2026 OK Dinghy World Championship: The unstoppable momentum of the OK Dinghy class
by Robert Deaves 1 Jun 03:16 PDT
5-12 June 2026
OK Dinghy World Championship © Robert Deaves
The unstoppable momentum of the OK Dinghy class continues into 2026 with the second largest OK Dinghy World Championship of all time set to get under way at Skovshoved, Denmark next week. It has attracted an impressive 207 entries from 14 nations.
The event returns to Denmark for the first time since 2012, in a country that is home to the second largest OK Dinghy fleet in the world. It also comes at the 70th anniversary of the first OK Dinghy, built and launched in Bandholm in the south of the country, by Knud Olsen, in 1956. His reversed initials gave the boat its name.
The significance of the anniversary is not lost on the fleet and especially the Danish fleet. The event is hosted by the Royal Danish Yacht Club and Hellerup Sejlklub, with Hellerup SC playing an important role as home of one of the largest OK Dinghy fleets in the world. Hellerup was of course home to Paul Elvstrøm, who played a small but important part in the early history of the class. Several visits are planned to Hellerup during the event, including the regatta dinner in the Main Boat Hall at the club. These visits will be steeped in historical significance. In 2012 both Olsen and Elvstrøm were inducted into the OKDIA Hall of Fame.
Until 2025 Denmark held the record for the largest worlds held - 145 in Vallensbæk in 2012. It seemed a huge number at the time, and it took until 2023, in Lyme Regis, to get close again. Then, in 2025 212 OK Dinghies turned up for the first ever world championship on Lake Garda to set a record many thought would stand for a long time.
While several top names are missing this year, including the past two world champions, the fleet in 2026 contains seven out of last year's top 10, as well around 30 new sailors joining the fleet. The Danish fleet alone has 70 entries with many sailing their first OK Dinghy world championship.
With such a diverse and largely untested group, making any predictions will be very difficult. The Danish fleet includes many new sailors as well some with huge experience. Three-time European Champion Bo Petersen is joined by past European Champion, Jørgen Svendsen, though many will be looking for the younger generation to make their mark, including Frederik Svendsen and Jonas Ullman. Ullman finished top Dane at the Spring Cup earlier this year.
Having placed second and third three times recently, Niklas Edler, from Sweden, is still looking for his first major title. He is joined by former world champion Thomas Hansson-Mild, former World No. 1, Patric Mure, and the bronze medalist at the 2025 Europeans. Daniel Björndahl.
The British team, in the absence of World No. 1 Nick Craig is led by the current European Champion, and 2022 World Champion, Charlie Cumbley, along with last year's fifth placed Matt Howard.
Former bronze medalist Jan Kurfeld leads the strong German team, along with his brother Ulli Kurfeld and Stefan Hoffmann, who has rapidly made his mark at the front. From The Netherlands, the 2020 49er Olympian, Pim van Vugt also makes his OK Worlds debut.
It's going to be a very challenging competition, with no quarter given on the water, but plenty of camaraderie on the shore. The class is renowned, even infamous, for its social competence, and there will be plenty of that to back-up the on-the-water activities.
Ann-Marie Mohr, Sport Director at the Royal Danish Yacht Club, said, "We are really looking forward to welcoming the OK Dinghy fleet to Copenhagen. The Danish summer is known for delivering a little bit of everything on the race course, but one thing we know for sure is that with 200 sailors together, the camaraderie ashore and the social atmosphere will be fantastic.
"This year it is the Royal Danish Yacht Club's 160-year anniversary and we are truly honoured to be able to welcome the big international OK Dinghy fleet together with Hellerup Sailing Club and all of our partners.
"This year is also the OK Dinghy's 70th anniversary and the possibility for the 35 local Hellerup Sailing Club OK sailors to welcome the OK community to their home club gives the whole event just that little more."
The event gets under way on Friday 5 June with equipment inspection and registration. Then ten races are scheduled from 8-12 May. The huge fleet will be split into two groups with three days of qualification before two days of finals racing.