OK Dinghy European Championship at Faaborg Sailing Club

OK Dinghy European Championship at Faaborg Sailing Club - Day 1

by Robert Deaves, OKDIA 26 Jul 2017 21:35 BST 26-29 July 2017

In his first OK Dinghy event, Lars Johan Brodtkorb from Norway won both his opening heats at the 2017 European Championship to taken the lead after the opening day in Faaborg, Denmark. Charlie Cumbley from Britain is second and Andre Budzien from Germany is third. Other race wins went to Thomas Hansson-Mild from Sweden and Anders Andersen from Denmark.

After days of incessant and miserable rainfall, the first day of racing looked promising early on with blue skies greeting the 130 sailors as they awoke from the campsite that has been created in the car park alongside the club. The sailors went out on time and after a short wait for the wind to stabilize the first race was sailed in a very patchy 4-7 knots.

The huge fleet has been split into four groups, with two starts of two groups, which alternate during the week before a gold/silver split on the final day. Both starts in the first race ended up being black flagged with a few boats pulled out.

Budzien made the best of the first clear start, tacking at the pin and crossing the fleet. He led most of the way round the first two laps before Hansson-Mild found a way past on the final upwind. Frederik Svendsen came through for third. In the second group, Brodtkorb also started at the pin and led all the round for a convincing win from Cumbley and Marten Bernesand, from Sweden.

The wind had dropped to 3-5 knots at one stage, and with the second group mixing with the first group, the wind was further disturbed, but towards the end of Race 1, the wind increased to 10-12 knots and stayed there for the remainder of the day. However it was still incredibly shifty and patchy.

Ian Hopwood and Tony Woods of Britain led round the top mark of the first groups in Race 2, with Budzien close behind. Fourth round was defending champion Bo Petersen of Denmark, and he was in the lead by the gybe mark and led all the way to the final upwind, when Andersen played the shifts well to pass him. Budzien was still third, but also fell foul of the tricky conditions on the final upwind with Greg Wilcox from New Zealand just passing him for third.

In the second group, Brodtkorb led Jonas Borjesson from Sweden and Tomaz Gaj from Poland round the top mark. Jan Kurfeld, from Germany, one of the many Finn sailors here, sailed well to challenge Brodtkorb on the final upwind and crossed in second, but was one of the early starters, so Gaj ended up second and Cumbley third.

OK Dinghy European Championship day 1 - photo © Robert Deaves

Second overall Cumbley summed up his day, "We finally got some sunshine, a light breeze off the land with 30-40 degree shifts and two races. I got a second and a fourth, so pleased to get away unscathed. It was one of those days where you can pick up some monster scores so it's nice to come away with a couple of counters."

"This is probably one of the toughest events I have been to, certainly in the OK fleet. There are a couple of young guys here who have come out of Europes and Finns, and they were quick today and straight into it, and actually it was one of those days when the good sailors pick the right shifts and they nailed it. It's good that there is new young blood in the fleet as well."

Fourth overall Hansson-Mild, said, "It was a good day in total. Could have been worse. Started off with shifty conditions with the breeze coming and going, and I just tried to play the middle and was keen on being able to tack right after the start as the long tack was port tack. I managed to be about fourth at the first mark, gained a bit on the reaches and then Budzien and I had a battle all the way round and I managed to take him on the final beat."

"In the second race, the breeze was up a bit and steadier, and I finished 10th. I was struggling; it was hard, but I'm happy though, it's good fun."

Charlie Cumbley on day 1 of the OK Dinghy European Championship - photo © Robert Deaves

Racing continues on Thursday with three races scheduled as part of the 10 race series, which concludes on Saturday.

