Bo Petersen wins OK Dinghy Nordic Championship in Praesto

by Robert Deaves, IOKDA 18 Jun 2015 15:43 BST 18 June 2015

OK Dinghy Nordic Championship 2015 © www.FischerPhoto.com

Bo Petersen (DEN), the 2013 European Champion, has added the Nordic Championship to his growing list of achievements in the OK Dinghy class. He led a strong Danish team on home waters in a fleet of 66 OK Dinghies, over the weekend of 13-14 June. The silver went to Rene Sarabia Johannsen (DEN) and the bronze to Jens Lauge (DEN).

Praesto Fjord is situated in the southern part of Zealand, well protected behind the Feddet peninsula in the bay of Fakse. Lauge commented on the venue, "I used to visit Prastoe every year, camping together with the junior Optimist sailors from Sletten Yachtclub. I always remembered the fjord as being gusty and shifty, especially in western wind conditions. The fjord is very shallow, and builds short breaking chops in the breeze. It didn't let us down this year either."

Saturday offered the first real summer's day in Denmark, with a light breeze from 5-10 knot north-easterly twisting slightly to the right when closing in on the windward mark.

After a couple of re starts with the pin end favoured, current European Champion Jørgen Svendsen (DEN) got away well in race 1 crossing most of the fleet on port tack. Struggling to go right, most of the fleet choose the windward end of the start line and gained from the right shift, and rounded well ahead of Svendsen who had overstood the mark from the left. Jonas Börjesson (SWE) was first round and kept the lead all the way to the finish, followed by Lennart Hansson (SWE) and Mats Caap (SWE)

Börjesson said, "I had my focus on the right side, although the pin end was favoured. I boxed out on the weather side on the line and immediately tacked to the right. The puffs and right twist proved to be paying off and first three Swedes leading around the top mark. I repeated the recipe on the second beat and just gained all the way to the finish line. It felt great to secure the win of the first race, being chased by 64 fellow OK sailors."

In race 2, the right side was still favoured so most of the fleet ignored the pin end bias in order to secure an early move to the right. Lauge, Stefan Myralf (DEN) 6 and Petersen soon tacked and went hard right all the way to layline...and most overstood it when the right shift came. Myralf and Lauge rounded first and second, followed by Petersen and Svendsen. Positions remain until the last downwind, when some gusts opened up passing lanes. Lauge overtook Myralf and secured the win followed by Svendsen.

Lauge says: "No real rocket science to this one. The right side just looked better, and getting a perfect start really didn't complicate things either. I never tried the Green sail in less than 20 knots, but it delivered a perfect match to my C-Tech mast. I finally broke the code of my new SOTA hull, and got some very good upwind, as well as downwind speed. My downwind speed secured me the win overtaking Stefan right at the bottom, and from there it was in the bag."

The final race of the day went to Johannsen from Petersen and Bengt Larsson (SWE).

Day 2 brought a game changer. The wind turned 180 degrees overnight, and increased to 16-20 knots. However, the land effect would still prove to turn the wind to the right when closing up to the windward mark. The major shifts needed to be played to get there, but recipe was to approach from the right in both races completed on Sunday. The day produced wins for Jørgen Lindhardtsen (DEN) and Petersen, who again showed strength when the hiking got tough.

Lindhardtsen said, "In both races on Sunday I started from the pin end, and tacked on the first shift. Then I played them well all the way to the top, but lost ground on the runs and downwind. But what I lacked downwind, I gained upwind. I kept the lead to the end in race 4, but was unable to keep Bo Petersen and Christian Olsen [DEN] behind me in the final race. The wind was stronger than the forecast. Had I known about the 20 knots, I would have chosen another sail."

Lindhardtsen was fourth overall only three points from the podium.

The two jury boats on the water did a good job. The same boats were penalised under rule 42, several times during the two days securing a fair competition for all.

