus of the best race committee that you fi nd anywhere. Put it like this, I will be attending both events. (Without the wife now. That IS a result).

Back home check out the Website for our full fi xture list. There are some one-day events in there, if that’s more your cup of tea, plus a couple of gentle two dayer’s too. My advice is, that if you are new to the class, or have not done an open before, then come along to an event. Have a go. Meet up with some fellow friendly OK sailors and you will not regret it!

The Inland Champs at Northampton in October would be excellent for this. Good stretch of water and extremely friendly club. And did I say, that after sailing on Saturday you will fi nd us in the bar that evening talking about sailing, sailing and sailing (in that order! Ed.). Then, when the bar shuts very late, more talking - unless you want to crash out in your tent for the night of course! Breakfast is good too and great value.

Talking of food, I need to go and fuel the body and get fi t for this 2010 season. I’m hugely looking forward to meeting as many people as possible on the circuit this year.

Meanwhile, Happy Sailing. Deryck

We are now into another good sailing season and what a year we are enjoying!

As you may know, the UK Association is privileged to hold the 2011 OK worlds at Largs, Scotland, making 2010 our Qualifi er year. The qualifi er events are being held at three venues plus the 2010 UK Nationals. So

if you wanted to be at the Worlds, the following places are where you needed to be hanging out ….. and hopefully hiking out too.

Nationals: Held over the Bank Holiday weekend 27-30th August, at one of the best locations on the south coast we visit Christchurch Sailing Club. Fantastic views from an impressive clubhouse and a most picturesque sail out to the race area. For those seeking early pre-worlds practice, our fi rst qualifi er was at Largs on 22-23 May. From the pictures I have seen on the website I don’t think any of us were going to be disappointed. This had to be the Open not to miss.

Following on from Scotland was a trip to an East coast favourite 12-13 June at Brightlingsea Sailing Club. Very tidal, but great fun. You would have had practice for this, by attending Dabchicks, which is just round the corner (by sea) on 10-11 April.

The last Worlds qualifi er was arranged for the most sought after venue in the country - Weymouth. Home to the 2012 Olympics (more details can be found on the Weymouth Website. Date for 3-4 July.

Wow! These make up some great

Junior Champs at Burton 2009Photos: Neil Goodhead

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A NATIONALS PERSPECTIVE 2009Our man at the UK Nationals, Robert Deaves, reflects on a view from the front of the pack

very important, and in previous years that has proved to be the case. But for some reason this year, the wind was generally the most important issue. We were sailing on neaps, and to be fair they were fairly weak neaps, but I think only in one or two races did local knowledge play any signifi cant part.

Generally the wind was so shifty, with thermal winds coming off hot land and dark clouds coming down the course, that getting on the right side of the bends and shifts was far more important than getting out of the tide. Sometimes you had to change strategy mid-race

as the thermally induced winds, or occasionally the darker rain clouds, produced such large shifts that you just couldn’t ignore them. You had to remain fl exible, changing plans to match the conditions. Those who

stuck to rigid rules generally came unstuck at some point – myself included.

The visitors from the Solo and Phantom fl eet made their mark but not quite in the way that everyone expected. Only top Phantom sailor Andy Couch showed any sort of form, winning three races in the breezy conditions. Of the Solos, only Andy Davies – sailing Alex Scoles’ homebuilt hull – made the top 10 after a late charge. However, the Solo sailors more than made up for any defi ciency on the water, by trying to drink most of the OK fl eet under the table.

Defending champion Terry Curtis in his Australian built Delfs, made a few errors but his off-wind pace was dominant, sliding through the fl eet with ease when faced with more boats in front of him than he would have liked. The fi nal day

Just a bit behind those out in front…..

This year’s nationals were something of a marathon compared to recent championships in that it was supposed to be sailed over four days. However with the British weather being what it is, we were back to three days when the fi rst day was blown off with winds

up to 42 knots. So rather than being a sailing marathon it started with a drinking marathon.

Next day everyone assumed that there would be three races, but following a decision at last year’s AGM, only two races were to be sailed each day. To some this seemed a bit disappointing as the conditions were about as good as they get, but those with weary legs after two tough races were grateful for an early beer. And on the whole, the racing was pretty tough.

The championship was very generously sponsored by Hyde sails with both Nigel and Jack Grogan competing throughout the weekend. In the past Hyde was one of the top manufacturers of OK Dinghy sails worldwide and is working hard on the development of its new version sail, along with an excellent range of quality OK Dinghy accessories. Nigel was keen for the top prize – a voucher for a new Hyde OK sail – to be won by a junior sailor, as these youngsters represent the future of the class.

For me the event was all about being fl exible. At a tidal venue such as Dabchicks, local knowledge can be

Practice day at Dabchicks 2009Photos: Neil Goodhead

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relief that he hadn’t been loaned a really competitive boat. The younger sailors were well catered for with Sam Blocksidge from South Staffs winning the cadet prize and some new Hyde OK toestraps, and lucky Richard Burton winning the vintage boat prize and a voucher for a new Hyde OK sail.

Dan Ager in sixth wrapped up the Team Trophy for Waldringfi eld SC, quite convincingly, despite trying to forfeit the monster trophy with an OCS in race seven. Meanwhile, age continues to defy Andy Turner with a splendid performance to place seventh after posting fi ve top 10 results to win the Masters Trophy. Mike T Edwards and Julian Burnham also sailed great series, again proving that brains and brawn (in no particular

order) are not essential ingredients for success. Andy Davies completed the top 10.

Paul Pike won a new Hyde OK top cover for the person with the highest points to complete every race, and took the Mark Williams Memorial Trophy. And fi nally,

Dave Cooper won a special award for his efforts in attending practically every domestic OK event throughout the year, plus his continued service as webmaster. He was awarded a fabulous new Hyde OK mast bag.

In winning the title Terry broke the Dabchicks curse – and became the fi rst UK OK Dinghy sailor to win a Nationals at the club, after both previous championships sailed there were won by visiting sailors (Richard Stenhouse in 2000 and Steve Dunn in 2005).

