2000, Worlds Team, Great Britain

Report and results courtesy Greg Casey.

The OKs have moved to a new, improved system for Worlds qualification with it all taking place almost a year early giving people more time to plan their holidays, rather than the usual June panic! The qualifiers were the Nationals at Weymouth, the Inlands at Burton and Herne Bay. They were a close set of qualifiers with predominantly light airs, though finishing a glorious Sunday at Burton with lots of sun and wind.

The British team will consist of the top 15 boats from the qualifiers who want to make the trip to Leba in Poland. The OKs went there 10 years ago and had mixed fortunes with poor facilities made up for by cheap food & booze and a bronze medal for Hedley Fletcher.

The usual high quality limited entry fleet of 80 boats from around 15 countries is expected. The OK Worlds is a tough event with no Brit ever winning in 30 years of OK sailing. Next year, prospects look good with Nick Craig picking up a bronze at this years champs. He will have to get past reigning champion Peter Milne from Australia and European Champion and competitor in 4 Olympics Jorgen Lindhardsen from Denmark.

There is strength in depth in the British challenge with multiple medallist Hedley Fletcher and Dave Carroll both winning races at this years Worlds and Terry Curtis was in the top 10 most of the week.