The Thai Nationals was the second event sailed within 9 days for the OK’s, following the Varuna Open Masters.
As the organizers was keen to give the event a different flavor, the nationals comprised of 11 short and sharp races with lots of action at the mark roundings, whereas the Masters had fewer and longer courses.

The conditions facing the sailors for the Nationals were absolutely stunning with warm weather (as always), but with strong breeze up to 23 knots and sensational surfing conditions on the downwinds in wind over tide conditions. this also gave short relative short beats and down wind surfing for a longer time. Nick describes the conditions as some of the best in the world, and everybody enjoyed themselves tremendously.

On the last day the wind calmed down a bit, and this was enjoyed by some of the relative lightweights in the class. Female sailor Apple Asawawatanaporn got nice mid fleet finishes, and Neil Semple was a threat in the front where he added another 3rd to the one he got in strong conditions the previous day. In the front of the fleet, Lucas Collins showed how quick he could adapt from his usual Ilca and just seemed to get faster and faster each day. Had he sailed the first day he could have taken the title rather than 4th.

In total there were about 16 OK sailors in the two events, and this was seen as a huge success by the organizers – the Royal Varuna Yacht club and the Thai OK dinghy sailors society. The Thai secretary of OKDIA, Morten Jakobsen could not help but mention that only 3 years prior, there was only one active OK sailor in the club.

Day One
Good winds saw Nick Craig (GBR) in the lead with Morten Jakobsen (THA) and Chris Caldecoat (THA) snapping at his heels.
The eleven strong fleet started the first race of the regatta in robust wind. Apple Asawawatanaporn (THA) said “I think the wind was in the mid-teens coming in consistently from the south west.”
Indeed, the winds were so strong for some competitors that three boats had retired by the time of the third and final race of the first day.
But for those that managed to survive the conditions, there was close racing upwind and some great waves to surf downwind providing some passing lanes. Greg Florkow (THA) said “I rode one wave, then another, then a third and I wondered if it would continue or veer out of control”.
This OK Dinghy Thailand Nationals follows on from last year’s event, which was the first OK Dinghy Thailand Nationals in many decades. It marks a ramp up in interest in the boat in the country. The Royal Varuna Yacht Club hosts the OK Dinghy Worlds in February 2027.

Day Two
Blustery conditions again saw an unchanged top three with Nick Craig (GBR) in the lead and Morten Jakobsen (THA) and Chris Caldecoat (THA) in second and third.
The eleven strong fleet started the second day of the regatta in winds slightly stronger than on day one and with an out-going current to contend with on the start line.
Many sailors commented that the downwind legs were very exciting with plenty of waves to ride and some near capsizes avoided.
The race officer laid a slightly shorter windward leeward course than on the previous day as he had five races in mind. In the end four races were sailed. Several sailors nevertheless thought three races were enough for them and came in after race three.

Day Three
The final results were: Nick Craig (GBR) in 1st place, Morten Jakobsen (THA) 2nd place, Chris Caldecoat(THA) 3rd place, Lucas Collin (FRA) 4th place overall and first female was Apple Asawawatanaporn (THA).
Medium winds from the southwest greeted the fleet on the final day. The relatively early start of 1100 generated a few light hearted grumbles from some of the fleet. The warning signal on day one was a relatively sedate 1400 and on day two 1200.
The race officer laid an even slightly shorter windward leeward course even than on day two resulting in some congestion at the rounding marks and lots of shouting. Four races were completed on day three.
Novice OK Dinghy sailor Lucas Collin (FRA) improved during the regatta due to some tips from some of the leaders and indicated enthusiasm for the OK Dinghy Worlds due to be held at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club in February 2027.
At the closing ceremony, Morten Jakobsen extended thanks to European OK sailors who had donated equipment including sails to the Thai charter fleet.

For 2027, the plan will be to hold the same two events for OK’s immediately prior to the OK worlds (worlds dates 19-26 Feb 2027). Exact dates etc will follow, but if sailors get their boats early to Thailand before the worlds, there will be plenty of events to sail. One thing is certain: participants Gautam Dutte, Anthony and Nick Craig will be back in 27. There is also a demand for a training camp in Thailand late 2026, if charterboats can again be available.

Plc	Sail No	Club	Name	Natt	YOB	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	Total	Nett
1	GBR 2261	BURGHFIELD FRENSHAM LOS	NICK CRAIG		1974	2.0	1.0	1.0	2.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	(8.0)	4.0	3.0	2.0	26.0	18.0
2	444	RVYC	MORTEN JAKOBSEN		1965	1.0	(3.0)	2.0	1.0	2.0	3.0	3.0	3.0	2.0	2.0	1.0	23.0	20.0
3	218	RVYC	CHRIS CALDECOAT		1970	3.0	2.0	4.0	4.0	3.0	4.0	(DNC)	2.0	5.0	6.0	4.0	50.0	37.0
4		RVYC	LUCAS COLLIN		2008	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	3.0	5.0	2.0	2.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	3.0	57.0	44.0
5	THA 226	RVYC	NEIL SEMPLE		1961	6.0	6.0	3.0	5.0	6.0	8.0	(DNC)	4.0	3.0	4.0	5.0	63.0	50.0
6	AUS 785	FREMANTLE SAILING CLUB	ANTHONY GALANTE		1968	4.0	4.0	5.0	7.0	7.0	6.0	6.0	7.0	(9.0)	5.0	9.0	69.0	60.0
7	131	ROYAL BOMBAY YACHT CLUB	GAUTAMA DUTTA		1965	5.0	7.0	(DNC)	6.0	8.0	7.0	5.0	9.0	7.0	7.0	6.0	80.0	67.0
8	88	RVYC	MATT NORTON		1968	(DNF)	DNC	DNC	UFD	4.0	5.0	4.0	5.0	6.0	8.0	BFD	97.0	84.0
9	SWE 29	RVYC	GREG FLORKOW		1983	(DNS)	5.0	6.0	10.0	11.0	9.0	8.0	11.0	11.0	10.0	8.0	102.0	89.0
10	1315	RVYC	APPLE ASAWAWATANAPORN		1969	8.0	(RET)	DNC	9.0	12.0	11.0	9.0	6.0	8.0	9.0	7.0	105.0	92.0
11	315		FELIX		315	7.0	8.0	(DNC)	UFD	9.0	10.0	7.0	10.0	10.0	12.0	DNC	112.0	99.0
12	77	RVYC	JEROME COLLIN		1973	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	8.0	10.0	RET	DNC	12.0	12.0	11.0	DNC	131.0	118.0

DNC, RET, BFD etc: 13 pts

Bitterfeld, just north of Leipzig, was always known for huge holes in the ground for lignite mining, never for sailing. But as the old lignite mines are filling with water, there’s a new lake area around Bitterfeld now.
The Goitzschesee is now up to 75 meters deep and since 2005 open to the public.
The event startet with no wind on a typical autumn day for south east germany – no wind and no races.
On day two, Friday, 4 races were sailed to catch up with the lost Thursday, the wind hardly hit 10kn, but also never left completely.
On Saturday the forecast was up to 35kn of wind with a large depression passing over Germany. Many decided not to sail, but actually the wind was only in a few gusts reaching 20kn – so it was a nice sailing day after all.
The Sunday greeted the sailors with more wind than Saturday and the forecast of a lot of wind, so after a great Saturday party with live music, everyone involved decided it was better to call it a day – no more racing on Sunday.

Full gallery from YC Bitterfeld: https://www.flickr.com/photos/okdia/albums/72177720329512710/

DNF, DNC, DSQ, RET etc, : 68pts

National Yole OK 2025 Lacanau – Day 1
This year, no fewer than 23 participants came to Lacanau to compete in the National. For this first day, a west-northwest wind of around 15 to 20 knots was present. The wind dropped throughout the afternoon, ending in the third race at between 10 and 15 knots. In this day, Jean-Michel Roux was the most consistent, followed by Laurent Petetin and Tim Petetin. Note the presence of new faces in the series, such as Brice Zanusso and Gildas, who was unable to join us for this regatta. It’s time for the famous regional aperitif after this first day of racing. Tomorrow, strong conditions are forecast, ranging from 15 to 28 knots. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that a window opens in the afternoon.

National Yole OK 2025Lacanau – Day 2
Second epic day for this National! Despite difficult weather conditions (15 to 30 knots or more in squalls), the race committee and all the organizers managed to pull off a race. After a brief glimpse on land of about an hour, a window of opportunity appeared. Some of the competitors set sail. A large squall passed over the water, chilling part of the fleet. Seven sailors were close to the committee when a large squall arrived in the distance. After sheltering for a few moments near the Longarisse, only five sailors took the start in winds ranging from 20 to 30 knots. Tim PETETIN won ahead of Didier SOULIE and Pierre ARRIGHI, followed by Laurent PETETIN and Jean-Michel ROUX. Congratulations to the committee and the volunteers involved in the organization. It’s time for the racers’ meal, and a friendly atmosphere is the order of the day! This national race concludes tomorrow, with the start scheduled for 10:00 a.m.

National Yole OK 2025 Lacanau – Day 3
Last day of racing today. The boats are ready for launch at 10:00 a.m. this morning. The 23 competitors met at the starting line around 11:00 a.m. after a brief look ashore. A west wind, shifting to southwest, was present on the water throughout the day. The winds ranged from 10 to 18 knots. Alain Pavillon, the race committee, and his young and not-so-young volunteers, made it possible to complete no fewer than 5 races today! At the end of this beautiful day of racing, the podium for this national championship was as follows: 1st – Tim PETETIN 2nd – Jean Michel ROUX 3rd – Pierre ARRIGHI Special mention to Bob BUCHANAN who finished as the first legend of this championship! A rather windy championship that served as good preparation for the ACO World Championship. A big thank you to the race committee, Alain, as well as all the volunteers and the Lacanau-Guyenne club for organizing this wonderful event! See you next year!

Saturday was sunny with a few clouds and temperatures in the mid 20° C. The weather invited everyone to 4 races in 10-15 kn, increasing over the day with gusts up to 20 kn.
Sunday started overcast with a few rainy spells in the morning, in the course of the day that changed to a very sunny afternoon which made prize giving and packing a nice exercise. The four races on Sunday were sailed in 15 kn with gusts up to 19kn, decreasing slightly over the day. As often done at the dutch nationals, every competitor got a souvenir, in this case a nice piece of Gouda cheese and a Nut cake.
The club again proved to be a very welcoming host with good food and very friendly volunteers.
Racing in the southerly winds was mainly about finding the right side for the first big shift, sometimes that was the left side, but mainly the right side payed. Playing the shifts through the middle also worked sometimes. Stefan de Vries won all races convincingly.

Report by: Matt Norton, Photos by: Royal Varuna social media team

Friday was a practice day, with coach Nat (who is now official OK class measurer for Thailand) stepping into a boat for the last two races and winning !

On Saturday there were three races in 8-14 knots of wind. Whilst Morten Jakobsen won all three, Nitin Mongia (OK world champion in 2003) pushed him all the way, with close racing further down the fleet.

At the end of day 1, positions were Morten, Nitin and Matt Norton.

Enjoying a few sundowners after racing we were joined by our special guest Peter Cummins. Peter previously sailed an OK for 35 years and raced with the late King Rama 9 of Thailand.

Sunday brought a short delay whilst waiting for the wind, but when it came it was more of the same. Indeed the results were as well, except the top two retired from the last race giving Gautama Dutta the race win followed by Matt and Jerome Collins.

Overall Morten was 1st, with Nitin 2nd and Gautama 3rd.