So Petersen wrapped up the 2015 Nordics with a race win. With the World Championship in Puck, Poland in just over five weeks, this could be a vital confidence boost in what is expected to be a very open and competitive series, with around 100 entries so far registered.

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OK Dinghy Nordic Championship 2015 - photo © www.FischerPhoto.com

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Club	Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Pts
1	DEN 1431	Hellerup Sejlklub	Bo Petersen	‑13	4	2	4	1	11
2	DEN 1442	Vallensbæk	Rene Sarabia Johannsen	5	‑6	1	5	6	17
3	DEN 10	Hellerup	Jens Lauge	6	1	‑16	6	7	20
4	DEN 1420	Hellerup Sejlklub	Jørgen Lindhardtsen	9	‑11	9	1	4	23
5	SWE 2797	Varberg segelsällskap	Mats Caap	3	(UFD)	6	2	14	25
6	DEN 3	Hellerup Sejlklub	Jørgen Svendsen	‑20	2	20	3	5	30
7	SWE 99	Varberg Sailclub	Hans Elkjaer	7	10	‑13	8	10	35
8	DEN 1340	Vallensbæk Sejlklub	Christian Olsen	14	13	‑39	7	2	36
9	SWE 2791	GeSS	Lennart Hansson	2	16	‑21	13	12	43
10	DEN 22	Svendborg sunds sejlklub	Ask Askholm	‑24	22	5	10	11	48
11	SWE 2796	SSKaparan	Bengt Larsson	8	‑52	3	18	21	50
12	DEN 1	Hellerup	Bo Reker Andersen	21	8	19	‑25	3	51
13	DEN 11	Herslev Strand Sejlklub	Frederik Dahl Hansen	(DNF)	9	10	35	8	62
14	DEN 1453	Hillerød	Niels‑Kristian Terkildsen	22	7	7	(DNC)	32	68
15	SWE 2805	Stenungsunds ss	Stefan Pavia	18	‑23	15	12	23	68
16	DEN 1428	Herslev Strand Sejlklub	Lars Jørgen Andresen	‑34	17	18	17	17	69
17	SWE 2786	SS Kaparen	Håkan Törnqvist	17	5	‑38	28	22	72
18	DEN 1344	Solrød Strand	Peter Wibroe	10	31	‑44	19	18	78
19	SWE 2809	KSSS	Jonas Börjesson	1	26	‑49	15	39	81
20	DEN 1397	Hellerup Sejlklub	Henrik Kofoed	‑44	24	37	11	9	81
21	DEN 1303	Herslev Strand Sejlklub	John Skjoldby Petersen	19	12	12	38	(DNC)	81
22	DEN 77	Herslev Strand Sejlklub	Jesper Strandberg	12	‑40	28	14	29	83
23	SWE 2804	SS Kaparen	Ingemar Janson	‑39	21	4	34	25	84
24	DEN 1335	Solrød Strand	Mogens Johansen	‑28	28	22	20	16	86
25	SWE 2815	Norrköpings SS	Per Westlund	4	35	‑45	32	20	91
26	DEN 1454	Sejlklubben Ebeltoft Vig	Fritz Banner	29	25	‑43	22	15	91
27	DEN 1375	Onsevig Sejlklub	Simon Dan Petersen	30	30	17	(DNF)	19	96
28	DEN 1377	Kaløvig	Jørgen Holm Nielsen	‑45	20	23	23	30	96
29	DEN 1304	Helsingør Sejlklub	Christian Midtgaard	36	32	‑41	21	13	102
30	DEN 1433	Herslev Stand Sejlklub	Lars Andresen	27	19	29	‑44	28	103
31	SWE 22	Getskær	Lasse Hansson	23	‑33	27	29	27	106