Looking forward to Largs. Robert

was really shifty and breezy and turned into a test of nerves and stamina. It was a test that Terry passed with fl ying colours with a 1-2 to overturn his overnight defi cit on Andy Couch and win his second title in a row. In his new Scoles Icebreaker hull, Jon Fish had to be content with third, after equalling his best Nationals result in 2005. However he could go home happy that he hadn’t splashed once all weekend – something of a record methinks.

Fifth placed Martin Evans, silver medalist at last year’s Laser Radial Youth Worlds was using an old Rushworth hull with the only aluminium mast in the top 10, proof perhaps that enough skill can make up for lack of modern gear, and he won the Junior Trophy for his efforts. He sailed exceptionally well, especially downwind and most of the regulars were breathing a sigh of

Gear-wise, it looked like this:

Practice Day DabchicksPhoto: Neil Goodhead

Mark rounding Day 1Dabchicks day 3 start

Photos: Amanda Whitehead


OK ON THE SMALL SCREENPeter Bessey recalling an unexpected pleasure

On the sofa with an evening snack af-ter a hard day at the offi ce, it seemed a good idea to catch up on some re-cent TV recordings. So up came an edition of ITV’s Countrywise.

Gloucestershire countryside, crops, livestock, plus a vineyard and even

Stinking Bishop Cheese. That kind of thing. Appropri-ate to munch by. Then, while eyes were on the plate, did someone mention ‘sailing’?

A snatched glance up to the screen and in one of those moments when the brain handles a quick retake, that all-familiar hull shape drifted across my sightline, rolling down a slipway. A fast rewind (literally), con-fi rmed my immediate thought – that’s just got to be an OK! But there were more to come.

By chance, that recorded episode covered the Clas-sic and Vintage Racing Dinghy Association’s annual National Championship. In amongst some other beau-tifully restored wooden racing boats were a few of our favourite dinghies.

That slipway view was quickly followed by the shot that settled everything - the one where somebody, appar-ently about to start caber-tossing, fi nds a hole to drop the end into! And then an interview with that particular OK helmsman – Duncan Spencer Smith, an OK TV star in the making!

Duncan, a cabinet maker by trade, had spent many happy hours putting his skills to good use in refurbishing his OK – seemingly too many to quote on a TV show

that his wife might watch! From what I could see, he owns K1644, a red hull, but not that fi rst one seen on that slipway.

On the water, a pale blue hull GBR1944, sailed by David Rollinson of Bowmoor SC, appeared more fre-quently still. After slugging it out with some elderly Inter-national Finns, Merlin Rockets, National 12s, Firefl y, Al-bacore, GP14, Hornet, Pegasus, Shearwater cat, Flying Fifteen, et al, he took the ‘Old Fleet’ prize by winning 5 of the 6 races. It was, apparently, his third year in a row to take this trophy.

Despite some intense viewing, it was impossible to make out the sail number for the burgundy hull fi rst seen in the opening sequence, although someone looking at the stills might just recognise the helm. ITV kindly provided a DVD copy of the programme to me for use in writing the article, but unfortunately it was of low resolution, (presumably to discourage me from

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Stinking Bishop C

The winning OK & David RollinsonPhotos: Clwedog SC


So it is unlikely that OKs will dig their masts into this mud at 216ft depth, although Duncan had cracked his

wooden spar during stronger wind conditions in 2006 when he took a third place - which explained why he was dropping an alloy in at the beginning of the sequence.

Conditions here can be both light and shifty or heavily windswept at times, depending on wind direction. As it looks such a great location, it must be worth putting on the list of desirable venues for some kind of OK event. It is obvious that the classic dinghy sailors of the CVRD think so and year after year have come from far and wide to prove it!

Perhaps, in future years, our own Veteran section might turn out to contest this event in even greater numbers?

pirating copies to sell to all you OK fanatics). So the stills are none too crisp.

The programme’s transmission date Nationally, was 24 Sep 2009. But the episode was actually shot over August Bank Holiday 2007 by ITV West, at the immensely beautiful Llyn Clywedog reservoir. Look-ing at the magnifi cent backdrop off soft rolling Welsh mountains and listening to the competitors’ comments, left an impression that this must be a great place to sail, with events well hosted by the very hospitable Cly-wedog Sailing Club.

Formed behind the UK’s highest concrete dam at 236ft/72 metres, constructed to regulate fl ow into the Severn in 1965-7, the 615 acres of water has a volume of around 11,000M gallons. (Apparently that is equiv-alent to 550M typical baths, for those who need to know).

TRAVELLERS TROPHY 2009Tony Rich reviews

All uncredited stills: ITV West

2009 was another busy time for OK sailors across the country with Open Meeting events held throughout the year counting toward the award of our popular Travellers Trophy.

Results are calculated only for boats that have competed in 3 or more events. Points are

awarded to competitors, for each boat beat-en +1. These points are then added together to identify an overall season’s Travellers Cham-pion.

The 2009 season consisted of 16 events which kicked off with the Winter Championships at Oxford SC, initially scheduled for 7th February, but postponed due to sub zero temperatures. After snow and ice in the launching area had thawed out 2 weeks later, warm sunshine and light winds greeted competitors. The event was contested by a strong fl eet of 24 OKs and won by Terry Curtis.

Although several OKs competed in some other win-ter events, including Northampton’s Steve Nicolson

Trophy, the Frensham Frenzy and Burghfi elds’ Winter series, the next offi cial travellers event 22 March was at Silverwing SC (also known as British Airways SC) in which Richard Burton showed his potential by posting three bullets in more light and shifty conditions.

