Roger Blassé (L) David Ketteridge (R) Australian OK dinghy President. Credit: Andre Blassé
Roger Blassé Powering in 20 knots. 2025 OK Australian Championships. Credit: Nik Wallis
Roger Blassé Powering in 20 knots. 2025 OK Australian Championships. Credit: Nik Wallis

World Number 1 Roger Blassé wins unprecedented 12th title at 2025 OK Nationals.
BlackRock Yacht Club, January 4 -7

Roger Blassé has taken out the Discount Yachting 2025 Australian OK dinghy Championships hosted by Black Rock Yacht Club on Port Phillip Bay.
Scheduled for 8 races over 4 days, the weather was against PRO Kevin Wilson and his experienced team. With a glass out for day 1 on Port Phillip Bay extending from the City to Sorrento, and with a strong easterly forecast for day 4 of the regatta, it was a smart call by Kevin to compress 6 races into days 2 and 3 of the regatta.
Day 2, Race 1: Following a short delay ashore under AP, the fleet left the beach in a light and shifty northerly. Racing got underway for a clean start with New Zealand visitor, Simon Probert getting out fast with Tim Davies and Roger Blassé. The shifty northerly wind had a lot of potholes with the front runners playing the right-hand shore. Blassé finished 1st, followed by Probert and Davies.
Race 2 had similar conditions but positioning on the race course was crucial. The wind threatened to back into the west with a cool change, but stronger pressure was still coming off the shore in the east. 2024 Champion David Clark and Mark Jackson showed that minimising risk and sailing the middle was the way to go finishing 1st and 2nd, with Tim Davies again coming in 3rd.
Race 3 started in still shifty conditions but the backing breeze was now in full play as the change worked hard to fight the northerly. The left-hand side paid big time as everyone tacked at the bottom mark to chase the backing breeze into the west. Those caught on the right-hand side closest to the shore ran out of puff, which made the change in direction a double blow. Confusion reigned as the wind changed from north to south and back again, as the cold front fought to fill in. PRO Kevin Wilson shortened the course at the end of the square run as the fast-finishing fleet came home with the wind. Blassé and Jackson held off the fleet with Mark Freddy Phillips coming home for a 3rd. In what was a high scoring day, ever consistent Jackson lead at the conclusion of day 1 followed by Brett Morris and Davies.
Day 3 Race 4: With a cold southerly weather system now blowing 15-20 knots, the super gusty and shifty conditions gave plenty of opportunities and provided close racing throughout the fleet. Mike Williams and Tim Davies had plenty of pace, rounding together at the top mark with a chasing group of Mark Jackson, Brett Morris and Roger Blassé. Mike Williams held them off until the last run where the chasing group was able to overtake him down the square run, with Adelaide sailor Brent Williams taking the win from Blassé and Williams.
Race 5. With a building breeze consistent at 20 knots, Mike Williams led the fleet to the 1st mark and was never headed, taking out the 2nd race of the day. 2nd to sixth was super close, with Brent Williams 2nd, Roger Blassé 3rd and Brett Morris 4th finding his mojo in the breeze.
Race 6. With the increasing likelihood of racing being cancelled for the following day, it was important for the race management team to get 6 good races away, even though the weather was punishing for both the sailors and the volunteers on the safety boats. Mike Williams continued to sail fast in the breeze with another race win. Roger Blassé 2nd, his consistency now showing, Brett Morris with excellent speed in the breeze, finishing 3rd. The day will be remembered for the famous Port Phillip Bay waves at Black Rock, and the super-fast reaches.
Day 4. With the forecast easterlies hitting the Bay at 25 knots early in the morning and increasing throughout the day, it was clear no more racing would be held for the regatta.
Overall, it was two-time World Champion and current World Number 1, Roger Blassé, who claimed his unprecedented 12th Australian OK Dinghy Championship. Runner up was fellow Black Rock local Mark Jackson with Brett Morris from Sydney rounding out the podium in 3rd, both proving consistency in the difficult conditions on the 1st day was invaluable.
Thanks to PRO Kevin Wilson, and to everyone at Black Rock Yacht Club who ran the regatta seamlessly, and in trying conditions, to give a fair and memorable regatta.
The next major event for the OK Dinghy Class will be the World Championships in Lake Garda Italy, in September 2025, with an expected fleet of over 200 boats. The next Australian Championships will be at Fremantle Sailing Club in Western Australia from 18 to 25 January 2026.

