The OK Dinghy World Championship concluded Friday with two spectacular races at Skovshoved, Denmark. The challenging wind conditions of the week were forgotten with two perfect races in 12-18 knots and some great downwind sailing. Johan Schubert, from Denmark, won both races to become the first Danish OK Dinghy World Champion since 1980. Wannes van Laer, from Belgium also had a great day to move up to second while Britain’s Matt Howard took the bronze.
The fleet launched into a pretty stiff southerly for two huge races in the biggest seas of the week and some long upwinds in a very solid and relatively stable breeze. Pim van Vugt rounded first and led away with Schubert in pursuit. The breeze picked up on the downwind and both sailors extended on the fleet. With van Vugt being BFD, Schubert took the win, some way ahead of Howard and Germany’s Stefan Hoffmann.,
With event leader Niklas Edler back in 14th, this put Schubert in the lead but still one race to go. After another great start he led at the top and extended for a huge win of several hundred metres from van Laer and Sweden’s Thomas Hansson-Mild.
In the silver fleet the race wins went to Spain’s Stephen Butcher and Denmark’s Anders Buhl, however two second places for Germany’s Thorsten Schmidt were enough to seal the Silver fleet win.
Schubert was sailing his first event, clearly learning on the job and getting faster day by day.
“We had a pretty strong southerly breeze today, about 16 knots, and two solid but long races in a north-going current. So, yeah, tired legs, but two good races. I had two really good starts down at the pin, and then from there I was staying in the groove with the fleet and trying to keep the boat flat.
“It was pretty lovely. I got away at the first upwind mark and then I knew that I’ve been pretty fast in the downwinds these past couple of days, so it was nice to be able to express that in both of the races, especially the last one.
Did he ever consider he might win?
“To be honest, I had no clue. I have so much respect for these guys in the fleet and the experience, and I only had about six or seven days in the boat before the event with the local Hellelrup guys, and they’re just really, really experienced, and super good guys. It’s been a privilege to be able to train and learn from them for the past two weeks, and then to be able to race them here, it’s been amazing.
It’s his first world title.
“Yes, my first time winning an international event like this. It’s a big relief, even though I didn’t feel a lot of pressure going into it. It was more sort of for the learning, but it’s been amazing. The past couple of days have been a bit tense, but extremely relieved after today.”
In the class’s 70th anniversary year, it returned to its ancestral home in Denmark, where the first OK Dinghy was launched in 1956. So, for a Danish sailor to finally win the world title again after 46 years and in his home country is something of an occasion, coming full circle after so many years. The Royal Danish Yacht Club and the Hellerup SC have been the perfect hosts with the Skovskoved Havn providing the ample space for 200+ boats, campers, tents and the all-important free beer. It has been an amazing experience, both on the water and off the water and huge thanks to our hosts and the huge number of volunteers making it all happen.
Next year the class heads to a slightly different venue, as it returns to the Royal Varuna YC in Pattaya, Thailand – and there are already 131 boats interested in attending.
Final results after seven races
1 DEN 1533 Johan SCHUBERT 11
2 BEL 112 Wannes van LAER 18
3 GBR 2298 Matthew HOWARD 21
4 GER 18 Jan KURFELD 27
5 GBR 6 Charlie CUMBLEY 31
6 GER 886 Stefan HOFFMANN 32
7 SWE 71 Niklas EDLER 34
8 NED 7 Pim van VUGT 47
9 CAN 26 Baabii’O FLOWER 51
10 DEN 3 Jørgen SVENDSEN 59
Woman’s Trophy: Sofie Boel, DEN
Youth Trophy: Harvey Leigh, GBR
Veteran: Wannes van Laer, BEL
Master: Jørgen Svendsen, DEN
Grand Master: Michael Nissen, GER
Paul Elvström Trophy: Wannes van Laer, BEL
Clive Robert Memorial: Johan Schubert, DEN
Full results here: https://www.manage2sail.com/en-US/event/9149908f-7772-48e1-9f34-801b55ef556b#!/
Day 5 gallery here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/okdia/albums/72177720334164210/
