Charlie Cumbley from Britain has won the 2022 OK Dinghy World Championship after a stressful final day in Marstrand, Sweden, while Niklas Edler (SWE) took Silver with Lars Johan Brodtkorb (NOR) taking Bronze.
No more races were possible on the final day with a very light wind all day
The last day was always going to be the hardest, with the first onshore AP of the week. The forecast was for very light winds and in the early morning there was less than 5 knots.
The fleet was released shortly after midday with a light wind in place and under hot sunny skies. However soon after that the breeze dropped and all further racing was abandoned shortly before the 15.00 hour time limit.
Cumbley explained what was going through his head today. “I was trying to keep myself ready and fired up. On the way out, it was pretty light and I was thinking it could be an interesting one. You sit around for two hours, trying to keep yourself motivated to go sailing.
“Super happy to have won it now. It’s been a great event. I’ve had a second, third and a fourth and I absolutely thrilled to win it.
“The first day I felt really rusty but was sort of in it. The next day was my perfect conditions and the two middle days were really nice. I felt quick and strong and yesterday was just about hanging in there. It was super tricky to hang in there be in a position to fight it out today.”
On winning a world title, “It’s pretty big. I’ve had a few nationals under the belt, but never a Worlds, so it’s a special feeling to finally get one tucked away, especially in the OK, and to see the guys I have been racing around with the last five or six years, to win it here is amazing.”
On defending in 2023. “My focus was on Lyme Regis next year, so to go there as the world champion is a really nice feeling. It’s going to be a great event and I have spoken to a lot of people here and they are really excited to go to Lyme Regis. It’s a great venue and I think it’s going to be an awesome world championship”
It has been a great championship, fantastically hosted by the Marstrands Segelsällskap with eight great races, fantastic weather, hospitality and race management. Originally planned for 2020, it was a long wait for this event, fifty years after it was last held in Marstrand. Perhaps a return won’t take so long.
Final results
1 GBR 6 Charlie Cumbley 22
2 SWE 71 Niklas Edler 22.4
3 NOR 428 Lars Johan Brodtkorb 29
4 DEN 12 Jens Eckardt 39
5 SWE 100 Thomas Hansson-Mild 45
6 SWE 666 Jonas Qvist 59
7 SWE 797 Mats Caap 62
8 SWE 24 Daniel Björndahl 68
9 GER 71 André Budzien 72
10 FRA 75 Laurent Hay 88
Veteran: Charlie Cumbley, GBR
Master: Mats Caap, SWE
Grand Master: Pascal Tetard, FRA
Junior: Tim Lindgren, SWE
Woman: Jessica Finke, GER
Best from home country: Niklas Edlar, SWE
Elvstrøm Trophy: Charlie Cumbley, GBR
Geest Trophy: Jessica Finke, GER
Full results here: http://2022.okworlds.org
Robert Deaves
