Curtis is OK Winter Champion

by Mike Edwards on 24 Feb 2009 On Saturday the 21 February the re-scheduled International OK Dinghy Winter Championship took place at Oxford SC. It was Terry Curtis who walked away with the title of Winter Champion, with Nick Craig having to settle for second and Mike Edwards in third.

The snow had forced the planned event to be postponed two weeks ago. What a contrast, with glorious sunshine and warm temperatures all day.

Twenty four sailors managed to rearrange their diaries and make it to Farmoor reservoir, to be warmly greeted by club members and bacon rolls. The wind was not up to much when people started to arrive, but by the first start there was enough for everyone to sit on the side deck.

Race 1 – Got underway first time with Tony Woods, Mike Edwards and Nick Craig popping out ahead of the rest. However, the first beat proved extremely shifty and it was young Richard Burton who led at the windward mark, closely followed by Woods, Chris Murray, Nick Craig, Jon Fish, Neil Goodhead and Terry Curtis.

This group managed to pull away from the rest and places changed a lot in the shifty conditions. Eventually Craig hit the front, but had to fight hard to stay there and at the finish Craig took the bullet just from Woods relishing the light wind in second. Goodhead pulled through for third from Fish and Burton.

Race 2 – After being fully catered for by the galley staff and with a little more wind, everyone seemed very keen to begin race 2, with a general the inevitable outcome. The black flag went up and claimed one casualty in newcomer to the fleet Simon Davis. At the port end Fish, Keith Dutton and Edwards made perfect starts. Craig managed to fall out of his boat at the top of the beat which allowed Dutton to reach the windward mark first followed by Curtis and Dan Ager.

Again, the racing was tight throughout the fleet and picking the shifts was all important. Rounding the final mark and Curtis had gained command which he held to the finish from Ager and the recovering Craig. Dutton came in fourth and Alex Scoles finding some form in fifth place.

Race 3 – So, as they lined up for the final race the title was still up for grabs. The wind had increased a little more and it was Curtis who rounded first from Edwards, Dutton and Craig. Craig then moved ahead of Dutton downwind. The front three pulled out a little gap and on the run Edwards took the lead.

The front three swapped places up the tricky beat and as they started the last leg to the finish Curtis had a slim advantage over the other two. Approaching the finish and Curtis and Edwards were neck and neck, with Curtis just taking the gun from Edwards and Craig third. Dutton held a comfortable fourth from Goodhead who had pulled through after being down the pan initially.

So, it was Terry Curtis who walked away with the title of Winter Champion, with Nick Craig having to settle for second and Mike Edwards in third.

Thanks must go to the team at Oxford for rescheduling the event so quickly and for their organization and hospitality.