A special mention goes to the European sailors who have donated boats, masts and sails to the OK fleet in Thailand, which is greatly helping in the revival of the OK fleet. Also to Move It who provided the shipping logistics of the sails to Thailand.

If you want warm weather sailing in the middle of the European winter, Royal Varuna will have a masters event (31 Jan – 2 Feb 2026) followed by the OK open nationals (6-8 Feb 2026).

Plus also the likelihood of holding the OK world championships in early 2027.

Results:

The first OK Dinghy Nationals  in the South Island since 1984 was held in Queen Charlotte Sound.

It attracted a competitive fleet of  31 boats from all over the country attended. Winds were 10 – 30 knots and according the locals not as shifty as usual, which came as a  surprise to those sailing.

The club did a superb job under commodore Meg Stechman and everyone had a great time. Sean was dominant discarding a second and good battles were had all through the fleet. Certainly a nationals to remember and savour.

Report by Eric Rone

The 2025 New Zealand OK Dinghy Nationals at Queen Charlotte Yacht Club, was the best championship regatta I have been to since my own boat club hosted the 2019 worlds. And that was not what I expected…

Queen Charlotte Yacht Club is in Picton on the northwest tip of the south island. They call it “The Sounds” and the racing area is in fjords. We all expected light and shifty racing in these fjords. I expected an adventure. There would be 31 boats. This would be  the first nationals on the south island since 1984. As we look back on this fantastic regatta, it was indeed an adventure, but will be remembered for the nine races in epic conditions followed by world class hospitality at the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club.

I arrived early and was able to sail for a couple of days before the regatta. The Paper Tiger Nationals was running concurrently and I was able to see the race course. The main thing I learned is that the race course was at least a 45 minute sail from the yacht club which was something we would have to manage. We would also have to sail into and out of very different breezes in our fjord from what we would be racing in. 

Day 1 started light but would see over 30 knots in the end. The first race got away in just under 10 knots. Sean Cleary (Wakatere) won from Steve McDowel(Worser Bay)l and both were a step ahead of the fleet. Scott Fyfe, Brett Linton, and Annebelle Rennie-Younger all got top ten finishes running Linton sails like Steve. Race 2 started in 12 knots of breeze. Steve got the jump and led until the top of the second beat. He failed to cover Sean and got stranded on the left side of the race course as a persistent 40 degree shift came. Sean won race 2 from Alistair Gifford and Paul Rhodes. Race 3 saw the RO move the race course…, and the arrival of big breeze. The race officer ran primarily triangle double windward leeward courses except for taking a leg off of a couple of races. They took just under an hour. Race 3 was boat end biased and took a couple of tries to get away. Steve had the bit in his teeth and won from Sean and Paul Rhodes. Alistair Gifford had swimming lessons. Oscar Paulich was having it and also had swimming lessons. Hans Van der wal, from QCYC, managed 11th. The race committee boat observed 29 knots through the race. Mike Kelly blew up his mast step and his regatta was over. The OK fleet had had a massive, seven hour day on the water.

We woke up the next morning in regatta mode. Trent Pryce and Chris Fenwick had both had all keepers. We were going to be on the big course. Everyone had realized that they did not need to leave the boat club. The commodore, Meg Stetchman, happens to be married to the 2014 OK dinghy world champion and had seen to everything. Bacon and egg sandwiches in the morning, and great dinners in the evening with the bar and views. Some of the athletes had discovered a handy hiking trail from the yacht club for the legs. Some of the athletes had discovered the Irish pub after burgers the night before. The racing on day 2  established a clear pecking order. Sean, Steve, and Alistair Gifford (representing QCYC) took all podium spots from the three races sailed. Rod Davis came 4th in each race. The rest of the fleet was in a battle. No one truly managed to come away with three keepers out of the day. Gordon Sims bested the contenders but still took 21 points from the three races. Alistair Deaves picked all the shifts on the last race of the day to come 8th. Alistair Gifford won his first tiki, winning the last race of the day. He would go on to win the first race of day 3 as well, and his performance would see him on the podium and affect the championship. 