The following weekend saw the ‘Northern Challenge’, a unique 2 venue event jointly hosted by South Windermere and Morecambe and Heysham YC. 15

Breezy start at the Inlands Northampton SC 2009Photo: Mary Reddyhoff

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Competitors were greeted on Saturday by 40 mph winds blowing straight down Lake Windermere. So racing was postponed long enough for the wind to moderate slightly, (as well as for the chairman and vice chairman to arrive!). 2 races were eventually contested in cold and squally conditions. The fl eet then moved to Morecambe and enjoyed a fantastic social evening ‘At the Races’, hosted by Morecambe and Heysham Yacht Club, before a competitive day’s sailing in a sunny force 3-4 in the strong tide of Morecambe Bay. The event was won by Nick Craig.

Next came the Easter Egg at Waldringfi eld, again sailed in light winds and glorious sunshine and again won by Nick Craig.

The fi rst World’s qualifi er of the year was held at Bright-lingsea SC, after an ab-sence of a number of years and was a shared event with the Merlin Rockets. Conditions were fantas-tic, with sunshine, winds of force 3-4 and a few waves. The event was closely con-tested between Nick Craig, sailing the new Scoles’ Idol

C o m p o s -ites boat b a s e d upon the Icebreaker hull shape, and Ter-ry Curtis, with Craig eventually coming out on top.

The follow-ing event was sched-uled to be at Felpham

SC and another World Qualifi er in the middle of May. Unfortunately the 30 knot on-shore wind made sail-ing, but particularly launching, virtually impossible and caused the event‘s abandonment.

June was a hectic month with events at Burton SC,

Upper Thames SC and Overy Staithe SC. The Youth and Junior Champs at Burton SC (won by Will Croxford of South Staffs SC) was followed by an open meeting on the Sunday. Diffi cult light wind conditions saw Nick Craig winning from Neil Goodhead. The annual open meeting at Upper Thames, although not attended by many visitors showed the strength of the local fl eet with 14 OKs making the start line. The event was won by

Terry Curtis from Simon Davis and Julian Burnham. The Overy Staithe open was sailed in virtually no wind at all and so, no surprises that the event was won by - yes you guessed it, Neil Goodhead.

The next event on the travellers series was not until after the World Champion-ships in Sweden, and was held at Hun-stanton in mid August. The wind strength on Saturday reached force 6 which was enough for the RS 700s, with whom the

event was shared, to abandon their sailing for the day. But the OKs ventured to start their racing and in the se-verely testing conditions, even the most experienced OK sailors and the OK National Champion were seen swimming around the gybe mark. Conditions on the Sunday were slightly more moderate and the event was won by Terry Curtis from Alex Scoles.

The 2009 National Championships were held at Dab-chicks SC with an entry of 35 OKs. Wind conditions on the Friday were a little too brisk and sailing was aban-doned for the day but the remaining 3 days were described as breezy and ‘champagne sailing condi-tions’. Competition was fi erce with class newcomers including two-time Phantom National Champion Andy Couch and local laser sailor Martin Evans providing stiff competition to current National Champion Terry Curtis, former Champion Robert Deaves, as well as Jon Fish, who found some consistent form in the breezy condi-tions. Curtis eventually won a tightly fought battle with Couch to retain his status as National Champion.

The Nationals was followed by 2 east coast events, with one at Ardleigh and then the Cartoon Trophy at Waldringfi eld, both held in light to moderate winds and

Close company at the Inlands 2009Photo: Mary Reddyhoff

Hard going at the Inlands 2009Photo: Mary Reddyhoff

LOOK - No Hands on deckPhoto: Mary Reddyhoff


won by Dan Ager and Jon Fish respectively.

The Inland Championships was again held at Northampton SC on the fi rst weekend of October. The Saturday also proved to be extremely challenging with force 5-6 winds keeping rescue crews busy and result-ing in a number of incidents of damage. Sunday was sailed in much more gentle conditions of around 10 knots, but still testing due to signifi cant wind shifts. Terry Curtis won the event from Robert Deaves.

The fi nal two events of the season were held at Burghfi eld in a shifty force 2 won by Neil Goodhead and at South Staffs with a strong fl eet of 20 boats, in-cluding 2 former World Champions in Nick Craig and Jim Hunt. Their credentials were not enough to prevent

local GP14 sailor Mike Senior from gaining victory in the light and shifty conditions.

Overall there were 29 competitors who competed in suffi cient events to qualify for the travellers series. Terry Curtis retained this season’s trophy with 136 points hav-ing entered 8 events. His attendance was only bet-tered by Neil Goodhead, who fi nished second with 109 points having been to 9 events.

Third was Mike Edwards with 106 points from 6 events, fourth Tony Woods with 100 points from 7 events and fi fth Nick Craig with 98 points from 6 events, although by missing the Nationals he had foregone the opportu-nity of scoring highly here. Have another great travelling year. Tony

Insurance is one of the less exciting aspects of owning a dinghy, but making the wrong choice when buying a policy could result in lost time on the water and additional expense if you need to make a claim.

One common misconception is that all insurance policies are the same and that all insurance companies offer the same service. Ask fellow sailors at your club or speak to a repairer and you’ll soon realise that there are some big differences in both.

In order to make an informed choice you need to know what options are available. You will also hear some insurance terms and may feel embarrassed to ask what they mean. Comprehensive Cover - will provide cover for your boat against accidental damage, theft, fi re and vandalism and will also provide Third party liability cover.

Third Party Liability - You should not consider going afl oat without third party liability insurance, which will cover you if you cause damage to another boat or worse still cause injury. Many Insurers now offer a policy providing £3,000,000 worth of cover, which should provide ample cover to satisfy the requirements of all UK sailing clubs. Owners of low value boats may wish to consider a third party liability only policy at a far cheaper premium.

Racing Risks – Most policies will provide cover for racing as standard, but there some insurers who will charge an additional premium. If you race without paying the additional premium you may not be covered.

New-For-Old cover – Policies offering New-For-Old cover will replace items damaged beyond repair, with new. It is important to check whether age limits of the equipment apply.

Policy Excess - You will be required to pay the fi rst amount of any claim. This may be applied to third party claims or just in respect of damage to or loss of your own equipment.

