Australian OK Dinghy Nationals at Black Rock Yacht Club

Australian OK Dinghy Nationals at Black Rock Yacht Club - Overall

by Robert Deaves 3 Jan 2019 13:12 GMT 28 December 2018 - 3 January 2019

The 57th Australian OK Dinghy National Championship ended with two really tricky light wind races that left the regatta leaders struggling and picking up high scores.

However Roger Blasse, from the host club, Black Rock YC, survived to take his 11th Australian title. Mark Jackson secured second, while Brent Williams took a close third from Race 10 winner, Tim Davies. The first race of the day went to Grant Wakefield.

The final day was another day for the lightweights. An earlier start and the beginnings of a sea breeze was enough for the Race Officer to send the fleet out in 2 to 4 knots for the scheduled midday start. Two races were scheduled with a cut off time of 15.00.

Roger Blasse, 2019 Australian OK Dinghy National Champion - photo © Lara Blasse

Race nine belonged to three Kiwi expats, who seem to have an affinity for light winds. But it took several false starts and a 45-minute postponement to get the race away in a very light south-westerly breeze. It eventually started cleanly under Black Flag and the fleet split and pressed upwind in 6 to 8 knots. Initially the right looked great, then the middle and finally the left.

At the top mark it was a very different leading group with Peter Robinson, AUS 774, leading Kelvin Holdt, AUS 708, Grant Wakefield, AUS 776, David Ketteridge, AUS 725, Shane Smith, AUS 33 and Elizabeth Williams, AUS 759. Only Tim Davies, AUS 779, from the 'heavy weights' was with the group. Regatta leader Roger Blasse, AUS 749, was buried very deep. It turned into a great light weather tactical race in a very slowly building breeze. Wakefield passed Robinson down the run to round the last mark in front and lead up to the finish. Holdt also snuck in front of Robinson to get second with Ketteridge in fourth.

Tim Davies leads Shane Smith - Australian OK Dinghy Nationals, Final Day - photo © Lara Blasse

Wakefield said, "After my third place in the invitation race, I knew I had good boat speed in the 5-8 knot range and so did my best to find a clear lane off the start and just worked on letting the boat have good speed and working the lifts to find myself in third behind Kelvin and Peter at the top mark. From there I got past Kelvin on the first reach and held that to the bottom mark and then followed Peter to the top. We're were all still very close but I managed to sail through Peter on the square run to round the last mark in the lead. From there I just had to keep the cover and avoid the wind shadow from the fleet approaching the bottom mark."

"I'm very happy to have my first nationals heat win and to move up to 10th overall."

With Roger Blasse back in 13th and Jackson in 8th, they had both done enough to secure first and second, though they both eventually discarded this race. However with Brent Williams in 10th, the points for third had suddenly closed up.

Brent Williams, third overall - Australian OK Dinghy Nationals, Final Day - photo © Lara Blasse

The sea breeze was continuing to build and at 14.25 the Race Officer was keen to go into sequence, immediately raising the Black Flag and the fleet got away cleanly at 2.30 with half an hour to spare before the cut off. Jackson and Davies fought for the pin, but it was Davies showing great speed out to the left in the 10 to 12 knot southerly. Davies rounded first, with Brent Williams close behind in second. Both were racing for third place over all, so were keen to keep close together. Roger Blasse had a good first beat and was in the mix along with Grand Masters leader Bruce Ashton and Robinson.

The second beat was again very tactical on the shifting and settling breeze and it appeared certain the conditions experienced yesterday were not going to be repeated. In the end Davies held on to win from a very close battle between Blasse and Williams, Williams getting the honours. Blasse crossed third, followed by Robinson and Holdt with fellow under 80 kg class members Gary McLennan, AUS 678 in sixth, and Shane Smith, AUS 33 in seventh.

Mark Jackson, second overall - Australian OK Dinghy Nationals, Final Day - photo © Lara Blasse

Davies commented, "Really pleased to finish the regatta on a high note, with a win. Today I had to balance the chance of catching Brent with the risk of a bad race, which could allow the guys behind me to catch up. The BFD earlier in the regatta meant I couldn't make any mistakes."

"I felt that I did as well as could given the circumstances. Brent sailed really well to stay in touch. It was a great contest. Now the focus is the Worlds in a few weeks time. It's going to be lots of fun."

Jackson finished the week with two eighth places. "Very tough day for me and a hard way to end a ten race series with my two worst results. I actually thought I sailed quite well but it was such a perfect light wind day, the under 80 kg sailors were just fast. They are all great sailors from the front to the back, so when they get their conditions, it is a great leveller."

"Roger was dominant. Over ten races he won seven. I thought my regatta management was good, but Roger was just better. But I was happy to finish in front of Brent and Tim as they are really tough to beat."

"I loved yesterday, not so much today. My gear is good and locked in, VYS Delfs, C-Tech mast and Turtle sails."

Grant Wakefield crosses David Ketteridge - Australian OK Dinghy Nationals, Final Day - photo © Lara Blasse

While the OK Dinghy nationals have ended, Black Rock YC has a few days respite before hosting the Ronstan Australian Finn Nationals next week, an event in which Jackson is also competing.

"I start the Finn Nationals on Tuesday. I am looking to take a few races off the top guys... just kidding. Finn sailing is fun for me. No expectations."

For the OK Dinghy fleet, next stop is the World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand, which has attracted an entry of more than 110 boats. Around 20 Australian boats are now being packed in containers to send across the Tasman for the start of the championship in early February.

