2002 World Championship, Napier, New Zealand

To Results

January 12th – 19th

Practice Race:

Silly conditions, no wind at stages, only 11 finished, first just 10 minutes from the 3h Time Limit.

Day one:

Race one by: Greg Wilcox (NZL):

Jim Hong-chul (KOR) led the first race from the start from young Richard Barker (NZL). Jayson Herbert (NZL) rounded the first mark third and Greg Wilcox (NZL) was fourth round. Herbert was fastest down the reaches and was second around the bottom mark. The variable wind also caused some very large windshifts. Bart Bomans (BEL) was also fast downwind and had moved up to fourth by the leeward mark, with Karsten Hitz (GER) close on his transom. Jin sailed well up the second beat and opened up a large lead followed by Richard Barker, Jayson Herbert and Greg Wilcox. The Korean went on to win comfotably from Richard and Greg with Russell Wood (NZL) jusy finishing ahead of Karsten Hitz.

Race two by Karsten Hitz (GER):

The Pacific Ocean is endless and we are racing in a small corner of it. At the windward mark Russell Wood was leading the fleet in front of Greg Wilcox and Karsten Hitz in third. Many changes in wind speed and direction later, Greg Wilcox and Karsten Hitz led around the last leeward mark with a comfortable lead. However a 60 degree windshift up the final beat changes the places to leave Russell Wood the winner and Jin Hong-chul in second.

Day two:

Race three (by Andrew Phillips)

Wednesday’s one race saw the Kiwi team in fine form finishing 1, 2, 3,4. The race was sailed in a light and variable north-easterly sea breeze. Paul Rhodes (NZL) led the way around the course at every mark, holding his position fromm Andrew Phillips (NZL) and Dave Hoogenboom (NZL) in second and third. Hoogenboom showed blistering pace upwind and took the lead on the final beat to win the race from Rhodes and Phillips.
Overall, the Korean, Jin Hong-chul, is still leading the regatta and a 6th from Greg Wilcox moves him into second place overall. Another Kiwi, Russell Wood finished 10th in the race and is lying third overall.

Day three

Day three of the OK World Championships saw a light to moderate easterly with a tricky chop and numerous wind shifts, making testing racing for all competitors. With a different winner in every race so far, the overall winner is by no means clear and the contest is likley to go down to the wire.

Fourth race (by Thomas Hansson-Mild)

The fourth race got away at the second attempt in a light and variable breeze. The fleet divided early on with bunches going right and left. The two halves met up at the windward mark with Ian Neely (NZL) leading the bunch. The leading group had a small gap on thefollowing fleet.
The reaches were just about surfable and everyone kept their positionsgoing into the second beat. In fact the positions remained the same at the front throughout the race, although further down the often fitful wind created some large place changes.
Ian Neely led into the finish followed by Alistair Gair and Greg Wilcox. The Korean, Jin Hong-chul, tried to find speed in the corners without success, but did move up to third place. Neely was scored OCS and the Korean was later disqualified after a rule infringment at a mark.

Race five (by Richard Barker)

Race five was sailed in slightly more breeze althught just as shifty. Roger Blasse’s (AUS) perfect pin end start saw him round the top mark in second place just behind Richard Barker. Blasse showed considerable speed to overtake Barker on the run and went on to win the race comfortably.

Day four

Sixth race (by Dave Hoogenboom)

The sixth race started on the first attempt in a light variable sea breeze from the northeast. The fleet divided early and depended on whether those individuals believed the breeze was going to shift further to the right or back to the left. Initially the right paid however late in the first beat the breeze shifted back left with Greg Wilcox (NZL) coming through with a handy lead.
The reaches were just below surfing conditions and maitaining boat speed and catch waves was critical to retaining position at the bottom mark.
Greg extended his lead at the bottom followed by Paul Rhodes (NZL) Jorgen Lindhartsen (DEN) and Jin Hong-chul (KOR).
Greg, Paul and Jin maitained their positions at the top mark with David Hoogenboom (NZL) coming thru into fourth followed by Jorgen Lindhartsen.
Positions were again maintained at the bottom mark with the leading bunch going left to secure the left shifting breeze.
Greg Wilcox just held out Paul Rhodes by three boat lengths at the finish with Jin Hong-chul third Thomas Hansson-Mild coming through for fourth and David Hoogenboom fifth.
By winning this race Greg Wilcox became the 2002 OK Dinghy World Champion at the grand old age of 41, his 12th attempt at the title.

Day five

Race 7 Report, by Roger Blasse (AUS)

The breeze for the first time was blowing from the south at 180 degrees. Initially it promised to be a heavy air race with a few smiles on some of the larger competitors. As with all the other races very shortly after the start the breeze died. Nick Craig took the initial advantage up the first half of the beat. Unfortunately for Nick though the breeze shifted and the people that looked like dog tucker on the right got lifted up to the mark with Gauch (Paul Rhodes) leading at the top mark with Bart second.
The breeze continued to lighten off down the two reaches with the next beat being sailed in under 10 knots with 40 degree shifts. It was anyone’s race.
Bart took advantage of these tricky conditions to work his way to a handy lead by the second windward mark.
Down the run the breeze began to shift left and increased slightly.
There were no major positional changes down the run, but by the time the fleet reached the leeward mark the committee had already shifted the finishing line 40 degrees to the left.
Shortly after rounding the mark the breeze increased substantially and continued to rotate left as the ex-tropical low pressure system made its impact.
Alastair Gair, Roger Blasse and Gauch who made a short clearing tack after the leeward mark picked up on this shift early.
Bart and Nick Craig who continued on towards the right missed this opportunity and were passed. The breeze continued to increase to 25 knots with one leg to the finish line with few opportunities for passing.
Some of the fatter boys were happy to have some wind finally, although only for one beat.

Point System: “Olympic”: 1st=0; 2nd=3; 3rd=5,7; 4th=8; 5th=10; 6th=11,7; place+6