OK Nationals – Dabchicks SC written by the OK fleet members
40 OKs arrived on Saturday for Day 1 of this year’s OK Dinghy nationals at Dabchicks S.C. kindly supported by Synergy Marine, Hiking Bench and English Braids. They were greeted by a solid westerly F3 and punchy tide. The racing was really high quality with some new faces making a welcome entry into the class. Race 1 got away cleanly with despite a wind shift induced heavy pin-end bias and biased beat, with the fleet tacking onto port off the line for a drag race to the windward mark. Jon Fish came off the pin to lead from Jim Hunt and Will Turner at the first mark. Andy Couch (of Phantom fame) rounded 4th with reigning champ Robert Deaves and former champ Terry Curtis just behind. Unusually, Fish managed to not swim and went on to win from Hunt. Deaves and Curtis had come through to 3rd and 4th downhill and kept these two places to the finish, with 2012 champ Lee Child pulling through the fleet to score 5th just in front of Charlie Cumbley who’s starting to get to grips with the OK (ominous). Race 2 The second race of the day was a rather short affair with the breeze increasing to a F4 and the strong flood tide helping the tired legs up the beat. Rich Burton led from the pin end and tacked early enough to gain whilst Lee and Jim over stood the windward mark by some distance. Burt dropped down the placings on the first reach, with Fish getting through to 3rd, but with shifts and tidal variation ensuring the positions were never really settled. Jim held the lead with ease for the rest of the race, with Lee in 2nd. Deaves came through to take 3rd up the last beat, with Curtis 4th again and Burt finishing 5th The strong fleet is currently waiting for the breeze to moderate slightly to allow racing on Day 2 and looking forward to some blasting in the Blackwater estuary. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Race 3 Breeze on Photos from Hikingbench RIB Day two of the OK Dinghy Nationals dawned with an average wind speed of 25 and gusting 32 knots which prompted a two hour postponement ashore. The racing got underway at 14:30 with a more steady 25 knots under an incoming tide. Those who started at the pin came out smiling at the windward mark due to increased tide at the left side of the course. Will Turner led the charge with an impressive lead followed by Charlie Cumbley and Jim Hunt. A tight pack behind blasted down the reach and places 4, 5, 6 and 7 were all within two boat lengths come the very choppy gybe mark. The top 10 remained tight for all of the race considering the freshness of the breeze. The next drama was to be had on the third lap again at the gybe mark of doom with increased pressure just as Cumbley and Turner arrived. The ‘wind over tide’ in the deepest part of the Blackwater had created a steep chop with just 3 feet between each wave making the timing of the gybe extremely difficult. They both managed to delay their gybes long enough for the gust to pass but had lost 100 yards or so over Hunt. Many a capsize were to be had here across the 40 boat fleet; Richard Burton being the highest place swimmer who went from 8th to 18th in one acrobatic move. The lead swapped a couple of times and it ended with a photo finish and neither knowing who had won until ashore, but it was Cumbley from Turner. Jim Hunt was a solid third and Jon Fish found an extra yard of place and just took Andy Couch on the line for fourth. The 2nd race of the day was cancelled so the fleet look forward to 3 races tomorrow with an earlier start time which combined with a hard day’s racing today might reduce the beer intake tonight. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hunt remains the man to beat, extending his lead today but with three different race winners so far and some still finding their feet, everything is still up for grabs. Hunt closes in on first OK Dinghy National title Jim Hunt has taken a six point lead at the OK Dinghy National Championships after three more races in a very unstable breeze at Dabchicks Sailing Club, with just two more races to go on Tuesday to complete the series. The fleet was sent out early in more moderate conditions for 3 races, with 3 different winners. Race 4 started in a F3 with the bulk of the fleet taking the left route towards the tide which looked good for the first half of the beat, but ultimately a 15 degree shift right meant that side paid, and Andy Couch rounded ahead of Richard Burton and Simon Cox with Robert Deaves and Jim Hunt making the most of the left hand side. Couch led from start to finish despite the 107 kg Burton chasing him hard. Cox and Hunt overtook Burton up the second beat, but unfortunately Cox was forced to retire injured at the end of the run, allowing Hunt to move into second before a strong finishing Burton took second at the finish. Lee Child fended off Jon Fish to take fourth. Race 5 had the fleet split in slightly fresher breeze, with the left initially paying, but at the windward mark melee, Neil Goodhead squeezed round first from Child and a close group. Luckily no collisions occurred and the fleet set off at pace downhill. Child pulled out into the lead which he maintained comfortably to the finish. Hunt rolled past Fish on the second reach with Terry Curtis cruising through into third with Couch in fifth. Fish found some extra pressure and pace on the beat to get back up to second although Hunt and Curtis reversed the trick on the run to finish in that order behind Child, bringing him up the rankings to second overall.
Race 6 was finally started after a general recall followed by a postponement to allow a rainstorm to blow through. The boats at the pin end looked good from the start quickly tacking onto port and crossing the fleet with Hunt leading a clutch of boats in from the left. Hunt rounded first from Child and Tony Woods. The fleet headed off down the reach in dying breeze and strong tide, Woods went high and lost out to Curtis and Charlie Cumbley. Child squeezed round the leeward mark followed by Hunt and Curtis on his transom. Cumbley hacked out right and picked up a shift taking him past Curtis. By the final beat Cumbley was on a charge but couldn’t quite get the better of Hunt who took the race and a tighter grip on the championship. Child took third with Curtis coming in fourth. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK Nationals 2014Entries: 41 Races Sailed: 8 Discard: 1
Other prizewinners: Junior: Ed Critchen Lady: Mary Reddyhoff Classic Boat: Finn Gheury Mark Williams Memorial: Ed Critchen Masters: Tony Woods Veteran: Ken Carroll Team Trophy: Dabchicks Sailing Club |