Wear and Tear – An insurance policy will not pay for the maintenance and upkeep of your boat, so don’t expect your insurer to pay to repair areas of rotten wood or cover the cost of repairing small scratches and dents picked up in the usual course of a sailing season.

Why do I need third party liability cover? Third Party Liability is a compulsory requirement at many sailing or yacht clubs and irrespective of this you should not consider sailing without it. If you were to cause an accident either on or off the water, the insurance policy would pay for any costs you may become legally required to pay.

Cover is usually provided for the boat named on the policy, and therefore any person sailing the boat, with the policyholder’s permission, would also be covered, however don’t assume this point. If you are borrowing another boat, it’s important to check that the boat is insured and that cover is provided while you are at the helm.It is worth pointing out that Third party liability risks whilst in transit by road would normally be covered by your motor insurance policy.

Will my policy provide cover while I’m not sailing? A comprehensive policy should cover your boat against accidental damage, theft, fi re and vandalism, whether in use or not; however there may be restrictions on your policy. Whether it is a requirement of the policy or not, it is good practice to make sure your boat is securely tied down, that the trailer is locked and / or immobilised when not in use, and that all equipment is kept underneath the cover or better still, taken home after use. It is surprisingly common for mice, rats or other rodents to make nests in your sails if stored in your boat or during the winter in your garage. When they do, your sail will become eaten and stained. Check carefully as some insurance policies will exclude vermin damage.

Will my trolley and trailer be covered? The majority of policies can be extended, by payment of an additional premium, to include your trolley and / or trailer. Claims would be limited to either the market value at the time of loss or the sum specifi ed on the policy, whichever is

INSURING YOUR OKNoble Marine’s Jonathan Langford offers some tips


abroad, check the cover offered by your policy fi rst.

What will happen when I make a claim?Claims should be notifi ed to your insurers as soon as possible after the incident. After all, the sooner you submit the claim, the faster you will be back on the water. If a collision occurs, keep a note of other boats involved and the details of any potential witnesses. Details of any protest hearings will also be taken into consideration.

Any incidences of theft or criminal damage should be reported to the police and remember to take a note of the Crime Reference Number for the claim form. Stolen boats will be listed by your insurance company, free of charge, on the www.stolenboats.org.uk website.You will be required to provide at least one estimate for the repairs or a written quote for the replacement items, if a repair is not possible. Your insurer may ask to inspect any damaged equipment or want to see a photograph of the damage, before authorising a replacement.

How quickly will my claim be settled? This will depend on which insurance company you use and their speed of response. You can help by ensuring that you have all of the facts to hand, including relevant photographs or diagrams. Much can also depend on how quickly your repairer can provide a quotation and then carry out the necessary repairs.

All comprehensive dinghy insurance policies provided by Noble Marine include: • £3,000,000 Third party liability cover for

anyone using your boat with your permission. • No excess is payable on third party only claims.• Accidental damage, theft, fi re and vandalism.• Damage to the boat (and your trolley and

trailer if specifi ed on the policy) whilst in transit, but excluding third party liability in transit, as this should be covered by your vehicle’s policy.

• New for Old Cover - Your mast, boom, rigging and all sails are insured on a New-For-Old basis. If any of these items are lost, damaged beyond repair or stolen, we will pay the cost of new replacement item, less the policy excess. No deduction is made for depreciation.

• Cover for sails damaged by vermin• Full cover while racing• 12 months cover for all inland and coastal waters

of the U.K. and up to one month’s use in Europe.

It may be possible, to extend this cover either for use outside Europe or for more than one month’s use within Europe. To view full details of the policy, obtain a quotation, or to buy immediate cover on-line, please visit our website: www.noblemarine.co.uk/dinghy. Alternatively, ring us during normal offi ce hours on 01636 707606.

the lesser amount. Note that it may be a requirement of the policy, that trailers are immobilised and / or locked when not in use.

How can I be sure the insurance company I choose, is reliable? Any insurance policy is only as good as the service you receive if you have to submit a claim. Speak to other sailors, for their comments regarding which insurers provide good (or bad) service to their clients.

What about cover for the spars sails and rigging? The cover offered by insurance policies can vary widely. Cheaper insurance policies may only pay claims based on a percentage of the new replacement cost of your mast, spars or sail, dependant on their age, leaving you to fund the difference. Typically, insurance companies will only pay two thirds of the replacement price on equipment over three years old.The dinghy policy offered by Noble Marine will pay the full replacement cost of your mast, spars or sail, damaged beyond repair, irrespective of age. All you need to pay is your policy excess.

Can anyone use my boat?The majority of insurance policies will allow anyone to sail your boat with your permission, however it would be prudent to check this fi rst. If you receive money in return, i.e. the boat is being chartered or hired; this may invalidate your policy. Always check with your insurance company if you are unsure.What about cover for sailing abroad? Many sailors travel abroad with their boats, either on holiday or to a foreign regatta. Many insurance policies will provide cover for up to 30 days use in Europe each year, which should be ample for most situations. If you intend travelling to a number of regattas each year or if your boat is to be left

Oooooh! That shredding feeling at the Inlands 2009Photo: Mary Reddyhoff


fl eet to the pin end, tacking onto port as the gun fi red. Another wind shift saw the port side of the course paying, with the leaders fetching into the windward mark, well ahead of the committee boat end starters.

At the gybe mark Karl Purdie (NZL), the current World Champion, had established a several boat length lead on Jørgen Lindhardtsen (DEN), with Craig, Chris-tian Olesen (DEN) and Oliver Gronholz (GER) in hot pursuit. The second and third beats were good, fa-vouring the big breeze sailors. Craig capsized on the gybe at the leeward mark “I did not let off the kicker” he said “as I have only done one event this year!”.

The majority of the fl eet peeled off home in the choppy conditions, leaving thirty three to fi nish, the last Mathieu Chenuil (FRA). He was not the least dis-couraged “I am determined to fi nish every race and learn as much as I can at my fi rst Worlds”.

It is common for the leader not to fi nish the Practice race on the suspicion it will mar his performance later in the week; however Purdie sailed to take the gun with the comment “I am out for what I can get this week!”.

