Mark Jackson claims sixth title at Henning Harders OK Dinghy Nationals

by Di Pearson on 13 Jan 2017 Following five days and nine races, Victoria’s Mark Jackson has won the 2017 Henning Harders OK Dinghy National Championship in style at Drummoyne Sailing Club this afternoon.

Representing Black Rock Yacht Club, Jackson first won the Championship in 2003 and then won 10 years later from 2013 to 2016. He found the upper Sydney Harbour courses testing on the opening day, but soon came to grips with the narrow channel of water sprinkled with islands that make sailing tactically challenging.

The best conditions were saved for last, when a beautiful nor’ easter set the scene. Averaging 15-20 knots, winds reach 25 at times on the last run. It took its toll on some, including DSC Commodore, Grant Wakefield, whose boom vang broke.

Jackson won Race eight by nearly one minute from Edward O’Donnell (Wangi Wangi SC), with Mark Skelton (WWSC) third, while Skelton took the final race nine from Jackson. Skelton’s win meant second place overall on countback to DSC member, Peter Horne, the reigning NSW champion, who also finished on 34 points, 13 points behind Jackson.

“I never expected to win – there was no expectation. I haven’t sailed here since 1991 and it’s not an easy venue to come to grips with. Sailing a Finn recently helped a lot. There are no bad sailors out there, they’re all experienced,' Jackson said.

“A good day out – lots of breeze – very, very nice sailing,” he added with a mile-wide smile.

Ben Downey from Southport YC in Queensland rounded the top mark the first time in front of Jackson, but as usual, Jackson got the motor going: “I held pressure and planed all the way down the first reach and cleared out by 300 metres. From there, I picked up the shifts and kept moving,” Jackson said.

The north-easterly had pressured up by race nine and although Jackson led the fleet once more, Skelton passed him on the second work: “The shifts helped me,” said Skelton of his superior upwind speed. “It was great passing Mark, but hard to stay in front, it’s no walk in the park.”

Jackson interjects to remind Skelton: “You were ninth and I was 10th at the 2015 OK Worlds in Melbourne, then I was 14th and you were 15th at the Worlds in France last year. Funny…”

Skelton must have been under pressure in the final, race, as he came from fourth place to pip Horne to second overall. But no, he insisted, “I just take each race as it comes – it’s the line of breeze you do or don’t sail into. I didn’t even realise I ended up second,” he said.

He has only been sailing in the class since 2009, while the likes of Jackson, Roger and Andre Blasse and others seem to have been in it since can’t remember when.

With Horne taking third place after scoring seven - five results today, Adelaide SC’s Brent Williams slipped in front of DSC sailor, Tim Davies, after dropping his 11th place from race eight. Davies, who led the regatta for a time, finished fifth overall after fifth and 13th in race nine, courtesy of a capsize (he wasn’t alone in coming unstuck) results this afternoon.

Unfortunately, Andre Blasse, the 2009 national champion, fell out of contention for a minor placing when a family illness took him home to Victoria suddenly today.

Edward O’Donnell from WWSC has won the handicap event, a special trophy with a lot of history attached.

“Thanks go to Principal Race Officer, Rob Lowndes, and the on water and off water race management team who worked hard to make the event the success it was. And to Drummoyne Sailing Club, host to the event and the prize giving,” Grant Wakefield said.

“Thanks to our naming rights sponsor, international freight forwarder Henning Harders, and to StoneFish Wines who supported the event with some of their fine product.”

Racing at the Henning Harders OK Dinghy Nationals, in which 36 competitors took part, comes to a conclusion with the prize giving tonight.

Final top five after nine races and one drop:

1. Mark Jackson (Vic) – 21 points
2. Mark Skelton (NSW) - 34
3. Peter Horne (NSW) – 34
4. Brent Williams (SA) – 39
5. Tim Davies (NSW) – 42

For more information visit website.

Overall Scratch

Plc	Sail No	Boat Name (Boat Type)	Skipper/Crew	From	Race 1 9-Jan	Race 2 9-Jan	Race 3 10-Jan	Race 4 10-Jan	Race 5 11-Jan	Race 6 12-Jan	Race 7 12-Jan	Race 8 13-Jan	Race 9 13-Jan	Drop	Total
1	AUS 768	Invictus OK Dinghy	Mark Jackson	BRYC VIC	4	12	1	8	1	3	1	1	2	12	21
2	AUS 753	JAB OK Dinghy	Mark Skelton	WWSC NSW	2	5	8	2	7	17	6	3	1	17	34
3	AUS 762	Another Crack OK Dinghy	Peter Horne	DSC NSW	1	2	BFD (37.00)	6	3	5	5	7	5	37	34
4	AUS 754	Gunboat Diplomat OK Dinghy	Brent Williams	ASC SA	11	6	7	5	2	2	3	11	3	11	39
5	AUS 739	Don't Poke the Bear OK Dinghy	Tim Davies	WWSC NSW	6	1	3	1	9	23	4	5	13	23	42
6	AUS 708	Green Eggs and Ham OK Dinghy	Kelvin Holdt	SYC QLD	8	8	6	4	4	12	8	8	8	12	54
7	AUS 733	The Plot Against Common Sense OK Dinghy	Folkert Janssen	BRYC VIC	5	9	5	13	24	16	2	9	4	24	63
8	AUS 750	Broken Arrow OK Dinghy	Peter Robinson	DSC NSW	10	3	4	16	16	9	20	4	11	20	73
9	AUS 729	Ironhide OK Dinghy	Andre Blasse	BRYC VIC	3	4	2	12	13	1	7	DNC (37.00)	DNC (37.00)	37	79
10	AUS 734	Cracked Pecker OK Dinghy	Edward O'Donnell	WWSC NSW	13	18.5	16	28	6	4	14	2	10	28	83.5
11	AUS 732	Squid Grip OK Dinghy	Benjamin Downey	SYC QLD	9	17	10	18	10	6	9	6	DNF (37.00)	37	85
12	AUS 704	Occasional Kudos OK Dinghy	Robert Chapman	DSC NSW	14	10	21	15	17	7	13	10	7	21	93
13	AUS 757	Total Recall OK Dinghy	Mark Rutherford	DSC NSW	7	14	14	9	12	10	19	15	12	19	93
14	AUS 725	Joan's Respite OK Dinghy	David Ketteridge	ASC SA	21	13	11	7	14	20	17	13	14.5	21	109.5
15	AUS 759	Sense & Cents OK Dinghy	Elizabeth Williams	SSC QLD	12	24	9	3	23	15	12	22	DNF (37.00)	37	120
16	AUS 746	Penguin Goes Woosh OK Dinghy	Peter Wallace	MHASC NSW	15	18.5	20	22	15	14	11	20	9	22	122.5
17	AUS 741	Turkish Delight OK Dinghy	Steve Wilson	BRYC VIC	17	15	BFD (37.00)	25	22	13	15	14	6	37	127
