OK World Championships at Skælskør, Denmark - Day 1

‘Very, very tricky day’

The 2005 OK Dinghy World Championship opened in Skælskør in Denmark today with two testing races in a range of conditions and frequent use of the black flag. Overnight leader Nick Craig (GBR) described the day as ‘very,very tricky’ with a strong current flowing up the course causing a large number of general recalls and the many windshifts causing postponments while the course was reset.

Yesterday’s pactice race was sailed in all together different conditions. Only 17 boats finished the long course with most of the leaders dropping out before the finish. The windy and rough conditions proved ideal for Ulf Brandt (DEN) who won from Greg Wilcox (NZL) and Roger Blasse (AUS).

With the imposing eastern section of the Storebælt Bridge dominating the horizon to the north, the race area was set in the Agerso Sund, between the island of Egholm and Skælskør Fjord.

Today, the morning conditions were more sedate with a gentle 6 knots blowing and scatterd showers which reduced visibility. However the fleet had to wait for well over an hour before getting away for the first start after a number of general recalls and several changes in wind direction. When the fleet finally started the wind had increased to a good Force 3-4. Five boats were black flagged including Andre Blasse (AUS) who had scored a pair of them before the day was out.

The port biased start line proved very tricky with Jon Fish (GBR) coming out from the pin with speed to lead round the top mark. The strong current favoured those on the left and Fish led from Nick Craig (GBR) and Steve McDowell (NZL). Craig and McDowell moved passed Fish on the reaches, opened up a good lead and started a tacking duel on the next beat. McDowell was ahead at the final leeward mark but Craig realed him in to take the first win of the week. The chasing Pack was led by Roger Blasse (AUS) and Jonas Quist (SWE). Andre Blasse finished fifth but was scored BFD.

The second race of the day was started in less wind, again after a number of general recalls and changes in wind direction. Again the black flag had its victims, again Andre Blasse, but also Jonas Quist and two others. Also again there was a port biased line with a port tack biased beat. Mogens Johansen used his light weather boatspeed to great effect to round the top mark first ahead of Nick Craig and Steve McDowell. There followed two very long offwind legs against the current which saw large place changes as sailors misjudged it and were swept off the layline.

On the second beat the 2002 World Champion Greg Wilcox (NZL), who had moved up to third on the reaches, tacked off to the left first to find a 40 degree shift. Taking the lead he led to the finish followed by Johensen, Craig and Sonke Behrens (GER). However, on the final beat Behrens moved up to second to be followed by Craig and Johansen. Pawel Pawlaczyk (POL) sailed a good race to finish fifth while Roger Blasse got out of jail on the 40 degree shift to finished sixth.

After the long day at sea – the sailors were on the water for some seven and a half hours for just two races, Wilcox commented, “Today was hard, and one thing is for sure, this is going to be a high scoring regatta. However Danish hospitality is living up to expectations.” The sailors are all located at the local school with the boatpark on the grass in front of the rooms. Free beer is provided when coming ashore and the nice town of Skælskør is just a short walk down the road.

Two more races are scheduled for Tuesday.

Results after Day 1: