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OK Class 'Sprints' at Burghfield Sailing Club

by Jason Pyke 13 Apr 07:23 PDT 5 April 2025
The start of Race 1 during the OK Class 'Sprints' at Burghfield Sailing Club © Peter Blackman

Burghfield Sailing Club hosted the second round of the 2025 Pinnell & Bax OK Dinghy Grand Slam Series on Saturday, 5 April. Following the season opener at Grafham Water, a competitive fleet of 16 sailors came together under bright skies and a shifty, gusting 10-12 knot easterly breeze for an intense day of short-course racing.

Race Officer Peter Blackman and his team delivered eight sprint-style races on a trapezoid course, each around 20 minutes in duration. With the breeze oscillating and building throughout the day, sailors were kept on their toes, and mistakes were punished quickly.

Andy "Taxi" Davis (South Staffs SC) put in a dominant performance, taking six race wins to secure a convincing victory with 6 nett points. Oliver Davenport (Northampton SC) stayed sharp to win two races and claim second overall on 14 points. Sam "I'm OK" Thompson (Royal Naval Sailing Association) showed solid form across the board to complete the podium with 20 points.

Tom Lonsdale (Northampton SC) and Andrew Rushworth (Christchurch SC) also made their mark, finishing 4th and 5th respectively.

Meanwhile, the Burghfield Home Guard did battle in the mid-fleet, defending home waters with grit and good humour:

  • Jason "Don't tell 'em...!" Pyke led the charge with consistency to finish 6th overall.
  • Deryck "Don't Panic" Lovegrove kept calm under pressure to take 8th.
  • Andy "Bilko" Dalby remained characteristically upbeat to secure 9th.
  • Rob "Godfrey" Starling showed real pace with a 3rd in Race 3 before gear issues cut his event short.

The standout performance of the day, however, came from local legend Alan Atkin, who celebrated his 85th birthday by completing six races. His determination and spirit were recognised with a heartfelt ovation at the prize-giving and a delicious homemade birthday cake, generously baked by Rob Starling's daughter, Holly—a fitting end to a memorable day on the water.

Overall Results:

PosHelmBoat NameSail NoClubR1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8Pts
1stAndy Davis 11South Staffs SC1111‑3‑2116
2ndOliver Davenport 97Northampton SC‑624411‑9214
3rdSam Thompson 92Royal Naval Sailing Association3‑5532(DNC)4320
4thTom LonsdaleTom33Northampton SC4‑11‑72435422
5thAndrew Rushworth 67Christchurch SC242‑118(OCS)3625
6thJason PykeDon’t tell ‘em ….!223Burghfield SC566664‑8‑733
7thPeter NormanStormin' Norman2053Parkstone YC(DNC)‑987582939
8thDeryck LovegroveMidnight Express18Burghfield SC‑10795‑11710543
9thAndy DalbyAndy 'PM' Dalby222Burghfield SC88‑109766‑1044
10thJames Dyas 73Cookham Reach SC9‑12‑148957846
11thDave PhillipsDazed and Confused2123Cookham Reach SC73‑13‑16109111151
12thRob StarlingGrey Boat2258Burghfield SC1110310(DNC)(DNC)DNCDNC68
13thDaz PriorDilligaf2147Hayling Island SC12‑1312‑141210121270
14thMary Reddyhoff 58Parkstone YC(DNC)151112131113(DNC)75
15thAlan AtkinBoingboing22Burghfield SC131415131512(DNC)(DNC)82
16thJames Long 2130Cookham Reach SC(DNC)(DNC)16151413141385

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