Saturday 25th July - Practice RaceWith measurement completed with smooth effectiveness, there was an air of optimism in the din-ghy park. Just centimetres away from the channel accessing the race area, sailors were able to complete their fi nal prepara-

tions in sunshine with a moderate breeze blowing. Andre Blasse (AUS) said “I will be happy to fi nish 7th behind the six previous World Champions this year. Achieving a top ten place will be very diffi cult with so many of the top OK sailors present at this event”.

Keen to get the Championship underway, many were premature starters at the start of the Practice race and a general recall resulted. The AP was raised seconds before the second start as a major wind shift occurred under thunderous clouds. Once passed, the wind set-tled back to the SW and the race began in 20 knots of breeze, with a short steep wave pattern well estab-lished in the breezy conditions. Nick Craig (GBR) led the

KALMAR WORLDS 2009ODKIA Secretary Mary Reddyhoff observes

SWwwgfrrac

ti i hi i

Some imposing scenary on the way backPhoto: Mary Reddyhoff

Race 2 - Denmark’s OK veteran Jørgen LindhartsenPhoto: Lara Blasse


ning ways. He won the last race of the World Championship in Warnemunde in 2008 and now starts the 2009 Championship at the front.

Race 2Seventy starters lined up for race 2. After a gen-eral recall there was a short delay while the wind backed to a more southerly direction. As it settled back to the original direction, the race offi cer lost no time in starting the race with a black fl ag, claim-ing three premature starters. The moderate breeze persisted, creating a short chop that was diffi -cult to sail over when the wind pressure dropped. Nick Craig (GBR) rounded the windward mark fi rst, with Karl Purdie (NZL) close behind. Having been pe-nalised by the jury in race 1 Craig sailed a conserva-tive reach, Purdie however, managed to surf past and steadily increased his lead for the remainder of the race. Andre Blasse (AUS) managed to pass Craig, as did Jørgen Lindhardtsen (DEN) on the line!

Day 1 refl ectionsPurdie, who leads the fl eet, refl ected on the day’s rac-ing. “The fi rst race was OK, but I did not get a good start,

Gronholz was 2nd, although slow upwind, he was pleased with his tactics on the shifts, saying “I was hap-py with my speed on the reach and the run”. Lind-hardtsen surprised the leaders with his speed upwind, shrugging his shoulders he said “my back is still a bit sore”. Greg Wilcox (NZL) President of the OK Dinghy International Association, passed Craig, fi nishing 5th.

Sunday 26th July - Race 1After two general recalls, the race offi cer, Patrik Schand-er, used the black fl ag to get the clear start for the fi rst race of the OK World Championships. Sailing in sunshine and a moderate breeze, the seventy one OKs set off up the 20 minute beat. The majority of the fl eet remained on the starboard side of the course with Thomas Hans-son-Mild (SWE) and Jørgen Lindhardtsen (DEN) leading at the windward mark. They created a big lead on the following pack, led by Terry Curtis (GBR) and Karl Purdie (NZL). The order remained unchanged to the fi nish.Hansson-Mild was delighted to continue his win-

Practice Race start - does SWE 2756 really need that crew?Photo: Lara Blasse

Race 3 - The inevitable championship pre-start meleePhoto: Marcus Willhemsson


spending most of the time on Curtis’ transom”. “The shifts are predictable, and with everyone travelling at very similar speeds, it is diffi cult to get past your opponents.”

Race 3 - fi rst beat close quarters combat in the Swedish sunshinePhoto: Marcus Willhemsson

“In the second race I had a better start and was able to be more aggressive than Craig in my sailing of the reaches as he had received the yellow fl ag in the fi rst

Race 4 - Germany’s Gunter Arndt rounding the leeward markPhoto: Martin


hardtsen close behind. These three held their positions up the next beat, but an impressively sailed downwind leg by Hansson-Mild saw him overtake Purdie, with a boat length separating each at the leeward mark. Hansson-Mild and Lindhardtsen remained on the port side of the course, with Purdie tacking to the starboard side. At the fi nish, it was Purdie who got the gun. Race 4The breeze had freshened for the start of the fourth race, with some roguish one metre waves appear-ing to catch the unwary OK Dinghy sailor. Once again the fl eet got away at the fi rst attempt, with individual recalls for a couple of sailors. Whereas port paid on the fi rst beat of race 3, it was the star-board course side sailors who benefi ted in race 4. Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) was fi rst to the windward mark, with Jørgen Lindhardtsen (DEN) Karl Purdie (NZL) and Nick Craig (GBR) close behind. There was little place changing to the fi nish, by which time Hansson-Mild had built a substantial lead on his competitors. The fresh breeze and waves provided optimal conditions for superb surfi ng conditions for all the competitors who came off the water exhilarated by the day’s racing.

Day 2 refl ectionsThomas Hansson-Mild commented that he grew up in an OK, so he is pleased with his performance to date (two fi rsts and currently lying 2nd overall) – but there are still six races to go! Living in Umea, 11,000km and a two day drive north of Kalmar, Thomas explained how he is able to train when so far from the other OK Dinghies. “I do a lot of cross-country skiing in winter as I have to wait

race.” “I am pleased with my results – though they are not as good as last year’s.” He won both races last year!

Ex-Olympian, Lindhardtsen continues to show the rest of the fl eet how to sail an OK Dinghy. He is cur-rently in second place, on equal points with Purdie. Now 64 years of age, more than twenty years Purdie’s senior, he commented that it could have been so much worse as, whilst trying to break out from Curtis’ cover, he did a bad tack, just saving a capsize by pirouetting back onto his original tack.

Blasse commented “it was a good day”, as he made the most of the breezy conditions and the seasoned campaigner Curtis said “this is my best fi rst day at a World Championship.”

