International OK Dinghy British Nationals at Dabchicks Sailing Club Overall

by Robert Deaves 20 Aug 2014 08:15 BST 16-19 August 2014

Charlie Cumbley in 211 during the 2014 International OK Dinghy UK Nationals at Dabchicks © Simon Cox / www.synergymarine.co.uk

International OK Dinghy UK Nationals at Dabchicks day 4 © Simon Cox / www.synergymarine.co.uk

Jim Hunt finally secures elusive British OK Dinghy National title

Jim Hunt has finally won the British OK Dinghy National Championship after several failed attempts over the past decade. He closed out the 2014 title after two more very close and breezy races sailed in very shifty winds in the mouth of the Blackwater Estuary on Tuesday morning.

Hunt, the 2004 World Champion, had sailed a very consistent series in the 41 boat fleet, never finishing below third in any race. The fleet was also perhaps, the most competitive fleet seen in the UK for over a decade with several new sailors trying their hand at an OK Dinghy along with virtually all the top sailors in the class. During the week there were six different race winners, ensuring that the points remained tight until the very last race.

Hunt took a six point lead into the final day, which again produced more wind than was forecast. Sailed on an ebb tide for the first time, in 14-18 knots, a different set of tactics were required, which along with the big shifts, brought some different faces to the front.

In Race 7 Will Turner bounced off the left hand corner to hold a huge lead at the first mark. Unfortunately he was OCS and pulled out on the second lap. The chasing pack was very tight with Jim Hunt, Terry Curtis and Jonathan Fish emerging at the end of the run in the lead, while Richard Burton inspected the bottom of his boat again after a less than successful gybe. The wind played tricks on the final beat with numerous place changes, but eventually as the fleet approached the shortened finish, Fish led across, closely followed by Andy Couch, while Curtis and Hunt couldn't be separated for third. This left Hunt in an unassailable position going into the final race.

Turner again emerged with a substantial lead from the left on the first upwind in Race 8, and held it until the end of the second upwind when the left side didn't pay so well. Meanwhile Curtis had taken the lead on the right from Hunt. Hunt led round the final downwind mark and headed right. Turner, as expected, banged hard left again and this time it worked, moving him back to the front to win the final race. Hunt led a very close group on the right across the line as the wind started playing games again, almost dropping to nothing at one point before coming back in at 15 knots as dark clouds raced down the course.

But it was all academic as Hunt was already assured the title. The only real interest was between Fish, Lee Child and Curtis over who would take the runner's up trophy. After Race 7, Fish was up to second, but a bad first beat in the final race left him too much to do. Child was always in the leading group and fourth place was enough to comfortably take the trophy. Fish had to settle for third.

Dabchicks Sailing Club had put on a superb event, which with the support of the sponsors Synergy Marine, Hiking Bench and English Braids, enabled it to provide a multitude of prizes and benefits. Vice Commodore Rachel Ramsey and her team left no stone unturned to ensure the sailors had a great time on and off the water. The racing was some of the best the class has had in the UK for a long time and bodes well for the future, and with leading sailors like Charlie Cumbley and Andy Couch joining the fleet, their attendance is sure to attract more top sailors to the OK Dinghy.

While the fleet was very pleased to welcome both Cumbley and Couch to the event in borrowed boats, they were arguably more pleased that they didn't dominate proceedings. But both so enjoyed racing the boat that they have promised to be back for more, with hopefully new boats being ordered soon.

The class is going through a period of growth in many countries, and all the signs are that the UK fleet will soon follow suit. The UK Class Association is developing an action plan to maintain and encourage this growth, with various initiatives being discussed to ensure that OK Dinghy sailing in the UK continues to thrive and remain a serious choice for top sailors who enjoy local as well as international competition.

