Karl Purdie of New Zealand wins OK Worlds

by Robert Deaves on 13 Jul 2008
On the final day of the Bombardier OK Dinghy World Championship in Warnemünde, Germany, only one race was possible because of violent storms crossing the course area. Though regatta leader Karl Purdie (NZL) performed badly under pressure, placing 16th, it was enough to take the title by just four points.

Race nine started with the usual general recall and then under black flag. Race winner Thomas Hansson-Mild of Sweden takes up the story. 'Before the start I noticed a pressure line coming down the course with a right shift in the wind. So I went to the committee boat end and started there are headed out to the right, working the shifts on that side.'

It paid off and he rounded the top mark just behind Alistair Deaves (NZL) and Jonathan Fish (GBR). However true to form, Fish crash tacked to avoid Marek Jarocki (POL) and fell out the back of his boat.

Hansson-Mild continued, 'It was a tight race from there on with Nick Craig (GBR), Karsten Hitz (GER) and Andre Blasse (AUS) fighting for the lead. Karsten led round one side of the downwind gate, and I went to the other mark and took the lead. The finish was very tight. We all crossed very close. It was very exciting. It feels really good to win the race. My goal here was a top ten and I have achieved that, but it's a shame not to have been able to sail the final race as I would have had a chance of a medal then.'

With Craig fourth and Purdie 16th in race nine, the potential was there for a final race showdown, with any of five boats still in with a chance of taking the title.

However it was not to be, Soon after race nine finished, the skies started to darken and the wind increased. With reports coming through of Force 8 winds further up the coast, the race officer decided to abandon racing for the day and the send the fleet home. By the time the storm had passed so had the time limit for starting a race.

This left Karl Purdie as the 2008 OK Dinghy World Champion, with the three times and defending champion Nick Craig in second, and Andre Blasse picking up his first ever medal at a world championship.

For Purdie, winning the title is a dream come true. This year was his third attempt. In 2006 in Belmont, Australia he finished fifth. In Leba, Poland last year he finished third, so having specifically requested sail number NZL 531 for his new Icebreaker boat, it is very fitting that he should finish first this year.

Craig says he will be back next year to try again. He was realistic about his chances today, but clearly would have liked to sail the last race, having reduced the points gap on Purdie to within striking range.

