PRO-SET epoxy and Ovington Boats joint sponsors of International OK Dinghy 2023 Worlds

2022 OK Dinghy European Championship, Bandol, France © Robert Deaves

PRO-SET® epoxy is sponsoring the upcoming International OK Dinghy 2023 World Championships, to be held at Lyme Regis Sailing Club 22-30 June 2023. The event - consisting of ten races - is expected to attract over 100 competitors from New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Demark, Holland, Sweden, France and Norway among other nations.

PRO-SET is a title sponsor, alongside Ovington Boats. The North Shields based boatbuilder has made Ovington OK Dinghies since 2017 and used PRO-SET formulations in each one since 2020.

The OK Dinghy has a growing international fleet and boats are currently sailed in more than 21 countries. The class attracts many of the most talented and elite sailors to compete in an extensive annual calendar of national and international events. Hosting the world championships in the UK is set to benefit the class as a whole. There's high interest in the sailing community about the dinghies which are enjoying a strong resurgence not only at competitive, but also at recreational, level.

"This is set to be an excellent championship," says Ian Oliver, MD Wessex Resins and Adhesives (the company which makes PRO-SET products under license from Gougeon Brothers Inc), "and we're delighted to be joint title sponsors alongside Ovington Boats, one of our hugely respected customers. PRO-SET resin - hardener combinations have played an integral part in the making of so many of the competitors' boats. There's something undeniably special about watching top sailors showcase their talent, tenacity and boats while knowing you've helped them to get there."

"It's fantastic to have the championships in the UK," says Chris Turner, MD Ovington Boats. "It's a breath of fresh air. Hosting the championships in the UK has also had the benefit of invigorating the British fleet. There have been loads more boat sales and interest." He says that Lyme Regis is: "one of the best places to sail in the world. It's a fantastic venue for the event."

"We love that the competition will be bringing such a high-quality international fleet to Lyme Regis," continues Ian Oliver. "The racing is set to be nail biting and thrilling. It'll be brilliant to see so many Ovington OK Dinghies out there as they are all laminated with PRO-SET epoxy resin, as are many others. We've been working with Chris and the team for three years and couldn't be prouder of yet another association with a top-quality brand using our top-quality products to ensure their boats are the best that they can possibly be."

The Ovington OK Dinghy is built from CNC hull, deck, centreboard and rudder moulds. This allows the best finish possible with the most accurate, consistent build. Ovington offers a complete, ready to sail OK with masts sourced from Ceilidh in the Netherlands, booms from Allen Brothers (UK) or Art of Racing (New Zealand) and sails from North Sails or HD, among others.

Chris Turner says the company has built over 160 OK Dinghies since he first discovered the joy of sailing them in New Zealand in 2017. PRO-SET products are now used on all Ovington's OK Dinghies mouldings. "Essentially it's in the entire product, the complete boat is made using PRO-SET epoxy."

He moved Ovington to use products made by Wessex Resins (also WEST SYSTEM® and Entropy Resins®) as he'd used them previously before joining Ovington and had not experienced any issues. And now he says: "The level of quality control over the last couple of years allows us to have consistently well-built products. We are indebted to Wessex Resins and in particular David Johnson for the time spent with them in their lab working with the PRO-SET products."

The International OK Dinghy 2023 World Championships will be held at Lyme Regis Sailing Club 22-30 June 2023. More information is available online at 2023.okworlds.org.