Overall Results:
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Pos	Sail No	Helm	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	Pts
1	GBR2162	Jim Hunt	Blithfield SC	2	1	3	3	2	1	3.5	2	14
2	GBR2167	Lee Child	Dabchicks SC / WMYC	5	2	6	4	1	3	8	4	25
3	GBR2151	Jonathan Fish	Waldringfield SC	1	6	4	5	4	19	1	8	29
4	GBR2118	Terry Curtis	Weymouth/Upper Thames	4	4	8	8	3	4	3.5	3	29.5
5	GBR211	Charlie Cumbley	Teign Corinthian YC	6	9	1	7	5	2	5	9	35
6	GBR2150	Andy Couch	Rudyard Lake SC	7	11	5	1	6	25	2	6	38
7	GBR2156	Robert Deaves	Waldringfield SC	3	3	9	6	7	6	10	7	41
8	GBR2157	Dave Bourne	Upriver YC	15	12	7	10	26	16	6	5	71
9	GBR2145	Tony Woods	Glossop SC	10	7	13	13	11	11	9	10	71
10	GBR2147	Tom Lonsdale	West Oxford SC	11	8	12	17	10	9	7	21	74
11	GBR2042	Richard Burton	Oxford SC	9	5	18	2	9	21	15	42	79
12	GBR2169	Will Turner	Dabchicks SC	8	10	2	42	8	10	42	1	81
13	GBR2154	Simon Cowood		14	14	15	9	12	5	28	23	92
14	GBR2160	Alex Scoles	Overy Staithe	12	17	11	18	21	14	19	11	102
15	GBR2121	Tony Rich	West Oxford SC	16	20	16	16	16	12	11	15	102
16	GBR2059	David Rose	Deben YC	18	19	17	12	19	23	13	14	112
17	GBR2126	Mike Edwards	Leigh & Lowton SC	36	15	21	19	14	7	20	17	113
18	GBR2084	Keith Byers	Morecombe & Heysham YC	19	13	14	42	20	15	17	18	116
19	GBR2100	Toby Ramsay	Dabchicks SC	24	18	25	21	13	8	18	19	121
20	GBR2159	Norman Byrd	Northampton SC	17	26	20	15	18	32	16	12	124
21	NZL553	Finn Gheury	Dachet Water SC	13	16	19	20	22	31	24	20	134
22	GBR2139	Ken Carroll	Alton Water SC	25	21	26	22	25	13	21	16	143
23	GBR2112	John Paul Williams	West Oxford SC	27	25	42	14	24	26	14	22	152
24	GBR2149	Martin Bower	Blithfield SC	26	28	42	11	17	20	23	42	167
25	GBR2123	Andy Turner	Overy Staithe SC	22	27	42	29	23	22	22	24	169
26	GBR2125	Neil Goodhead	South Staffs	29	29	22	26	15	28	42	25	174
27	GBR2137	Simon Shaw	Deben YC	30	30	42	23	29	18	25	26	181
28	GBR1957	Drummond Sydenham	WMYC	31	32	24	31	28	17	29	29	189
29	GBR2031	Dave Cooper	Overy Staithe SC	28	33	23	27	34	42	26	27	198
30	GBR2093	Ed Critchen	Upper Thames SC	38	35	27	33	35	29	30	28	217
31	GBR2171	Simon Cox	Waldringfield SC	21	23	10	42	42	42	42	42	222
32	GBR2080	Paul Pike	Covenham SC	35	34	42	28	30	33	31	31	222
33	GBR2124	Gareth Caldwell	Blithfield SC	33	42	42	30	27	24	27	42	225
34	GBR2058	Mary Reddyhoff	Parkstone YC	37	42	42	25	32	30	32	30	228
35	GBR2171X	Will Branton		42	42	42	42	42	42	12	13	235
36	GBR2065	Paul Aldridge	Brightlingsea SC	34	31	42	24	31	34	42	42	238
37	GBR2032	Tim Hurst	Dabchicks SC / WMYC	32	36	42	32	33	27	42	42	244
38	GBR2101	Julian Burnham	RYA	20	24	42	42	42	42	42	42	254
39	GBR2158	John Ball	Brightlingsea	23	22	42	42	42	42	42	42	255
40	GBR20	Matthew Cock	Dabchicks SC	39	37	42	34	37	35	42	42	266
41	GBR2062	Simon Greening	West Oxford SC	42	42	42	42	36	42	42	42	288