OK Worlds - Final overall positions

1 NZL 531 Karl Purdie 66 WBBC 1,0 1,0 2,0 2,0 3,0 2,0 (16,0) 7,0 16,0 34,0 140,00pts
2 GBR 2116 Nick Craig 74 7,0 3,0 3,0 1,0 11,0 8,0 1,0 (22,0)z 4,0 38,0 138,43
3 AUS 729 Andre Blasse 64 BRYC 2,0 9,0 4,0 3,0 2,0 (46,0) 7,0 11,0 2,0 40,0 136,85
4 GER 744 Karsten Hitz 61 9,0 2,0 5,0 5,0 6,0 7,0 (12,0) 5,0 3,0 42,0 135,28
5 SWE 100 Thomas Hansson-Mild 71 UMSS 8,0 6,0 9,0 7,0 (13,5) 3,0 9,0 2,0 1,0 45,0 133,71
6 NZL 527 Mark Perrow 78 WBC 5,0 5,0 6,0 8,0 20,0 5,0 10,0 (23,0) 5,0 64,0 132,13
7 DEN 1364 Jørgen Lindhardtsen 45 3,0 11,0 8,0 17,0 5,0 11,0 15,0 (47,0)z 6,0 76,0 130,56
8 GBR 2118 Terry Curtis 67 17,0 8,0 (19,0) 14,0 19,0 13,0 3,0 8,0 8,0 90,0 128,99
9 DEN 1340 Christian Olesen 82 KSC 14,0 7,0 12,0 25,0 16,0 4,0 8,0 (30,0)z 19,0 105,0 127,42
10 NZL 522 Greg Wilcox 60 BSC HA005 6,0 12,0 (27,0) 20,0 10,0 10,0 4,0 19,0 z 26,0 107,0 125,84
11 NZL 517 Matthew Steven 89 4,0 20,0 11,0 6,0 13,5 1,0 32,0 z (39,0)s 24,0 111,5 124,27
12 POL 14 Pawel Pawlaczyk 64 JKWP POL 16,0 4,0 11,0 w 13,0 43,0 15,0 2,0 (46,0)s 18,0 122,0 122,70
13 NZL 525 Steve McDowell 81 WBBC 13,0 18,5 1,0 4,0 18,0 25,0 23,0 z 24,0 z (31,0) 126,5 121,12
14 GER 693 Martin von Zimmermann 67 (33,0) 21,0 17,0 10,0 17,0 9,0 25,0 16,0 13,0 128,0 119,55
15 GER 672 Gunter Arndt 67 FYC SH003 12,0 14,0 21,0 9,0 15,0 18,0 21,0 18,0 (49,0) 128,0 117,98
16 NZL 511 Luke O`Connell 86 21,0 17,0 20,0 22,0 4,0 30,0 20,0 9,0 (32,0) 143,0 116,40
17 NZL 532 Alistair Deaves 67 WBC 22,0 13,0 24,0 38,0 1,0 6,0 (47,0)s 33,0 z 7,0 144,0 114,83
18 GER 718 Peter Scheuerl 67 23,0 28,0 22,0 15,0 7,0 (32,0) 19,0 25,0 12,0 151,0 113,26
19 GBR 2119 Robert Deaves 67 38,0 10,0 23,0 16,0 (53,5) 23,0 13,0 22,0 11,0 156,0 111,69
20 GER 717 Oliver Gronholz 77 SSC SH055 18,0 35,0 14,0 12,0 22,5 14,0 18,0 27,0 (38,0) 160,5 110,11
21 GER 731 Thomas Glas 73 SSC SH055 30,0 32,5 16,0 29,0 33,5 20,0 (44,0)z 17,0 9,5 187,5 108,54
22 SWE 99 Hans Elkjaer 59 39,0 (44,0) 25,0 18,0 9,0 21,5 29,5 34,0 17,0 193,0 106,97
23 DEN 1304 Christian Midtgaard 67 19,0 27,0 7,0 21,0 46,0 16,0 22,0 45,0 (48,0) 203,0 105,39
24 GBR 2122 Jonathan Fish 81 26,0 32,5 15,0 26,0 (58,0) 17,0 17,0 24,0 46,0 203,5 103,82
25 DEN 1346 Anders Andersen 65 25,0 34,0 28,0 19,0 40,5 12,0 35,0 13,0 (42,0) 206,5 102,25
26 DEN 1371 Jørgen Holm 53 KBL DEN 28,0 25,0 (49,0) 47,0 21,0 24,0 27,0 14,0 25,0 211,0 100,67
27 POL 16 Marek Jarocki 70 15,0 22,0 26,0 11,0 31,0 (DSQ) 6,0 BFD 9,5 211,5 99,10
28 AUS 733 David Clancy 78 BRYC 24,0 18,5 13,0 23,0 39,0 33,0 49,0 (52,0) 27,0 226,5 97,53
29 NZL 502 Trent Pryce 76 11,0 31,0 (DNF) 27,0 26,0 59,0 24,0 21,0 29,0 228,0 95,96