18	AUS 766	JoJoFrog OK Dinghy	Bob Buchanan	HYC TAS	18	7	13	10	26	24	10	26	21	26	129
19	AUS 767	Pleasure & Pain OK Dinghy	Glenn Yates	WWSC NSW	19	25	12	14	18	19	22	16	16	25	136
20	AUS 736	Space Monkey OK Dinghy	Grant Wakefield	DSC NSW	22	16	17	21	20	11	18	17	DNF (37.00)	37	142
21	AUS 786	Captain Crackers OK Dinghy	James Pagett	DSC NSW	26	29	15	11	8	26	21	23	23	29	153
22	AUS 726	Bundy OK Dinghy	Peter Lynch	WWSC NSW	16	23	22	19.5	11	DNF (37.00)	DNC (37.00)	12	14.5	37	155
23	AUS 742	Schmacko OK Dinghy	Gareth Wells	WWSC NSW	24	11	27	29	5	8	16	DNC (37.00)	DNC (37.00)	37	157
24	AUS 75	Pale Rider OK Dinghy	Andrew Stephenson	DSC NSW	31	26	19	17	21	22	25	18	17.5	31	165.5
25	AUS 688	Shakey OK Dinghy	David Haseldine	DSC NSW	23	28	25	23	19	21	23	21	17.5	28	172.5
26	AUS 680	Ajax OK Dinghy	Phil Barnett	SFS NSW	29	21	18	19.5	25	27	24	30	20	30	183.5
27	AUS 761	Captain Pugwash OK Dinghy	Mark Fisher	BRYC VIC	30	20	23	30	27	25	29	25	19	30	198
28	NZL 522	The Fox OK Dinghy	Rob Way	DSC NSW	20	30	28	27	RAF (37.00)	18	26	DNF (37.00)	26	37	212
29	AUS 740	Blues in Sea OK Dinghy	Richard Furneaux	BRYC VIC	28	22	24	24	DNF (37.00)	30	28	19	DNF (37.00)	37	212
30	AUS 655	The Phantom OK Dinghy	Michael Walker	DSC NSW	25	33	26	31	30	31	DNF (37.00)	27	24	37	227
31	AUS 738	Famous Blue Raincoat OK Dinghy	Kevin Knott	ASC SA	27	27	DNC (37.00)	DNC (37.00)	32	28	27	28	22	37	228
32	AUS 695	The Wife OK Dinghy	David Vincent	SYC QLD	32	32	30	26	28	32	32	24	DNF (37.00)	37	236
33	AUS 716	Joker OK Dinghy	David Swales	DSC NSW	35	31	29	34	OCS (37.00)	29	30	31	25	37	244
34	AUS 706	Smoke on the Water OK Dinghy	Erik Thompson	SSC QLD	33	34	33	33	29	33	31	29	27	34	248
35	AUS 679	The Rose OK Dinghy	Bruce Schofield	WWSC NSW	36	36	32	35	31	35	33	33	28	36	263
36	AUS 667	Rip Snorter OK Dinghy	James Ley	WSC NSW	34	35	31	32	33	34	34	32	DNF (37.00)	37	265