Monday 27th July 2009 - Race 3Race 3 started promptly at 11:05 in sunshine and a light breeze, though dark clouds soon appeared, with the wind increasing and backing, necessitating the wind-ward mark to be moved 30o to port for the second beat. The short choppy waves also became more pronounced. Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE), Jørgen Lindhardtsen (DEN) and Karl Purdie (NZL) chose the pin end to start. Those that hit the left corner came out well ahead of those on the starboard side of the course, for example Gavin Waldron (GBR) tacked round the windward mark in 15th place, well ahead of many of the front runners. Purdie built an impressive lead on the two reaches, with Hansson-Mild and Lind-

Race 4 at the leeward mark with Oliver Gronholz - GermanyPhoto: Marcus Willhemsson


for the ice breakers to clear the sea before I can start sailing again, probably a month after most have started to sail. There are plenty of icebergs to dodge, but I just get used to it! I am very fortunate that there is a very narrow stretch of water between Sweden and Finland at Umea. Here there are always big waves createdby wind or current so I can practise my reaching anddown wind techniques. I am able to increase my lead on Purdie on these legs. Fortunately Anders Widding has been an excellent training partner this year so I can also practise beating, though Purdie slowly reels me in on the beat. I have copied Peter Milne, who in 1999 used a four purchase mainsheet, to overcome my tennis elbow, it still, however gives me enough con-trol for downwind sailing. We are fortunate to have

a coach and a support boat this year, which has im-proved the confi dence of the Swedish sailors, knowing there is spare equipment available should we need it.

Tuesday 28th July 2009 - Race 5The fl atter water and lighter breeze was a wel-come change to the previous two days of rac-ing. The OK Dinghy races to the triangle, sausage, fi nal beat format which suits this 52 year old design.There was a general recall for the fi rst start, but the sec-ond, still under blue peter, was successfully away with 3 individual recalls. The majority of the fl eet started at the committee boat end, but some of the leaders opted for clearer air further along the line. At the wind-ward mark Nick Craig (GBR) and Greg Wilcox (NZL)

Race 4 - Christian Olesen rounding after a high speed reachPhoto: Martin

Race 3 - Lindhartsen leads Radocy and Hansonn-MildPhoto: Marcus Willhemsson


(DEN) to surf into the lead at the leeward mark. An-dre Blasse (AUS), the newly elected President of the OK Dinghy International Association, lying 7th at the lee-ward mark, sailed into 3rd position at the fi nish. Martin Zimmermann (GER), who needed three stitches in his index fi nger after a washing up accident on Sunday, was able to sail to his potential today, fi nishing 4th.

On completion of the sixth race, the discard could now take effect. Two of the top ten sailors are carrying an OCS, so the series is still wide open.

Preliminary overall positions1st Karl Purdie N Z L2nd Thomas Hansson-Mild SWE3rd Jørgen Lindhardtsen DEN4th Andre Blasse A U S5th Nick Craig GBR6th Greg Wilcox N Z L7th Terry Curtis GBR8th Antoni Pawlowski P O L9th Martin Zimmermann GER10th Bo-Staffan Andersson SWE

A President retiresGreg Wilcox retired as President of the OK Dinghy Inter-national Association last night, handing over to Andre Blasse, who will be in post for four years. He fi nished in fi tting style by winning race 5. Talking to him after, he refl ected upon his success. “I had a good start and sailed up the middle of the course with Craig. We

were clear ahead of Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE), Jan-Erik Engholm (SWE), Terry Curtis (GBR) and Martin Zim-merman (GER). At the wing mark Craig had to give water to Wilcox who pulled away from the chasing pack. With a rising breeze, the fl eet closed on the leading group up the beat, but Wilcox continued to increase his lead down the run. On the fi nal beat Wil-cox was chased by Hansson-Mild on the right side of the course, but the lead remained unchanged, with Wilcox winning his fi rst race in this championship, with Hansson-Mild second and Antoni Pawlowski (POL) 3rd.

Race 6With a dying wind, race six looked threatened for some time. However, with fi ve already completed, there were suffi cient races held for the World Cham-pionship series to be assured. As the countdown to the start began the wind increased to ensure a good race would be held, albeit in a shifting wind.The black fl ag caught eight sailors from six countries on the second start. Bunched at the pin end in light airs, it took a long time for the competitors to sail into free air. Bo-Staffan Andersson (SWE), the most successful OK Dinghy World Champion ever, led the fl eet on the fi rst triangle, but as the wind picked up and veered for the second beat the heavier sailors slowly overhauled him as they sailed to the newly laid windward mark. With the increasing wind, a wave pattern built up that enabled Karl Purdie (NZL) and Jørgen Lindhardtsen

Race 7 - hardened up for a brisk windward legPhoto: Martin


were equally matched for speed on the fi rst reach, but as inside boat, I had the advantage and managed to sail away from him. On the second beat we again were playing the shifts in the middle of the course, with Craig gaining on me initially. I felt I was faster on the run and pulled away from Craig. I opted to turn on the starboard leeward gate mark and covered Hansson-Mild up the beat. This side paid as Craig, who tacked on the port buoy could only manage 4th at the fi nish”.

“It has been a privilege to be President of OKDIA. During my four year term we have introduced the ‘Hall of Fame’, which recognises the input of those who developed the class in its early days and cel-ebrates the successes of all the great sailors who have and are still sailing the OK Dinghy today”.“We have seen a signifi cant increase in the num-ber of new boats being built in the last four years, which has stimulated the second hand boat mar-ket and encouraged many new faces to ex-perience the joys of sailing an OK Dinghy”.

Current World Champion, Karl Purdie, said “It was the reason I moved into OKs, as Wilcox, World Champion in 2002, was the role model I was looking for to improve my sailing.”

Wilcox added “The Committee has also under-taken a thorough review of the rules to make sure the OK Dinghy keeps up with modern trends. I am now handing over the Presidency to An-

dre Blasse, who, I know, will make an excellent President as he is as keen as me to see the con-tinuing success of the OK Dinghy world wide.”

Wednesday 29th July 2009 - Race 7The sailors launched in blue skies and light winds, but all this was soon to change. By the time they had sailed across Kalmar Sound to the Oland shore, where the racing has taken place all week, dark clouds were gathering from the south.