Event website: 2017.okeuropeans.org

Results after day 1:

Pos	Nat	Sail No	Helm	Q1	Q2	Pts
1st	NOR	428	Lars Johan Brodtkorb	1	1	2
2nd	GBR	1	Charlie Cumbley	2	3	5
3rd	GER	71	Andre Budzien	2	4	6
4th	SWE	100	Thomas Hanson‑Mild	1	9	10
5th	DEN	8	Frederik Svendsen	3	8	11
6th	SWE	797	Mats Caap	4	7	11
7th	DEN	1471	Bo Petersen	10	2	12
8th	DEN	1450	Anders Andersen	12	1	13
9th	GER	772	Oliver Gronholz	9	4	13
10th	GBR	2179	Tony Woods	13	5	18
11th	NZL	573	Luke Gower	11	7	18
12th	SWE	2803	Marten Bernesand	3	16	19
13th	DEN	3	Jorgen Svendsen	13	6	19
14th	GER	3	Wolfgang Hofener	16	5	21
15th	NZL	566	Greg Wilcox	19	3	22
16th	POL	7	Marek Bernat	9	13	22
17th	DEN	1495	Jesper Højer	11	12	23
18th	SWE	2788	Jan‑Erik Engholm	6	18	24
19th	GER	803	Martin von Zimmermann	7	17	24
20th	DEN	1492	Jesper Bendix	16	11	27
21st	POL	1	Tomasz Gaj	27	2	29
22nd	GBR	21	Christopher Arnell	20	9	29
23rd	GER	789	Ingo Ballerstein	7	24	31
24th	SWE	59	Lars Edwall	21	10	31
25th	DEN	1485	Johan Bjorling	DP	22	35
26th	DEN	1433	Henrik Kimmer Petersen	6	DP	36
27th	POL	19	Grzegorz Salamon	15	21	36
28th	DEN	703	Christian Thomsen	4	34	38
29th	GER	7	Andreas Pich	10	28	38
30th	GER	5	Ralf Tietje	28	10	38
31st	DEN	140	Jan Hempel Sparsø	25	15	40
32nd	GER	4	Lutz Boguhn	21	19	40
33rd	SWE	2812	Stefan Fagerlund	12	29	41
34th	POL	14	Pawel Pawlaczyk	30	12	42
35th	DEN	1397	Henrik Kofoed Larsen	28	14	42
36th	DEN	1304	Christian Midtgaard	29	14	43
37th	DEN	1483	Henri Skou	14	30	44
38th	GBR	67	Andrew Rushworth	5	40	45
39th	DEN	10	Jens Lauge	34	11	45
40th	SWE	8	Bengt Larsson	15	30	45
41st	SWE	2809	Thomas Skeppmark	30	16	46
42nd	SWE	2830	Jonas Borjesson	39	8	47
43rd	GER	731	Thomas Glas	27	20	47
44th	SWE	6	Hakan Tornqvist	14	34	48
45th	DEN	1477	Jorgen Holm	17	31	48
46th	DEN	1382	Stig Lassen	18	31	49
47th	DEN	1377	Jonathan Prom Scharff	8	42	50
48th	GBR	2185	Ed Bradburn	22	28	50
49th	GER	791	Frank Strelow	26	24	50
50th	SWE	20	Stefan Pavia	24	27	51
51st	DEN	1	Bo Reker Andersen	23	29	52
52nd	GER	11	Rainer Pospiech	36	17	53
53rd	GER	775	Jorg Rademacher	32	21	53
54th	DEN	1395	Anders Buhl	19	35	54
55th	DEN	1442	Peter Heide	22	32	54
56th	DEN	1303	John Skjoldby Petersen	17	38	55
57th	BEL	230	Jacques Pirenne	32	23	55
58th	DEN	1463	Lars Andresen	44	13	57
59th	GER	721	Jørn Wille	20	38	58
60th	DEN	66	Frank Berg	25	33	58
61st	DEN	1457	Christian Teller	31	27	58
62nd	DEN	77	Jesper Strandberg	33	26	59
63rd	GER	22	Dirk Gericke	35	25	60
64th	NED	667	Hessel Hoekstra	47	15	62
65th	GER	12	Stefan Rassau	18	46	64