32	DEN 1354	Svendborg Sund	Peter Heide	42	38	11	‑49	24	115
33	DEN 1347	Herslev Strand Sejlklub	Anders Buhl	32	15	31	‑41	37	115
34	DEN 1391	Herslev Strand Sejlklub	Nils Troland	50	14	(DSQ)	31	26	121
35	DEN 1403	Skælskør Amatør Sejlklub	Claus Møller Christensen	15	39	25	42	‑43	121
36	DEN 6	Hellerup Sejlklub	Stefan Myrälf	31	3	30	(DNC)	DNC	131
37	DEN 1443	Herslev Strand Sejlklub	Henrik Bøhm Jensen	11	42	33	48	(DNC)	134
38	DEN 1395	Herslev Strand Sejlklub	Henrik Kimmer Petersen	41	34	32	(DNF)	31	138
39	DEN 1052	Kaløvig	Per Tværsted Sørensen	52	27	42	24	(UFD)	145
40	DEN 1275	Herslev Strand Sejlklub	Poul Vincents	33	‑53	34	36	45	148
41	SWE 60	Råå Jolleklubb	Jonas Jemt	25	47	‑50	39	38	149
42	DEN 1448	Herslev strand sejlklub	Mikael Nielsen	(DNS)	18	56	9	DNC	150
43	SWE 2803	Segelsällskapet Vikingarna Kalmar	Mårten Bernesand	35	36	53	26	(DNC)	150
44	DEN 1396	Kaløvig Bådelaug	Stig Frandsen	46	29	48	27	(DNC)	150
45	DEN 1438	Herslev Strand Sejlklub	Sam Jedig	56	‑59	14	45	36	151
46	DEN 1316	Hellerup	Jesper Sommer	26	‑57	36	47	42	151
47	DEN 1430	Hellerup Sejlklub	René Bruun	37	41	‑46	30	44	152
48	DEN 1407	Kongelig Dansk Yachtklub	Malte Pedersen	54	51	(RET)	16	33	154
49	DEN 1342	ØSF	Johny Hansen	40	43	8	(DNF)	DNC	158
50	DEN 1392	Herslev Strand Sejlklub	Tim Normann	38	48	‑51	40	35	161
51	DEN 885	Nakskov Sejlklub	Freddy Ottosen	‑53	37	52	37	40	166
52	DEN 1437	Sejlklubben Ebeltoft Vig	Per Sørensen	‑61	44	47	43	34	168
53	DEN 112	Hellerup	Svend Jakobsen	‑49	46	35	46	41	168
54	SWE 2790	Getskärs segeksällskap	Ulf Sahle	16	54	40	(DNC)	DNC	177
55	DEN 1389	Hellerup Sejlklub	Frank Berd	43	50	26	(DNF)	DNC	186
56	SWE 2812	Getskärs SS	Magnus Gillgren	59	45	24	(DNC)	DNC	195
57	DEN 1432	Haderslev Sejl Club	Ralph Eriksen	48	49	55	(DNF)	DNC	219
58	DEN 1345	Solrød Strand	Mathias Fisker	57	(DSQ)	DNC	33	DNC	224
59	DEN 1301	Vallenbæk Sejlklub	Kim Hagelskjær	55	56	59	(DNF)	DNC	237
60	DEN 1471	Hellerup Sejlklub	Jens Makholm	47	58	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	239
61	SWE 2816	GKSS	Claes Avellan	51	(UFD)	54	DNC	DNC	239
62	DEN 1318	Nakskov Sejlklub	Egon Petersen	58	61	57	(DNF)	DNC	243
63	DEN 1341	Øresund Sejlklub Frem	Per Hansen	62	55	61	(DNF)	DNC	245
64	DEN 1336	Herslev Strand Sejlklub	Thomas Kvist	60	60	58	(DNF)	DNC	245
65	DEN 1330	Hornbæk	Michael Jørgensen	63	62	60	(DNF)	DNC	252
66	DEN 1284	Herslevstrand sejlklub	Jens Thomsen	64	(DNC)	DNC	DNF	DNC	265