Nick Craig secures record fifth OK Dinghy world crown in Barbados

by Robert Deaves, OKDIA 1 Jun 2017 08:10 BST 24-31 May 2017

The Barbados wind beats to the same rhythm of the boom-box buses that rumble past the Barbados Yacht Club each day. It starts, it stops, it turns around, all the time going in no particular direction. You pick it up and take it one way only to find it is taking you in the wrong direction. It pulsates like the booming bass beat. It is hot and humid.

For the majority of sailors at the 2017 OK Dinghy World Championships in Barbados, it has been hard to make sense of the wind, but one person has shown an uncanny ability to be in the right place every time, and sail his boat faster than anyone else.

Discarding a third place in the 79-boat fleet Nick Craig, from Britain, dominated the series for perhaps his most convincing win ever. This is his fifth OK Dinghy world crown and perhaps the sweetest yet as he becomes the first person in the 60 year history of the class to win five world titles.

The defending champion, Jim Hunt, sailed an impressive series as well, never below fifth, and put together a scoreline that in most years would have easily won him the title. Third place Luke O'Connell, from New Zealand, led a strong Kiwi challenge with five boats inside the top ten.

Only one race was possible on the final day in perhaps the most capricious wind of the week. Jørgen Svendsen, of Denmark, led the race all the way until the final beat when Hunt and Craig sneaked past as the wind started to go even more patchy and shifty. Hunt took his second victory of the week, while O'Connell took third as Svendsen was an early starter.

The race team tried to start the final race, but the conditions and the time were against them. Eventually they admitted defeat and at 14.50, the end of the regatta was signalled and the start of the race to the beach to get the first boat into the containers.

Day 5 of the 2017 OK Dinghy Worlds - photo © Alastair Deaves

O'Connell said, "It's been a tough week, I am pleased to come away with third. The middle of the week was pretty bad for me. I don't know what happened there really. But it was great sailing here. Nick and Jim sailed super well and nick definitely deserved to win."

Paying tribute to Craig, Hunt said "It's fantastic isn't it. He just outsailed every one all week. He's just been a bit more on it all week, starting better, being in the right place at the right time. He hasn't really missed anything. He was quick downwind, there were not really any holes in his game, which is a bit of a shame, as if he hadn't been here I would have looked quite good."

"But it was great fun, I've had a great time."

Day 5 of the 2017 OK Dinghy Worlds - photo © Alastair Deaves

New World Champion, Craig, said, "Fantastic day, absolutely delighted. It was always a little tense as I needed a 12th which is just the kind of thing where you could be too conservative and end up having a 20th, so I got an average start which was just good enough, got a lane, and went up to about fifth at the windward mark and then just sailed really conservatively and just sailed near Jim as well partly because he always goes the right way and because if he was deep or going well then I would be matching him. So it worked out really nicely."

"I think it was a tricky week because it was very shifty and we had weed challenges, but overall it's just a fantastic place so sail. It's so warm, the water is warm, beer is cold; it's fantastic. I really enjoyed myself."

Nick Craig wins the 2017 OK Dinghy Worlds - photo © Alastair Deaves

Next year the class heads to Warnemunde in Germany, for the 2018 World Championship, one of the classes favourite venues.

Even as the OK Dinghies were packed away in their containers to begin their long journeys home, their spaces on the beach were slowly being filled with Finns for the start of the Finn World Masters on Friday.