66th	GER	607	Gerd Breitbart	24	40	64
67th	GBR	2188	Ian Hopwood	59	6	65
68th	POL	44	Przemyslaw Drozdzik	40	26	66
69th	SWE	2749	Jan‑Eric Nystedt	50	19	69
70th	DEN	22	Ask Askholm	52	18	70
71st	SWE	2804	Ingmar Janson	34	36	70
72nd	GER	806	Jan Kurfeld	5	BFD	72
73rd	SWE	3	Jonny Billstrom	26	46	72
74th	SWE	80	Arne Malm	31	41	72
75th	GER	777	Jorg Sylvester	23	52	75
76th	GER	767	Maja Hansson‑Mild	43	32	75
77th	GER	8	Ronald Foest	42	33	75
78th	DEN	1473	BrianTerp	37	39	76
79th	DEN	1316	Jesper Sommer	43	35	78
80th	DEN	1424	Henrik Hamann	39	39	78
81st	DEN	1454	Fritz Banner Pedersen	58	23	81
82nd	DEN	1415	Thomas Christensen	44	37	81
83rd	DEN	1396	Stig Frandsen	60	22	82
84th	DEN	1441	Peter Korsbjerg	41	42	83
85th	DEN	1484	Olof Stenstrom	29	55	84
86th	GBR	2145	Douglas Powell	37	47	84
87th	DEN	70	Bo Jensen	41	43	84
88th	DEN	1392	Poul Vincents	35	51	86
89th	SWE	111	Bertil Eliasson	45	41	86
90th	POL	9	Przemysnaw Kryszczynski	BFD	20	87
91st	SWE	55	Ulf Sahle	46	43	89
92nd	DEN	7	Malte Pedersen	45	DP	89
93rd	NED	638	Sipke Heokstra	47	44	91
94th	DEN	1336	Thomas Kvist	48	45	93
95th	DEN	1482	Tim Normann	36	59	95
96th	BEL	214	Paul Verrijdt	42	53	95
97th	GBR	4	Simon Cox	38	60	98
98th	SWE	2816	Claes Avellan	40	58	98
99th	GER	680	Jan‑Dietmar Dellas	55	44	99
100th	DEN	107	Joe Schubert	33	BFD	100
101st	GBR	2124	Will Croxford	48	52	100
102nd	NED	669	Sybren Hornstra	51	49	100
103rd	BEL	203	Joost Rommelaere	53	48	101
104th	DEN	1305	Flemming Hostgaard	46	56	102
105th	DEN	1437	Per Sorensen	54	48	102
106th	DEN	1489	Morten Jensen	53	49	102
107th	DEN	1465	Niels Bjørling	BFD	36	103
108th	GER	678	Heinz Ridder	49	54	103
109th	DEN	1333	Mads Bjorndal Robl	57	47	104
110th	GBR	2163	Gavin Waldron	54	50	104
111th	DEN	1481	Nils Trolland	38	BFD	105
112th	SWE	2802	Claes Heyman	56	50	106
113th	GBR	2080	Paul Pike	50	57	107
114th	DEN	126	Lars Moller	52	55	107
115th	GER	539	Uli Borchers	49	61	110
116th	DEN	666	Peter Zeiler	55	58	113
117th	DEN	14	Peter Thybo	57	57	114
118th	DEN	1430	Rene Brunn	DSQ	DP	117
119th	SWE	2792	Anders Widding	51	DNC	118
120th	DEN	1262	Dirch Zibrandtsen	56	62	118
121st	GER	651	Frederik Rontgen	58	60	118
122nd	DEN	112	Svend Jacobsen	DP	51	119
123rd	DEN	1417	Ingo Griem	DNF	53	120
124th	DEN	1458	Soren Sigurdsson	62	59	121
125th	GER	788	Jessica Finke	61	61	122
126th	DEN	1499	Anders Gerhardt‑Hansen	DNF	56	123
127th	DEN	1212	Klaus Jørgensen	64	DP	123
128th	GBR	2183	Richard Burton	DNC	DNC	134
129th	POL	40	Robert Swiecki	DNC	DNC	134
130th	DEN	1461	Soren Nielsen	BFD	BFD	134