30 SWE 66 Jan-Eric Nystedt 53 29,0 (40,0) 36,0 31,0 32,0 35,0 23,0 31,0 21,0 238,0 94,38
31 GER 750 Ralf Tietje 60 SVG N045 20,0 47,0 39,0 28,0 30,0 36,0 28,0 (67,0)z 15,0 243,0 92,81
32 GBR 2117 Alex Scoles 81 OSSC GBR 44,0 58,0 10,0 33,0 8,0 (78,0) 46,0 35,0 14,0 248,0 91,24
33 GBR 2126 Mike Edwards 68 37,0 (46,0) 33,0 36,0 36,0 29,0 29,5 30,0 28,0 258,5 89,66
34 SWE 2763 Jan-Eric Engholm 65 40,0 36,0 29,0 (51,0) 25,0 45,0 36,0 20,0 35,0 266,0 88,09
35 DEN 1361 Rene Johansen 73 (64,0) 15,0 47,0 34,0 12,0 26,0 33,0 48,0 53,0 268,0 86,52
36 GER 747 Andreas Pich 66 49,0 38,0 52,5 (DNC) 37,0 27,0 34,0 19,0 23,0 279,5 84,94
37 GBR 2120 Daniel Ager 71 67,0 45,0 18,0 24,0 (71,0) 40,0 37,0 33,0 20,0 284,0 83,37
38 AUS 735 Robert Davis 72 35,0 37,0 37,0 44,0 27,0 43,0 31,0 (51,0) 45,0 299,0 81,80
39 DEN 1324 Bo Teglers 75 HS DEN 32,0 29,0 31,0 32,0 29,0 44,0 (OCS) 81,0 22,0 300,0 80,22
40 GBR 2127 Keith Dutton 59 45,0 26,0 35,0 35,0 (74,0) 62,0 48,0 37,0 34,0 322,0 78,65
41 GBR 2085 Gavin Waldron 64 52,0 24,0 42,0 37,0 50,0 48,0 40,5 (76,0)z 39,0 332,5 77,08
42 GBR 2105 Ian Harris 64 27,0 59,5 34,0 46,0 42,0 34,0 53,0 (84,0)z 41,0 336,5 75,51
43 NZL 518 Grant Pedersen 79 WBC 56,0 41,0 32,0 40,5 44,0 57,0 38,0 32,0 (57,5) 340,5 73,93
44 GER 670 Hinnerk Ries 73 41,0 48,0 52,5 39,0 52,0 56,0 32,0 (62,0) 30,0 350,5 72,36
45 GER 665 Peter Stephan 66 (69,0) 42,0 44,0 30,0 28,0 52,5 64,0 60,0 37,0 357,5 70,79
46 POL 5 Darek Kras 67 MOS-2 42,0 50,0 48,0 43,0 59,0 31,0 58,0 (65,0)z 40,0 371,0 69,21
47 GER 539 Carsten Saß 69 54,0 56,0 40,0 48,0 35,0 (69,0) 56,0 42,0 54,0 385,0 67,64
48 AUS 726 Bur Buchanan 48 WASC 48,0 59,5 43,0 (DNF) 47,5 47,0 68,0 z 40,0 43,0 396,0 66,07
49 GER 745 Rainer Pospiech 53 YCBG B120 (65,0) 39,0 59,0 54,0 51,0 39,0 54,0 55,0 62,0 413,0 64,49
50 GBR 2084 Keith Byers 56 51,0 23,0 (DNC) DNC 56,0 49,0 63,0 50,0 36,0 419,0 62,92
51 AUS 724 Glenn Yates 57 WASC 61,0 51,0 56,0 42,0 33,5 68,0 43,0 (70,0) 69,0 423,5 61,35
52 AUS 695 David O`Connell 90 WASC 63,0 71,0 54,0 50,0 22,5 61,0 57,0 (77,0)z 47,0 425,5 59,78
53 DEN 1330 Lykke Troels 43,0 (DNC) 30,0 56,0 38,0 38,0 OCS 44,0 RAF 431,0 58,20
54 GER 645 Arne Lindemann 76 71,0 52,0 55,0 (DNC) 53,5 60,0 55,0 41,0 50,0 437,5 56,63
55 POL 19 Rakocy Bartosz 90 ZLKS 74,0 63,0 51,0 (DNF) 47,5 54,0 51,0 46,0 z 51,0 437,5 55,06
56 SWE 11 Bemgt Strömberg 54 46,0 30,0 (DNC) DNC 60,0 21,5 39,0 79,0 73,0 439,5 53,48
57 AUS 725 David Ketteridge 56 ASC 55,0 66,0 38,0 (DNC) 65,0 65,0 45,0 46,0 60,0 440,0 51,91
58 GBR 2125 Neild Goodhead 69 50,0 53,0 57,0 (DNC) 69,0 41,0 44,0 74,0 z 52,0 440,0 50,34
59 GER 694 Gunnar Specht 77 PSCW BG002 (DNC) 70,0 46,0 DNC