2017 OK Dinghy Worlds prize giving - photo © Alastair Deaves

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts
1	GBR 2195	NICK CRAIG	1	1	1	2	‑3	1	1	1	2	10
2	GBR 11	JIM HUNT	2	3	4	‑5	1	4	5	2	1	22
3	NZL 546	LUKE O'CONNELL	3	2	2	4	(bfd)	17	3	8	3	42
4	NZL 545	STEVE McDOWELL	4	16	8	‑17	4	6	4	4	7	53
5	NZL 517	PAUL RHODES	5	9	5	6	6	3	14	7	‑20	55
6	AUS 749	ROGER BLASSE	10	15	3	7	5	9	‑22	3	4	56
7	NZL 551	MARK PERROW	20	4	7	3	2	(dsq)	2	14	12	64
8	GBR 2191	CHRIS TURNER	6	8	‑25	8	8	8	9	9	9	65
9	NZL 566	GREG WILCOX	9	10	‑20	10	11	10	6	16	6	78
10	DEN 3	JORGEN SVENDSEN	19	14	14	1	23	5	8	12	(bfd)	96
11	POL 14	PAWEL PAWLACZYK	‑24	5	17	18	10	13	10	19	8	100
12	POL 1	TOMASZ GAJ	8	6	28	22	7	23	11	‑29	10	115
13	NZL 567	CHRIS FENWICK	18	‑31	13	23	14	22	7	21	5	123
14	DEN 1402	BO TEGLERS NIELSEN	16	17	10	13	‑26	16	19	10	26	127
15	GER 778	SOENKE BEHRENS	15	13	34	15	19	‑40	15	5	13	129
16	AUS 768	MARK JACKSON	27	7	6	11	9	11	(dns)	32	30	133
17	GER 772	OLIVER GRONHOLZ	(ret)	12	26	16	22	7	21	15	14	133
18	NZL 498	JONO CLOUGH	17	20	12	14	12	19	20	‑26	24	138
19	DEN 1397	HENRIK KOFOED ‑ LARSEN	28	34	11	9	15	15	12	22	(bfd)	146
20	NZL 523	JOE POREBSKI	14	24	24	(dsq)	27	27	23	6	16	161
21	GER 5	RALF TIETJE	21	21	‑33	12	17	31	17	25	18	162
22	AUS 754	BRENT WILLIAMS	11	18	21	20	33	2	16	46	(bfd)	167
23	GBR 10	ROBERT DEAVES	12	29	19	21	21	‑37	32	13	21	168
24	DEN 22	ASK ASKHOLM	25	23	23	19	‑30	26	25	11	17	169
25	AUS 750	PETER ROBINSON	‑43	37	9	26	20	20	13	35	36	196
26	GER 803	MARTIN v.ZIMMERMANN	7	11	15	33	(dnf)	12	26	17	bfd	202
27	GER 775	JOERG RADEMACHER	22	25	‑40	27	35	32	24	37	11	213
28	NZL 575	MICHAEL WILDE	33	28	‑44	29	16	18	33	28	28	213
29	NZL 531	ADRIAN COULTHARD	29	30	32	40	13	25	‑43	30	23	222
30	NZL 536	ERIC RONE	13	22	36	36	25	29	‑38	33	29	223
31	AUS 719	GLENN WILLIAMS	37	26	22	‑43	40	14	35	23	34	231
32	NZL 571	ROB HENGST	34	36	30	‑45	28	44	29	18	25	244
33	GER 7	ANDREAS PICH	35	‑41	35	31	31	35	39	24	22	252
34	NZL 565	SIMON PROBERT	39	48	31	32	39	28	‑59	27	33	277
35	DEN 1335	MOGENS JOHANSEN	40	39	18	34	34	(dnf)	41	51	27	284
36	GBR 2163	GAVIN WALDRON	52	44	16	41	18	38	36	43	‑54	288
37	GER 75	DIRK DAME	45	38	39	42	‑51	33	27	31	40	295
38	GBR 13	ALEX SCOLES	26	19	29	30	(bfd)	24	34	54	bfd	297
39	NZL 563	DAVID HOOGENBOOM	‑50	32	50	24	36	39	45	36	37	299
40	SWE 2791	LENNART HANSSON	38	43	41	(ret)	29	46	31	41	31	300
41	POL 19	GRZEGORGZ SALAMON	32	33	(dnf)	ret	44	21	30	48	15	304
