OK Class 'Sprints' at Burghfield Sailing Club
by Jason Pyke 14 Apr 02:23 NZST
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:
| Pos | Helm | Boat Name | Sail No | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | Andy Davis | | 11 | South Staffs SC | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ‑3 | ‑2 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2nd | Oliver Davenport | | 97 | Northampton SC | ‑6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | ‑9 | 2 | 14 |
| 3rd | Sam Thompson | | 92 | Royal Naval Sailing Association | 3 | ‑5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | (DNC) | 4 | 3 | 20 |
| 4th | Tom Lonsdale | Tom | 33 | Northampton SC | 4 | ‑11 | ‑7 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 22 |
| 5th | Andrew Rushworth | | 67 | Christchurch SC | 2 | 4 | 2 | ‑11 | 8 | (OCS) | 3 | 6 | 25 |
| 6th | Jason Pyke | Don’t tell ‘em ….! | 223 | Burghfield SC | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | ‑8 | ‑7 | 33 |
| 7th | Peter Norman | Stormin' Norman | 2053 | Parkstone YC | (DNC) | ‑9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 39 |
| 8th | Deryck Lovegrove | Midnight Express | 18 | Burghfield SC | ‑10 | 7 | 9 | 5 | ‑11 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 43 |
| 9th | Andy Dalby | Andy 'PM' Dalby | 222 | Burghfield SC | 8 | 8 | ‑10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | ‑10 | 44 |
| 10th | James Dyas | | 73 | Cookham Reach SC | 9 | ‑12 | ‑14 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 46 |
| 11th | Dave Phillips | Dazed and Confused | 2123 | Cookham Reach SC | 7 | 3 | ‑13 | ‑16 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 51 |
| 12th | Rob Starling | Grey Boat | 2258 | Burghfield SC | 11 | 10 | 3 | 10 | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 68 |
| 13th | Daz Prior | Dilligaf | 2147 | Hayling Island SC | 12 | ‑13 | 12 | ‑14 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 70 |
| 14th | Mary Reddyhoff | | 58 | Parkstone YC | (DNC) | 15 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 13 | (DNC) | 75 |
| 15th | Alan Atkin | Boingboing | 22 | Burghfield SC | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 12 | (DNC) | (DNC) | 82 |
| 16th | James Long | | 2130 | Cookham Reach SC | (DNC) | (DNC) | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 85 |