1st Female: Pam Johnston
1st Veteran: Mike Williams
1st Grand Master: Bob Buchanan
1st Patrick Whittington Memorial (Handicap): Rhys Llewellyn

Pos Sail No Skipper Club Cat Nett Total Race 6 6/1/25
6 Jan 25
Race 5 6/1/25
6 Jan 25
Race 4 6/1/25
6 Jan 25
Race 3 5/1/25
5 Jan 25
Race 2 5/1/25
5 Jan 25
Race 1 5 Jan 25
5 Jan 25
1 AUS 1 Roger Blasse BRYC Master 9 26 2 3 2 1 (17) 1
2 AUS 8 Mark Jackson Black Rock Yacht Club Master 18 25 (7) 5 4 2 2 5
3 AUS779 Brett Morris Woollahra sailing club Master 23 31 3 4 7 (8) 5 4
4 AUS 5 Brent Williams Adelaide Sailing Club Master 24 36 4 2 1 5 12 (12)
5 AUS825 Mike Williams Indented Head YC Veteran 25 55 1 1 3 4 (30) 16
6 Aus15 David Clark WSC Master 27 44 5 6 6 (17) 1 9
7 AUS10 Tim Davies SLMASC Master 27 39 9 7 5 (12) 3 3
8 AUS 790 Jon Ward ASC Master 46 61 8 11 10 (15) 4 13
9 NZL 55 Simon Probert Wakatere Boating Club Master 50 92 (42 DNF) 10 9 10 19 2
10 AUS765 Ben Sharp WSC Open 51 70 6 13 8 11 13 (19)
11 AUS47 Brendon Green Fremantle Sailing Club Veteran 60 97 10 12 13 (37) 11 14
12 AUS778 Daen Dorazio Black Rock Yacht Club Veteran 61 84 19 18 (23) 6 7 11
13 AUS798 Folkert Janssen BRYC Veteran 61 77 13 (16) 12 13 8 15
14 AUS694 Gary McLennan Black Rock YC Master 63 84 14 15 (21) 14 10 10
15 AUS 802 John Condie DSC Master 64 88 12 9 18 19 (24) 6
16 AUS 773 David Ketteridge Adelaide Sailing Club Master 65 83 18 8 16 (18) 6 17
17 AUS 735 Matt Johnson Black Rock Yacht Club Veteran 75 97 15 14 11 (22) 15 20
18 AUS748 Pam Johnston DSC Veteran 85 115 25 27 (30) 9 16 8
19 AUS776 Grant Wakefield Drummoyne SC Master 87 129 (42 DNF) 24 15 16 14 18
20 AUS734 Rhys Llewellyn DSC Veteran 95 131 16 19 14 (36) 20 26
21 AUS4 Peter Robinson DSC Master 105 147 42 DNC (42 DNF) 25 7 9 22
22 AUS 7 Glenn Williams Adelaide Sailing Club Master 107 149 11 21 (42 DNF) 24 21 30
23 AUS 6 Bob Buchanan Port Cygnet Sailing Club Grand Master 108 141 20 23 22 21 22 (33)
24 AUS780 David Haseldine Drummoyne Sailing Club Master 109 151 21 20 17 (42 DNF) 28 23
25 AUS818 Jim Dwyer Drummoyne Veteran 119 161 (42 DNF) 17 20 30 27 25
26 AUS762 Anthony Johnston DSC Veteran 121 150 23 22 24 27 25 (29)
27 AUS14 Christopher Visick BRYC Veteran 125 160 17 29 19 (35) 33 27
28 AUS787 Sean Homan Adelaide SC Grand Master 126 155 26 28 28 (29) 23 21
29 AUS 808 Mark Phillips Grand Master 129 171 42 DNC 42 DNC (42 DNC) 3 18 24
30 AUS 759 Rik Thompson Tweed Valley Sailing Club Master 147 186 22 26 29 38 (39) 32
31 AUS753 Bruce Schofield Wangi Amateur sailing club Master 148 188 24 25 26 33 40 (40)
32 AUS823 Stephen Wilson Black Rock Yacht Club Veteran 152 194 42 DNC 42 DNF (42 DNC) 32 29 7
33 AUS740 Luke Cromie BRYC Veteran 156 198 42 DNC (42 DNF) 31 23 26 34
34 AUS13 Ashley Parkinson BRYC Veteran 162 204 27 42 DNS (42 DNF) 31 31 31
35 AUS814 Matthew Mitchell Canberra Yacht club Master 165 207 42 DNC (42 DNF) 32 20 34 37
36 AUS 822 Don Williams BLACK ROCK Master 171 213 42 DNC (42 DNF) 27 26 37 39
37 AUS 761 paul richards Hampton Sailing Club Master 174 216 42 DNC (42 DNC) 33 28 35 36
38 AUS785 Anthony Galante Fremantle Sailing Club Master 178 220 42 DNC 42 DNC (42 DNC) 34 32 28
39 AUS 3 Grant Durran RGYC Veteran 185 227 42 DNC 42 DNC (42 DNF) 25 38 38
40 AUS 760 Matt Edmonds Drummoyne Sailing Club Master 194 236 42 DNC 42 DNC (42 DNF) 39 36 35
41 AUS750 Blake Russell DSC Open 210 252 42 DNC 42 DNC 42 DNC 42 DNC 42 DNC (42 DNC)

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