Overall Handicap

Plc	Sail No	Boat Name (Boat Type)	Skipper/Crew	From	Race 1 9-Jan	Race 2 9-Jan	Race 3 10-Jan	Race 4 10-Jan	Race 5 11-Jan	Race 6 12-Jan	Race 7 12-Jan	Race 8 13-Jan	Race 9 13-Jan	Drop	Total
1	AUS 768	Invictus OK Dinghy	Mark Jackson	BRYC	16	36	1	20	1	22	2	2	3	36	67
2	AUS 734	Cracked Pecker OK Dinghy	Edward O'Donnell	WWSC	6	29	16	32	4	2	21	1	8	32	87
3	AUS 704	Occasional Kudos OK Dinghy	Robert Chapman	DSC	12	8	32	16	22	3	15	7	7	32	90
4	AUS 754	Gunboat Diplomat OK Dinghy	Brent Williams	ASC	29	6	17	14	3	14	13	26	2	29	95
5	AUS 741	Turkish Delight OK Dinghy	Steve Wilson	BRYC	13	19	BFD (37.00)	24	20	9	6	11	4	37	106
6	AUS 732	Squid Grip OK Dinghy	Benjamin Downey	SYC	9	34	7	22	11	5	18	4	DNF (37.00)	37	110
7	AUS 753	JAB OK Dinghy	Mark Skelton	WWSC	19	7	28	10	18	34	23	6	1	34	112
8	AUS 688	Shakey OK Dinghy	David Haseldine	DSC	4	23	26	11	12	13	10	23	17	26	113
9	AUS 708	Green Eggs and Ham OK Dinghy	Kelvin Holdt	SYC	21	21	14	9	6	32	25	8	12	32	116
10	AUS 706	Smoke on the Water OK Dinghy	Erik Thompson	SSC	7	15	31	29	10	10	3	16	27	31	117
11	AUS 733	The Plot Against Common Sense OK Dinghy	Folkert Janssen	BRYC	14	27	13	25	33	28	1	5	5	33	118
12	AUS 75	Pale Rider OK Dinghy	Andrew Stephenson	DSC	35	16	6	5	14	20	26	15	18	35	120
13	AUS 746	Penguin Goes Woosh OK Dinghy	Peter Wallace	MHASC	8	25	25	21	15	19	5	24	6	25	123
14	AUS 736	Space Monkey OK Dinghy	Grant Wakefield	DSC	22	20	10	17	19	8	9	21	DNF (37.00)	37	126
15	AUS 757	Total Recall OK Dinghy	Mark Rutherford	DSC	2	31	21	7	16	17	31	25	11	31	130
16	AUS 725	Joan's Respite OK Dinghy	David Ketteridge	ASC	27	22	5	4	25	27	20	17	13	27	133
17	AUS 742	Schmacko OK Dinghy	Gareth Wells	WWSC	20	2	33	27	2	1	12	DNC (37.00)	DNC (37.00)	37	134
18	AUS 695	The Wife OK Dinghy	David Vincent	SYC	11	12	29	3	13	23	30	14	DNF (37.00)	37	135
19	AUS 679	The Rose OK Dinghy	Bruce Schofield	WWSC	17	24	15	28	7	12	4	33	28	33	135
20	AUS 726	Bundy OK Dinghy	Peter Lynch	WWSC	5	26	24	15	8	DNF (37.00)	DNC (37.00)	10	10	37	135
21	AUS 680	Ajax OK Dinghy	Phil Barnett	SFS	30	13	8	6	21	25	14	30	20	30	137
22	AUS 786	Captain Crackers OK Dinghy	James Pagett	DSC	24	32	2	2	5	31	22	27	25	32	138
23	AUS 767	Pleasure & Pain OK Dinghy	Glenn Yates	WWSC	23	33	3	8	24	24	27	18	16	33	143
24	AUS 761	Captain Pugwash OK Dinghy	Mark Fisher	BRYC	32	11	11	35	17	18	24	20	15	35	148
25	AUS 759	Sense & Cents OK Dinghy	Elizabeth Williams	SSC	10	35	4	1	30	26	16	28	DNF (37.00)	37	150
26	AUS 762	Another Crack OK Dinghy	Peter Horne	DSC	31	3	BFD (37.00)	26	9	30	32	12	9	37	152
27	AUS 750	Broken Arrow OK Dinghy	Peter Robinson	DSC	33	5	18	30	29	21	34	3	14	34	153
28	AUS 716	Joker OK Dinghy	David Swales	DSC	34	10	9	33	OCS (37.00)	6	11	31	21	37	155
29	AUS 738	Famous Blue Raincoat OK Dinghy	Kevin Knott	ASC	15	17	DNC (37.00)	DNC (37.00)	31	7	8	22	19	37	156
30	AUS 766	JoJoFrog OK Dinghy	Bob Buchanan	HYC	28	4	23	12	32	33	7	29	24	33	159
31	AUS 739	Don't Poke the Bear OK Dinghy	Tim Davies	WWSC	36	1	30	19	27	35	17	9	22	36	160
32	AUS 655	The Phantom OK Dinghy	Michael Walker	DSC	3	30	19	34	23	15	DNF (37.00)	19	23	37	166
33	AUS 667	Rip Snorter OK Dinghy	James Ley	WSC	18	18	20	23	26	16	19	32	DNF (37.00)	37	172
34	NZL 522	The Fox OK Dinghy	Rob Way	DSC	1	28	27	18	RAF (37.00)	11	28	DNF (37.00)	26	37	176
35	AUS 729	Ironhide OK Dinghy	Andre Blasse	BRYC	26	14	12	31	28	4	29	DNC (37.00)	DNC (37.00)	37	181
36	AUS 740	Blues in Sea OK Dinghy	Richard Furneaux	BRYC	25	9	22	13	DNF (37.00)	29	33	13	DNF (37.00)	37	181