Open to that direction, the waves in the Sound soon be-gan to build. Racing started promptly as usual in a light breeze. Today’s start was clean away at the fi rst attempt under the Blue Peter. Although there is always fi erce competition on the favoured part of the line, that al-ways provides suffi cient space for all to get a good start.

As usual, Bartosz Rakocy (POL) guarded his position at the pin end of the line with good boat handling skills. The majority of the sixty eight starters sailed the middle part of the course, though there were a few who banged both the left and right corners.

By the windward mark Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) had built a good lead and, once again, he demonstrated an excellent reaching technique down the building waves. However, Karl Purdie (NZL), who has been over-taken by Hansson-Mild in the leader table today, said

Race 7 - Andre Blasse incoming OKDIA PresidentPhoto: Lara Blasse


“I was catching Hansson-Mild on the reaches today and I am going faster downwind, but he has increased his upwind speed, so everything is equal now!” Lying second in the race as well, Purdie was being chased by Andre Blasse (AUS), Pawel Pawlaczyk (POL) and Greg Wilcox (NZL). Wilcox pulled up to fourth at the fi nish, otherwise the order remained unchanged.

Race 8A moderate breeze had set in and the waves were quite pronounced, suffi cient for the French competitors to say “we do not get wind and waves like this on the Seine in Paris!” A line-shy fl eet had a clean start at the fi rst attempt, the majority choosing the port side of the course. At the windward mark, the leaders had again broken free of the chasing pack, building a substantial lead on the many participating club sailors whose legs were beginning to tire in these demanding conditions.

At the end of the triangle, Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) was in the lead again, though Karl Purdie (NZL) had taken back some of the lead he had at the wind-ward mark. Andre Blasse (AUS) was again third, with Nick Craig (GBR) in fourth in front of Greg Wil-cox (NZL). Jørgen Lindhardtsen (DEN) had moved up to fourth place by the time the fl eet rounded the leeward mark again. Once again there were no place changes in the top four on the fi nal beat.

With these 2 wins today, there was a change in the leader board, with Thom-as Hansson-Mild (SWE) now lying fi rst overall.

Preliminary overall positions1st Thomas Hansson-Mild SWE2nd Karl Purdie N Z L 3rd Jørgen Lindhardtsen DEN4th Andre Blasse AUS5th Greg Wilcox N Z L6th Nick Craig GBR 7th Terry Curtis GBR8th Pawel Pawlaczyk POL9th Martin Zimmermann GER10th Antoni Pawlowski POL

The future of the OK Dinghy is in the hands of the youth sailors. Andre Blasse, the new President of the OK Din-ghy International Association, is a fi rm believer in the development of a rig which is suitable for the sailor who weighs less than the 80+kg. His country, Austra-lia, is actively developing a Junior rig, comprising a reduced sail area, whose confi guration does not alter the dynamics of the boat or its handling skills. Progress is such that he feels he will be in a position to present fi nal measurements for approval at the next AGM in February 2010. The Junior fl eet is already expanding as siblings and friends join in OK Dinghy sailing, prefer-ring the individualism that can be injected into an OK Dinghy rather than the Laser style of sailing.

My fi rst World ChampionshipRichard Burton, at 18 years old, is experiencing his fi rst World Championship, competing for the Junior trophy. “I have been dreaming about going to the Worlds for so long, it was nearly an anticlimax when I started sail-

ing” he said. “I sail on a reservoir near Oxford, so I need-ed to learn how to sail in waves; Terry Curtis took me training at Weymouth so I could get in some practice”. “Since I have been here, I feel my boat tuning and my boat handling have improved, the next step is to im-prove my equipment – a carbon mast would be nice”.

I feel I am coping well racing in this big fl eet, I look where the leaders are starting and try to fi nd a place near them, it has worked on most occasions. I was 20th round the windward mark today, so I have got faster and faster upwind, but there are still a lot of boats in front of me when I fi nish”. “At the beginning I was very inconsistent, but now I am fi nishing in around 40th place, which means I am 46th overall at the moment”. “It is an amazing experience to go and talk to cur-rent and ex-world champions as they are all so helpful at offering tips on how I can improve my speed”. “I would love to go to new Zealand in 2010, but I may have to wait till 2011 for my next World Championship experience which will be in Largs, Scotland in 2011”.

Hall of FameTwo more names were added to the OK Dinghy Hall of Fame last night at the BBQ supper. Hans Elk-jaer, the President of the Swedish national associa-tion, hosted the event at which Swedish sailor Bo-Staffan Andersson received his trophy in recognition of being the most successful OK Dinghy sailor ever - he won four World Championship titles in the late 80s and early 90s, as well as one European title and three Swedish titles.

In addition Basil Crosby was awarded a posthumous

Race 9 - Karl Purdie New Zealand close fought to the endPhoto: Lara Blasse


position in the Hall of Fame for his work for the class. Crosby’s role in the establishment and ultimate suc-cess of the OK Dinghy as an international class can-not be overstated. He was one of the founders of OKDIA in 1962 and was also secretary of the Brit-ish OK Dinghy Class Association at the same time.Crosby took on the role of British secretary when the job became too large for Richard Creagh-Osborne, who up to that point had done almost everything in the UK. Crosby was also later elected as the fi rst secre-tary of the newly formed OK Dinghy International As-sociation and he held this post until his untimely death in an air crash 11 years later in November 1973. Sad-ly, he died before all his work to secure international status had been realised. The class didn’t fi nally re-ceive international status until 1975.Without the enthusiasm and dedi-cation of Basil Crosby the OK Dinghy would not be the success story it be-came. His selfl ess contribution to the OK story is unquantifi able.

Thursday 30th July 2009 - Race 9The day started with two sailors, cur-rent World Champion Karl Purdie (NZL) and Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE), on 13 points, each in a posi-tion to win the World Champion-ship. With a fresh breeze forecast, there was much speculation on who would win today’s races and with them the Championship. Hans-son-Mild was looking the favourite, having won 4 races to Puride’s 3.

