2004 British Weekend Regattas

2004 British Airways Open

21st March 2004
Report and results courtesy Roger Cooper.

Probably because of forecast gale-force SW winds, the turnout for the 1st OK open meeting of the year was greatly reduced from normal. With a recorded gust of 53 knots just before the first race, your correspondent Roger Cooper had a wave of “discretion” so this report was written after having enjoyed the comfort of the Clubhouse for most of the day!!

Race 1 got underway in a moderating force 5 and Nick Craig got away first, followed by Malcolm Wenman and then Derek Lovergrove. In ever rising winds, Nick pulled out a good lead, but the order behind him didn’t change, so they finished Nick 1st, Malcolm 2nd and Derek 3rd.

After a good lunch our heroes went out again for Race 2 in much the same conditions, albeit there had been some tempting sunny intervals when wind speeds temporarily moderated, rather deceivingly. The order off the start line was Nick, Derek and Malcolm, which remained until about half distance, when Derek fell in, allowing Malcolm through for a finishing order of Nick 1st, Malcolm 2nd and Derek 3rd .

Undaunted, our fearless sailors set our for Race 3 whilst the Wanderers had abdondoned. Half way through the race, the most horrendous squall swept across the lake, and even Nick was knocked down a couple of times, but got up to finish and win. During the squall, Derek capsized at a leeward mark and his boat was driven onto a lee shore and he thereby retired, and Malcolm chose discretion and came in to retire, but thereby retaining his record of remaining upright all day. Testimony to the excellent build quality of OKs is that there was no gear failure all day, with the new carbon masts being given a torture test!

So with Nick having sailed a Master Class in strong wind sailing, and Malcolm and Derek bravely contesting the other two places, the final overall positions were:-

1. Nick Craig 2110
2. Malcolm Wenman 2042
3. Derek Lovegrove 2104

British Airways race team set some very good courses using all points of their lake, and with some fantastic looking reaches, and also provided excellent rescue boat cover. With good facilities on and off the water and some tasty catering, I am sure that with a kinder forecast we will see much better numbers turn up for the start of the 2005 season.

2004 OK World Qualifier at Dabchicks

27/28 March 2004

The first qualifier for the 2005 OK Dinghy World Championships took place at Dabchicks Sailing Club at West Mersea over the weekend of 27/28 March. After the previous weekend’s gales, 24 boat made it to the start line for two days of light southwesterlies and some interesting tidal race on the Blackwater Estuary.

With the Worlds in the UK later in the summer, most of the fleet are gearing up and proving to be competitive. After some inconsistent results in 2003, Jim Hunt, found some speed this weekend to win each and every race by a substantial margin, although he did get an OCS in race three for being over enthusiastic at the start.

Five times National Champion Nick Craig, sailing his aptly named boat "Smells r’us", had to settle to second place overall, getting his only win when Hunt scored OCS.

David Carroll scored two third places on the Saturday but an early swim and an imminent baby on Sunday saw him heading home early. Will Turner also had the misfortunate the lose his mast step on the start of race three and retired from the series.

Going into the last race, Hunt couldn’t afford any mistakes and started conservatively mid line. Robert Deaves won the pin end to lead out on port with Craig playing catch up. These three arrived at the windward mark more or less together, but Hunt soon built up a lead that Craig couldn’t catch. The next three – Deaves, Terry Curtis and John Ball – battled it out neck and neck for the next five laps. Curtis eventually got past Deaves on the penultimate lap to place third in the race and the meeting. After a consistent weekend, the rejuvenated John Ball finished in fourth place.

2004 Easter Egg Trophy at Waldringfield

10th / 11th April 2004

The traditional OK Easter Egg Trophy weekend – with real Easter Eggs as prizes saw a small but select group of boats battle around some interesting courses in generally light and variable winds.

Saturday saw the best of the wind with gusts up to 15 knots, but also numerous calms and shifts. David Carroll stamped his authority on this race winning with ease from Dan Ager and Paul Jewby who was sporting a new carbon rig and had clearly gained some speed in the breeze. Race two saw a circuit around the island. Ager led early on and was soon passed by Carroll. Late arriver Terry Curtis found the lead twice but only lost it once and led to the finish. Ager was third.

