The OK Dinghy class name is derived from the initials of it's designer, Knud Olsen of Denmark, where the class origins date back to 1957. The OK Dinghy is a 4m long single hander which carries an un-stayed rig, and is seen by many as a smaller version of the Olympic Finn class. The class has a very strong international following, with more than 80 competitors expected to take part in the World Championships at Kalmar in Sweden. At least five current or ex world champions have entered the event.
The highest ranked Australian (14th) is Andre Blasse who is already in Europe on a working holiday with his family. In an exclusive interview with mysailing.com.au, Andre told us he was “a little jealous” of the other competitors who have been racing for the last few weeks in numerous European regattas.
“My boat has arrived in Hamburg and I will be picking it up next week prior to driving to Kalmar to compete, Andre reported. “I believe there has been a lot of development in the last year with new masts and some new boats, so it will be a great regatta. As the conditions in Kalmar Sweden will be light to moderate, I have a new sail from Gale and Rimington in Melbourne that has been developed with the help of Bruce Ashton. The last two worlds have been relatively heavy conditions, so this year will probably be a little different, and a great challenge.”
Other Australians sailing at the Worlds are Peter Lynch, Glenn Yates and Jonathon O'Donnell all from Wangi RSL Sailing Club, while Jonathon O'Donnell is representing Wangi in the junior competition with assistance from the Clive Roberts Trust for funding.
We look forward to bringing you more exclusive insights from Andre as the regatta progresses.
– Roger McMillan, mysailing.com.au editor.
