International OK Dinghy National Championship at Pwllheli - Preview
by Rodney Tidd 13 Aug 2016 13:36 BST
20-23 August 2016
Hunt, Child and Deaves during the 2014 International OK Dinghy UK Nationals at Dabchicks © Simon Cox /
www.synergymarine.co.uk
The International OK Dinghy British Class Association are delighted to invite competitors to North Wales for this event. These is class' first venture into Wales in many years and are delighted to have secured Clwb Hwylio Pwllheli Sailing Club and the 'Plas Heli' Welsh National Sailing Academy and Events Centre as organisers and hosts.
The event follows closely on the heels of a very successful world championship event for British OK sailors with Jim Hunt securing his second world title and Charlie Cumbley taking third place. The location is being shared with the GP14 class and this is expected to make a great social atmosphere. It will also give OK sailors who are considering entering the 2017 world championships in Barbados a chance to learn first hand what conditions are like in the Caribbean as the GP14's have just returned from the same venue
Racing will commence on Tremadog Bay offshore Pwllheli at 14.00 on Saturday 20th August with two races scheduled each day using the Olympic 'Triangle and Sausage' course favored by the class. Many comments have been made about the quality of the start lines experienced during the Quiberon world championships and all competitors can surely look forward to fairer lines in Wales.
Thanks must go to British Class Association chairman, Deryck Lovegrove who has played a very large part in organizing the event. Deryck has been quoted as saying 'The event is going to be superb, we are going to have fair start lines, which we didn't have in France, which will lead to fairer beats which we didn't have in France, there is going to be a free beer after sailing which we didn't have in France, there's also some free food after sailing which we didn't have in France.' Such promises will surely encourage many late entries and may lead to an overload on the event website.
The class are very grateful to both Radnor Hills spring water, based at Knighton, Wales and to Princess Gate spring water based in Narberth, Wales for their generous sponsorship.