Sunday saw very light winds and some long legs against the strong flood tide. Once again Carroll led followed by Curtis and Ager. Robert Deaves, who was over at the start, took a risky inshore leg with centreboard up to beat the tide and emerged at the next mark in second place. Carroll and Deaves sailed clear of the fleet to finish with yards of each other. Some way back, Curtis finished third. The fourth race was a typical Waldringfield race with long, long beats against the tide. Deaves won the start and took the early advantage tacking along the shore to lead round the first mark. A risky choice up the next beat split the fleet in two, but Deaves and Carroll emerged ahead and built up a considerable lead round the windward mark tidal gate. Apart from briefly losing the lead at the leeward mark, Deaves covered Carroll tack for tack up the final beat to win by 5 boatlengths. Some way back, Ian Harris was third. Monday’s racing was cancelled through lack of a consistent breeze which left the results as:

Great Britain, World Qualifier at Felixstowe Ferry SC 2004

26th / 27th June 2003
by Nick Craig

The OK class had its second qualifier for the World Championships in Denmark next year at the friendly Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club with 24 entrants travelling from all over the country. It was also a good warm up for the big events next month – the National & World Championships at Parkstone.

The opening day saw near pefect conditions for OK sailing with force 3-4 and rolling waves making for great downwind sailing. Dave Carroll used his local knowledge to the full to go hard left up the 1st beat and pick up some favourable tide. Jim Hunt steadily closed the gap until Carroll again judged the tide just right on the run to open up the gap but Hunt showed new found downwind speed on the reeches to take the win from Carroll. Terry Curtis was not far behind in 3rd with Nick Craig just ahead of close finshiing Dave Rose and Andy Rushworth.

Hunt made no mistake in race 2 leading from start to finish. Curtis showed good speed to finish 2nd ahead of Carroll. Craig and Rushworth were OCS giving Rose 4th, sailing fast with a metal mast, ahead of Jon Fish showing his best performance so far in the OK with a 5th.

After many pints of the local ales, the fleet were happy to see slightly less wind & sunshine on sunday, a ripping tide again and tricky sailing as the wind was very unstable. Carroll again used his local knowledge seemingly heading out to sea on the 1st beat with the tide against but he knew something as he opened up a large lead with Julian Burnham, Alex Scoles and Paul Pike also picking up on this to enjoy a taste of the front of the fleet. Hunt led from the right side and picked up a huge band of new wind on the 2nd beat to take the lead and the event with a race to spare. Carroll held a comfortable 2nd while Craig pulled through to 3rd with Andy Turner and Mike Edwards sniffing the shifts well to hold on to 4th and 5th.

Race 4 was a race officers mare with the wind shifting all over the place but after a competitive generall recall the fleet got away with some excellent waves building. Hunt took an early lead but Craig showed good downwind speed to take the lead and just hold it after an exciting match race into the finish. Curtis and Carroll had an equally close tussle for 3rd which Curtis won. Fish again showed his windier weather pace to take 5th so just beating Rushworth for 5th overall.

So next event is the Nationals at Parkstone on July 18-20 which should be very competitive, especially with 30+ overseas boats expected to join in ahead of the Worlds.

2004 Ardleigh

September 4th
by Robert Deaves

Eleven OKs competed for the Ardleigh SC OK open on September 4th in light and very variable winds. The racing was characterised by large shifts and even larger holes in the wind as all the competitors struggled to find any sort of consistent direction. However, Neil Goodhead, used to the shifty winds of South Staffs SC won the first and last races, battling in these two races with Will Turner from Ardleigh.

The second race was more of a challenge for them, scoring 7th and 6th respectively, after a major shift out of the start put them at the back. Race two was finally won by Robert Deaves after a hard battle with John Charlton. Charlton took the early lead, but was caught by Deaves on the second lap. Every time Deaves closed the gap, Charlton came back. The gap between then at the finish was less than a boatlength.

Deben 2004

Deben Yacht Club
by Robert Deaves

The OK fleet reconvened on Sunday afternoon at the picturesque Deben Yacht Club in Woodbridge. Sailed in slightly more wind than Saturdays Ardleigh open but equally as shifty, Goodhead started where he had left off the day before, leading the first race. However a navigation error let Deaves through and then Curtis passed him to take the win. Ball pipped Deaves at the last mark to take third. Goodhead didn’t make any more mistakes, finding enough wind at just the right time to beat the strong tide and take two more wins by large margins.

A second for Curtis in race two left him second overall while Mike Edwards’s second place in the last race moved him up to third overall.