Clive Roberts Trust announces further OK grants
by Clive Roberts Trust on 9 May 2008
Clive Roberts 1973 World OK Dinghy Champion with his trophies at Falmouth, UK. His win had a huge impact on New Zealand sailing. DB Yachting
The Clive Roberts Trust has announced grants totalling $5000.00 to Morgan Staley from Black Rock Yacht Club, Vic. and David O’Donnell from Wangi Sailing Club, NSW to assist them to attend and compete in the 2008 International OK Dinghy World Championships being held at Warnemunde, Germany in July this year.
The late Clive Roberts, from New Zealand, won Australasia’s first World OK Championship in England in 1973. Clive was five times Australia/New Zealand OK Interdominion champion between 1967 and 1974 and New Zealand national OK champion on ten occasions.
He was also the inspiration and driving force for the foundation of the Rothmans Youth Training Program in New Zealand as well as being heavily involved in a number of other junior sail training initiatives. Sadly, Clive’s life ended early as a result of a tragic motor accident when attending a youth training camp on the Coromandel Peninsula of New Zealand’s North Island.
Because Clive was so highly regarded by members of the Australian OK Association, a youth scholarship fund was established in Australia to commemorate his memory and to perpetuate his outstanding contribution to the OK Class and to the sport of sailing in general. Since the inception of this trust, scholarships have been awarded to twenty five Australian junior OK sailors to enable them to compete in International OK Dinghy championships.
At these events Carl Schmidt, James McAllister and David O’Donnell were able to win four World Junior OK Championships. Three other recipients, Mark Fisher, Peter Gale and Roger Blasse, went on to win open World OK Championships.
The major objective of the Trust is to financially assist junior (under 21) OK Dinghy sailors to develop their skills by attending international regattas.
Bill Bell, Secretary of the Trust, said that the Trustees are keen to encourage all young sailors in Australia to direct any questions about the International OK Dinghy and their junior development programme to their local OK Dinghy State Association.
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