Britain leads OK Worlds

by Robert Deaves on 26 Jul 2005 The 2005 OK Dinghy World Championship opened in Skæskør in Denmark today with two testing races in a range of conditions and frequent use of the black flag.

Overnight leader, Nick Craig (GBR), described the day as ‘very, very tricky,’ with a strong current flowing up the course, causing a large number of general recalls, along with the many windshifts which caused postponements while the course was reset.

Yesterday’s practice race was sailed in all together different conditions. Only 17 boats finished the long course, with most of the leaders dropping out before the finish. The windy and rough conditions proved ideal for Ulf Brandt (DEN), who won from Greg Wilcox (NZL) and Roger Blasse (AUS).

With the imposing eastern section of the Storebælt Bridge dominating the horizon to the north, the race area was set in the Agerso Sund, between the island of Egholm and Skælskør Fjord.

Today, morning conditions were more sedate with a gentle 6 knots blowing and scattered showers which reduced visibility. The fleet had to wait for well over an hour before getting away for the first start, after a number of general recalls and several changes in wind direction.

When they finally got underway, winds had increased to a good Force 3-4. Five boats were black flagged, including Andre Blasse (AUS), who had scored a pair of them before the day was out.

The port biased start line proved very tricky, with Jon Fish (GBR), coming from the pin with speed, to lead round the top mark. The strong current favoured those on the left and Fish led from Nick Craig (GBR) and Steve McDowell (NZL).

Craig and McDowell moved passed Fish on the reaches, opened up a good lead and started a tacking duel on the next beat. McDowell was ahead at the final leeward mark, but Craig realed him in to take the first win of the week. The chasing pack was led by Roger Blasse (AUS) and Jonas Quist (SWE). Andre Blasse finished fifth, but was scored BFD.

The second race of the day was started in less wind, after a number of general recalls and changes in wind direction. Once more the black flag claimed its victims; Andre Blasse for the second time, but also Jonas Quist and two others.

The start line was again port biased, with a port tack biased beat.

Mogens Johansen used his light weather boatspeed to great effect to round the top mark first ahead of Nick Craig and Steve McDowell. There followed two very long offwind legs, against the current, resulting in large place-changes as sailors misjudged it and were swept off the layline.

On the second beat, the 2002 world champion, Greg Wilcox (NZL), who had moved up to third on the reaches, tacked off to the left first to find a 40 degree shift. He took his lead to the finish, followed by Johensen, Craig and Sonke Behrens (GER).

On the final beat, Behrens moved up to second, to be followed by Craig and Johansen. Pawel Pawlaczyk (POL) sailed a good race to finish fifth, while Roger Blasse got out of jail on the 40 degree shift to finish sixth.

After the long day at sea (competitors were on the water for some seven and a half hours for just two races), Wilcox commented, 'today was hard, and one thing is for sure, this is going to be a high scoring regatta,' adding, 'Danish hospitality is living up to expectations.'

Two more races are scheduled for Tuesday local time.

Results after 2 races (provisional)

1 Nick Craig GBR-2116 1 3 4pts

2 Roger Blasse AUS- 678 3 6 9pts

3 Mogens Jophansen DEN-1335 5 4 9pts

4 Greg Wilcox NZL-522 16 1 17pts

5 Pawel Pawlaczyk POL-14 12 5 17pts

6 Steve McDowell NZL-525 2 17 19pts

7 Ulf Brandt DEN-1302 8 12 20pts

8 Martin von Zimmermann GER-693 15 8 23pts

9 Frank Hansen DEN-1345 6 19 25pts

10 Jorgen Lindhardtsen DEN-1280 7 18 25pts