Day 3 was championship day. We found ourselves in the area where the regatta began, but with a different and shifty breeze. There was tension in the air as the sailors did runs up and down trying to figure it out. I identified a bit of a trap before Race 7.  The top left of the course had a geographic right hand shift and a bit of velocity. I believe that this lured a lot of sailors to the left of the race course when it wasn’t really the thing to do. The thing to do was to pick shifts and to keep in mind that you were not necessarily going to get the same shift that you could see your friends in. The fjord that produced that trap also affected the reach. There was plenty of pressure to sail high on outside of the first reach and then take puffs back down. Alistair won Race 7 from Sean and Steve. Annebelle Rennie Younger came 5th with her brand new Leech hull and Linton sail. Race 8 saw Rod over early. This was a problem for him as he was carrying a 13th from day 1. I made it up the first beat in good shape and noticed both Rod and Steve buried in the back of the fleet. They both knew the situation…, and they both mounted unbelievable comebacks. Rod came 4th in race 8 putting him out of touch in 4th place overall. Steve managed to come back to second utterly focused on picking every shift and his hiking…, but it wasn’t enough. Sean Cleary had clinched the 2025 OK nationals with a race to spare never finishing worse than second. 

Sean’s goal going into the regatta was to be on the podium having come 4th at Nationals last year in Napier. I expected him to do well. What he has shown by winning this championship, is that there is a pathway to the top of this very competitive New Zealand OK fleet. We now look forward to Turangi, and the 2025 OK Dinghy Worlds in Lake Garda.

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

Sponsors:
Discount Yachting https://www.dyscmarine.com.au/
Sailing Raceboats https://www.sailingraceboats.com.au/

Belgiums biggest lake, the Plate de Taille promised very good Lake sailing conditions with 9-15 knots on both days. The Fleet was high level as several international sailors used the event as a warm up on their way south to Bandol for the Autumn Trophy and then on to the European Champs in Palma de Mallorca.

The race committee decided to not use the size of the lake, but instead just opted for short outer-loop courses of about 20 minutes.
On the plus side that allowed for finishing on sunday at 11:00 and an early leave for the Côte d’Azur for most internationals.

The first day, Friday, was blown out by the first autumn storm of the season, as a motorway bridge close by was closed for trucks and trailers, the race committee had AP up for most day but it was pretty clear to every competitor of the 5 competing nations, that there will be no racing and by 5pm the Anlegebier (back to shore beer) was delivered, followed by a buffet with enough food and selection thereof for everyone.

On day two, the wind was down to around 10-15kn with the occasional shower cloud passing with some 20kn+ gusts. Conditions were very shifty and having the windward mark in some races being pretty close to the shore with a high forest didn’t help much. Racing was quite close and 4 races with triangle-sausage-triangle were sailed. She big shifts sometimes made the start line very biased and in at least one race even the finish was only crossed on port. But with only occasional rain and cold but not too cold conditions it was a good day on the water. Followed of course by Anlegebier and a buffet with different selections again.

Sunday was even lighter and in the morning it didn’t looked very promising, but there were 2 races sailed in sometimes very patchy conditions and between 4-8kn of breeze. Shifts in some races were massive but short sailing on different tacks in the same direction was possible, but stying in the pressure was even more important that the shifts. Both races were shortened at the windward mark before the last triangle. The everyone had the idea of going home after the second race, there was still another race planned, but AP-A was hoisted shortly after everyone had sailed across the lake to the startling, just to beat up to the club again.

Overall it was a nicely organised event in a good location. There was enough space for cars, campervans and tents and even power supplied to whoever wanted. There was only one ramp and hardly wide enough for two boats though, so it took quite a while for close to 80 boats to launch. But all the other good facilities made up for that.

Overall ist was a very nice event and the storm passing by leaving confused wind patterns is not something in the power of the Race Committee yet.