With the wind holding steady at 8 m/s, with gusts of 10m/s, some sailors had decided to call it a day, choos-ing to pack up their boats instead. With so much resting on these two races, the fi fty nine competitors jumped the gun on the fi rst start and a general recall was called. The black fl ag immediately instilled discipline for the second start at which there were no premature starters. An 18 minute beat to the windward mark saw some bang both corners but the majority sailed the middle course.

One of the leading pack capsized on the fi rst reach, costing him valu-able points, but the rest were soon gibing at the leeward mark, to sail the port side of the course. In the lead was Jørgen Lindhardtsen (DEN), closely followed by Oliver Gronholz (GER) and Hannsson-Mild, with Purdie on his transom. Lindhardt-sen had increased his lead up the next beat and held it on the run to the leeward gate. Hansson-Mild had climbed to second place, with Purdie and Andre Blasse (AUS) a short distance behind. They all con-tinued on starboard tack for much of the beat to the fi nish, short tacking as the line approached. Lind-hardtsen was fi rst to fi nish, closely followed by Hans-

son-Mild, but Blasse forced Purdie into fourth place.

Race 10With Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) on 15 points and Karl Purdie (NZL) on 17 points, the Cham-pionship was very much in the balance. Once again the fi rst start resulted in a general recall, but the second start was quickly underway under the black fl ag, again with no premature starters.

With the wind still oscillating between 8 and 10 m/s and the waves becoming quite pronounced, the lead-ers chose the committee boat end to start. It is fair to say they were line-shy, but with so much counting on the last race for many of the top ten places, no-

one was taking any chances. Andre Blasse (AUS) was fi rst to the windward mark, holding his lead on the two reaches, with Martin Zimmermann (GER), Pawel Paw-laczyk (POL) and Gunter Arndt (GER) close behind.

Again Karl Purdie (NZL) and Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) were inseparable in 5th and 6th places. Again

Race 10 - Finally the overall victory for Thomas Hannson-MildPhoto: Lara Blasse


the port side of the course was favourite, with Blasse still leading the race. Blasse again led the fl eet at the leeward mark, with Arndt 2nd, Purdie 3rd and Hansson-Mild 4th. A nail-biting fi nal beat ensued with Blasse, the new Presi-dent of the OK Dinghy International Assoc iat ion ,

taking his fi rst gun of the series. Purdie was second and Hansson-Mild 3rd.With a complete series of ten races completed, all that remained was the assembly of the over-

all results. Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) became the new World Champion, beating the current World Champion Karl Purdie (NZL) by just 1 point. Hans-son-Mild has competed in fourteen World Cham-pionships and this is his 7th appearance in the top ten. His highest position to date was 3rd in 2001.

Final overall positions1st Thomas Hansson-Mild SWE2nd Karl Purdie N Z L3rd Jørgen Lindhardtsen DEN4th Andre Blasse AUS5th Greg Wilcox N Z L6th Nick Craig GBR 7th Terry Curtis GBR8th Pawel Pawlaczyk POL9th Martin Zimmermann GER10th Gunter Arndt GER

1st Veteran: Karl Purdie N Z L1st Junior: Bartosz Rakocy POL1st in host country: Thomas Hansson-Mild SWE

Event website: www.kalmarraceweek.se Class website: www.okdia.org

22 AUAUTUTUMNMN 2010 kkddi hh kk

The ever successful Bo-Staffan AnderssonPhoto: Lara Blasse


ming, and correct fi tting of mine to the boat. Before I knew it, he was sorting out my mast bend charac-teristics too, in preparation for ordering a new sail. Job done! Such a privilege to have Alan alongside.

But, there is a downside - I do have to rig his boat every Sunday and help him launch. Then frustratingly, he jumps in and sails off, only to beat me in the race. After wait-ing for me to fi nish, Alan then climbs out, (He somehow always manages that alright!) and leaves things to me.

It’s my task to get wet while recovering his boat and then chill-off while putting it away. Meanwhile he is comfortably sitting down enjoying a cup of tea from his beloved West Bromwich Albion mug! Then - can it get worse? - I have to help the old guy in the changing rooms! But let’s be clear about this, I do draw a line at removing his wetsuit! (Don’t you get paid to be someone’s carer these days?)

However, the bottom line is that it’s a huge honour that this class has someone of such advanced years so skilfully sailing our favourite and demanding boat.

Hopefully Alan, you will still be sailing OKs in another 20 years.

A Very Happy Birthday from us all.

Ed: Article (and all admissions) solely by the Author!

AN OK MILESTONEDeryck Lovegrove on a giant step for one man

This year, our congratulations must go to Alan Atkin, who at 70, sails his OK at the highest competitive level and continues to show all us young ones the way round. Well done! On the last morning race of the winter series at Burghfi eld, in winds gusting 25 knots, Alan had already opened up a 200m lead on me, in just 5 minutes. Wow!

To be only half as accomplished as Alan when I reach the big 7-0h, will be a miracle! So it is unlikely that any of us would stand a chance against him at Medemblik this April, or at the same venue in July for the Europe-an Champs, if rumours about his attendance prove to be true. Come to that, I wouldn’t rule out seeing Alan at the Worlds next year at Largs – his transom that is!Although I have been sailing our great class for over 20 years, Alan has been doing so for many, many years

longer. In that time he has visited practically every club in the country that holds an OK Open. This great competitor has also travelled the globe, entering many world events, including Australia, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden and Germany, to name but a few.

Surprisingly, only at the tender age of 67, did Alan eventually order his fi rst ever brand new OK. We both collected our boats some 3 weeks before his 68th Birthday. After awaiting the arrival of new masts, Alan was there to help with the checking, trim-

Alan awaiting the start at Dabchicks Nationals 2009 - Day 3Photo: Amanda Whitehead

TtoactmBAle

www.okdinghy.co.uk

Photography: Neil Goodhead

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