Nick Craig back on top of OK Dinghy World Rankings after 14 years
by Robert Deaves 12 Apr 2024 05:23 AEST
Nick Craig in Brisbane © Robert Deaves
Britain's Nick Craig is back on top of the OK Dinghy World Ranking List for the first time in 14 years, moving up four places.
In fact, it is all change at the top with Patric Mure, from Sweden, moving up two places to enter the top three for the first time ever while Britain's Andy Davis climbs from 11th to third.
The April 2024 World Ranking List includes the 2024 World Championship in Brisbane, plus other events from Australia, Spain, France, and New Zealand. It is also the largest ever Ranking List and now includes a record 797 sailors from 19 countries, an increase of more than 130 sailors from 2023.
Craig was last World No. 1 in December 2010, but since then has not done enough consecutive events to move back on top. But three top places at the last two worlds and Europeans - including his sixth world title in Brisbane - was enough. Davis was runner up in Brisbane and enters the top 10 for the first time.
This release also includes the 2023 Queensland States, won by Tim Davies from David Clark and Mark Jackson; the Midwinters in Palma, won by Ireland's Tim Goodbody from Craig and Germany's Simon Gorgels; the Australian Nationals in Brisbane won by David Clark from New Zealand's Steve McDowell and Roger Blasse, the BM Composites Cup in Palma won by Alejandro Muscat, from Poland's Michal Strumnik and Denmark's Jesper Hoejer; the 2024 Mediterranean Championship in Bandol, won by Timothe Petetin from Pierre Arringhi and Jean Louis Petetin; and finally the Turangi International, in New Zealand, won by Steve McDowell from Dave Ridley and Rod Davis.
Mure also moves into an elite group of just 10 sailors to have accumulated more than 1,000 points, while Craig's score of 1073 points is the highest of all time for any one Ranking List in the 19 years it has been running, overtaking the previous record of 1048 points held by Fredrik Lööf since April 2019.
The next release will be in August after the first round of National Championships across Europe and the European season opener, the Spring Cup at Medemblik in May.
Top 20 from 797 OK Dinghy sailors
Download full ranking HERE