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	Pts
1	AUS749	Grinch	R Blasse	BRYC	1	1	1	1	1	2	1	1	[13]	3	12
2	AUS768	Out in the Street	M Jackson	Black Rock Yacht Clu	2	2	5	3	5	1	2	2	[8]	8	30
3	AUS754	Gunboat Diplomat	B Williams	Adelaide Sailing Clu	3	7	3	2	9	5	5	3	[10]	2	39
4	AUS779	GT	T Davies	WASC	6	5	2	[42B]	2	3	8	8	6	1	41
5	AUS774	Smokin' Hot	P Robinson	DSC	10	9	[22]	5	7	7	10	12	3	4	67
6	AUS744	Max Power	M Horvath	Black Rock YC	7	3	11	6	4	8	6	9	[22]	16	70
7	AUS778	Jimmy Wong	J Bevis	SASC	[30]	11	10	7	3	10	7	5	12	12	77
8	AUS730	Time Out	M Williams	BRYC & RGYC	4	4	14	4	11	4	3	[42F]	23	13	80
9	AUS033	cOKe	S Smith	Southport Yacht Club	11	[20]	4	8	10	9	14	14	4	7	81
10	AUS776	Space Monkey	G Wakefield	Drummoyne SC	15	10	6	9	12	14	15	[42F]	1	10	92
11	AUS708	Green Eggs and Ham	K Holdt	Southport Yacht Club	[22]	14	8	10	13	13	17	11	2	5	93
12	AUS719	Dilligaf!!	G Williams	Big river saili g cl	9	8	19	13	6	11	11	7	16	[22]	100
13	AUS729	Ironhide	A Blasse	BRYC	5	6	[42U]	42B	8	6	4	6	18	24	119
14	AUS741	Turkish Delight	S Wilson	Black Rock Yacht Clu	12	15	18	15	21	12	9	4	[24]	19	125
15	AUS678	Ichy Sphincter	G McLennan	Black Rock Yacht Clu	17	16	13	14	[22]	22	18	20	9	6	135
16	AUS735	Think Positive	D Dorazio	Black Rock Yacht Clu	24	[42U]	7	21	16	23	13	13	14	9	140
17	AUS728	Bowfinger	B Ashton	Black Rock Y C	21	17	12	16	14	19	21	[42C]	11	11	142
18	AUS756	Made Near Australia	N Bennett	Black Rock YC	8	12	20	11	[42C]	42C	12	10	19	18	152
19	AUS766	Bundy	B Buchanan	Huon Yacht Club	13	[22]	17	17	15	16	19	21	20	17	155
20	AUS758	Monkey Trunks	C Visick	BRYC	14	18	15	12	18	20	[33]	17	21	21	156
21	AUS782	Dark & Stormy	D Vincent	Southport Yacht Club	16	19	9	20	17	[27]	16	22	17	23	159
22	AUS725	Joan's Respite	D Ketteridge	Adelaide Sialing Clu	19	24	16	18	33	24	[42F]	19	5	14	172
23	AUS759	Shades of Grey	E Williams	Southport	27	21	21	19	19	15	30	[42F]	7	15	174
24	AUS727	tightsqueeze	D Williams	Black Rock	18	13	23	26	23	18	23	15	[37]	20	179
25	AUS733	Temporary Amnesia	R Ekberg	BRYC	28	29	24	[31]	25	21	22	18	29	25	221
26	AUS784	Toxic	D WIDDY	Southport Yacht club	23	[42F]	26	22	27	25	28	23	25	28	227
27	AUS767	Pleasure / Pain	A Thyrd	DSC	31	27	[36]	28	20	17	20	27	35	26	231
28	AUS688	Shakey	D Haseldine	DSC	25	25	30	25	28	[31]	24	16	28	31	232
29	AUS755	GREY MATTER	S Moore	BRYC	29	28	25	27	26	26	32	24	[33]	32	249
30	AUS77	Plum	D Kurz	BRYC	26	26	35	23	24	28	25	[42C]	31	35	253
31	AUS722	Hot Rod	M Fry	TBA	[38]	35	33	24	30	32	26	26	26	38	270
32	AUS706	Smoke on the Water	E Thompson	Southport	34	34	31	30	29	[36]	29	28	30	34	279
33	AUS777	Chasing Endorphins	J Sammons	Black Rock Yacht Clu	35	30	37	33	31	29	27	[42F]	32	27	281
34	AUS740	Blue	R Furneaux	Black Rock YC	20	23	29	[42F]	42F	42C	42C	42C	15	33	288
35	AUS720	Flash	M Flavell	BRYC	[36]	33	34	34	35	33	31	25	36	36	297
36	AUS715	Think Big	L Cromie	BRYC	33	31	32	32	32	30	35	[42F]	38	37	300
37	AUS736	The Phantom	M Walker	Drummoyne	37	32	27	[42F]	36	34	34	42C	34	29	305
38	AUS685	OK Naki	E Hutcheson	Southport Yacht Club	39	[42C]	28	29	34	42F	42F	42C	27	30	313
39	AUS713	Myuna bay	K Williamson	Black rock yacht clu	32	36	38	35	37	35	36	[42C]	39	39	327
40	AUS717	OFF KUT	B Schofield	WASC	40	37	39	36	38	37	37	[42F]	42F	40	346
41	AUS732	Squid grip	B Downey	Southport yacht club	[42C]	42C	42C	42C	42C	42C	42C	42C	42C	42C	378