42	GER 6	FABIAN GRONHOLZ	‑60	35	48	49	46	36	44	40	19	317
43	DEN 1442	PETER HEIDE‑JORGENSEN	36	42	27	28	43	43	46	56	(bfd)	321
44	DEN 1481	NILS TROLAND	41	45	‑59	37	42	30	18	50	59	322
45	GBR 2176	KEITH BYERS	30	27	55	51	37	53	48	‑57	32	333
46	GER 11	RAINER POSPIECH	23	40	47	55	38	45	56	49	(bfd)	353
47	NZL 568	DEAN NEIL COLEMAN	‑57	53	43	25	49	41	52	47	43	353
48	GER 8	RONALD FOEST	47	(ret)	63	35	56	42	40	38	38	363
49	DEN 1399	CHRISTOPHER JOE SCHUBERT	(dsq)	46	46	44	45	34	47	67	35	364
50	DEN 1407	MALTE PEDERSEN	42	51	57	68	24	47	58	42	(bfd)	389
51	GER 22	DIRK GERICKE	48	59	45	47	50	50	53	‑64	39	391
52	NZL 564	SEFTON POWRIE	59	52	56	39	(dnf)	dns	37	20	49	393
53	GER 757	FALK HAGEMANN	51	55	42	38	54	51	‑64	60	58	409
54	GER 12	STEFAN RASSAU	53	(dnf)	dnf	52	41	52	28	61	41	411
55	AUS 736	GRANT WAKEFIELD	61	57	51	54	32	(dnf)	54	55	48	412
56	AUS 688	DAVID HASELDINE	55	‑58	53	46	58	55	50	58	44	419
57	GER 767	JULIANE HOFMANN	54	47	58	56	53	49	55	‑63	57	429
58	GER 731	THOMAS GLAS	44	49	37	48	(dnf)	dns	51	39	dns	430
59	AUS 725	DAVID KETTERIDGE	58	64	38	50	(dns)	dns	49	45	50	435
60	NZL 574	PHILIP RZEPECKY	46	50	(dsq)	53	dnf	dns	42	44	42	439
61	NZL 569	PHIL COVENY	31	63	(dnf)	59	52	57	57	70	53	442
62	AUS 767	GLENN YATES	49	61	(dnf)	63	47	54	60	69	46	449
63	GER 777	NADINE TIETJE	62	54	60	60	48	(dnf)	65	53	60	463
64	GER 678	HEINZ RIDDER	64	‑70	64	62	57	48	62	65	52	474
65	AUS 766	ROBERT BUCHANAN	66	69	60	60	(dns)	dns	70	34	45	486
66	FRA 1833	FABIEN CAPEILLERES	56	56	49	(dnf)	dns	dns	63	52	61	499
67	POL 40	ROBERT SWIECKI	69	60	52	64	(dnf)	58	66	66	64	499
68	DEN 1458	SOREN SIGURDSSON	72	65	(dnf)	67	55	56	67	68	62	512
69	SWE 55	ULF SAHLE	63	62	62	57	(dns)	dns	61	74	56	516
70	AUS 738	KEVIN KNOTT	68	67	65	58	(dns)	dns	69	59	65	532
71	AUS 706	ERIK THOMPSON	65	68	54	66	(dnf)	dnf	68	73	63	538
72	GER 697	JOERG POSNY	70	66	(dnf)	65	ret	dns	72	62	51	548
73	GBR 2116	TIM O'LEARY	75	74	(dnf)	69	59	dns	71	71	67	567
74	AUS 716	DAVID SWALES	67	72	(dnf)	70	ret	dns	74	72	69	586
75	NZL 550	TONY BIERRE	71	71	(dnf)	dns	dns	dns	dns	dns	47	594
76	GER 539	ULRICH BORCHERS	76	76	(dnf)	71	dns	dns	75	dns	68	609
77	GER 788	JESSICA FINKE	73	75	(dnf)	dns	dns	dns	73	75	70	609
78	GBR 2058	MARY REDDYHOFF	74	73	(dnf)	dns	dns	dns	dns	dns	66	618
79	BAR 12159	Charlie Gloomeau	(dns)	dns	dns	dns	dns	dns	dns	dns	55	622
80	GBR 2159	RUSSELL WARD	(dns)	dns	dns	dns	dns	dns	dns	dns	dns	648