Please select your home edition
Edition
P&B

OK Dinghy International Regatta on Lake Garda, Italy - Day 1

by Robert Deaves 13 Jul 2021 05:26 BST 12-15 July 2021
2021 OK Dinghy International Regatta - Day 1 © Circolo Vela Arco

The OK Dinghy fleet has returned to Lake Garda, in Italy, for the first time in living memory for an international regatta, a replacement for the 2021 World Championship, cancelled some five weeks ago. After a first day in atypical Garda conditions, Valérian Lebrun, from France, leads from Denmark's Bo Petersen and Soenke Behrens, from Germany, after they each won a race.

Monday should have marked the start of the 2021 OK Dinghy World Championship at Circolo Vela Arco, but it wasn't to be. While many classes have struggled with decisions about whether to proceed with events or take the wretched decision to cancel, the OK Dinghy class sought the opinion of its members, and with 45 per cent saying cancel, the decision was made. Instead OKDIA has worked with CVA to host an international regatta that has attracted 34 boats from across Europe. It's a long way short of the 120-150 Europeans expected for the World Championship, but for those that made the effort, boy, do they love sailing on Garda.

The conditions for the first day were not exactly as expected. The wind was in the SSE, and not quite an Ora, down to 8-10 knots at times and up to 15-20 knots in the gusts.

The first start got away cleanly. Behrens takes up the story.

"The right end was favoured and the best option was going to the left side, waiting for the shift and make the whole way up to the first mark."

He rounded first from Malte Pedersen, from Denmark, and Greg Wilcox, from New Zealand, in second and third.

"I increased my lead on the runs and I had a really good second beat and finished first with a big lead. Greg told me to say that I was so far in front that I had no idea what is going on behind me. Lucky punch."

In Race 2, most of the fleet went to the left as far as possible. This time Lebrun and Petersen led the fleet. Petersen kept more to the middle and the left side was not as much favoured as expected.

Behrens said, "I was third followed by the other French guy [Yann Vilein]. Valérian seems to be the quickest upwind. The beats were shiftier, as expected and the wind was never as consistent as supposed for Garda. On the run Bo risked to much with the centreboard up as far as possible and capsized in a puff. But he was far enough in front to finish second."

Lebrun took the gun with Pawel Pawlaczyk, from Poland, third.

The last race started in less wind but still hiking conditions, though it was getting unstable and the left wasn't favoured as in the other races. Still Petersen and Lebrun led the fleet with Mogens Johansen, from Denmark, third.

The first four boats increased their lead on the reaches but that wasn't a guarantee to keep the lead. The conditions got tricky and the shifts and puffs were very unstable and became quite unpredictable.

At the end everything stayed the same though. Petersen took the gun with Lebrun second and Johansen third.

Lebrun, who placed second at the 2019 European Championship, had the best day with a 2,1,2, but double European Champion, Petersen is just one point behind with a 3,2,1. Behrens took a fifth in the final race to sit in third overnight.

With the forecast for a big change overnight, bringing rain and storms, an earlier start time has been set for 0800 on Tuesday.

Racing continues until Thursday.

Results after Day 1

1 FRA 11 Valérian Lebrun 5pts
2 DEN 21 Bo Petersen Man 6pts
3 GER 77 Soenke Behrens 10pts
4 POL 14 Pawel Pawlaczyk 17pts
5 NZL 599 Greg Wilcox 17pts
6 DEN 1565 Mogens Johansen 24pts
7 GER 7 Andreas Pich 26pts
8 FRA 1859 Yann Vilein 26pts
9 GER 852 Michael Nissen 30pts
10 GER 75 Dirk Dame 31pts

Full results available here.

Related Articles

OK Dinghy class at Kieler Woche Overall
Niklas Edler retains the title after strongest winds of the week on the final day Niklas Edler, from Sweden has won the 2025 Kieler Wiche for OK Dinghies after the final two races on Sunday, which brought the strongest winds of the week. Posted today at 3:34 pm
OK Dinghy Open at Overy Staithe
Two days of contrasting weather challenged the sailors Two days of contrasting weather challenged the eight OK sailors competing for the Overy Staithe SC annual open meeting, which was first held in 1971. Posted on 29 Jun
OK Dinghy class at Kieler Woche Day 3
Niklas Edler extends OK Dinghy lead at Kieler Woche with one day to go. Niklas Eder, from Sweden, extended his lead at Kieler Woche after two more races on Saturday in again, quite windy and shifty offshore winds. Posted on 28 Jun
OK Dinghy class at Kieler Woche Day 2
Niklas Edler maintains narrow lead after four races Sweden's Niklas Edler has maintained his lead in the 49 strong OK Dinghy fleet at Kieler Woche on Friday with a 2,1 in fairly breezy conditions and holds a 2-point lead over Canada's Ben Flower who scored 1,2. Posted on 27 Jun
2025 International Classes Regatta preview
The ICR has earned a stellar reputation as an outstanding lead-up regatta for competitors The Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club (RFBYC) is proud to announce that the 2025 International Classes Regatta (ICR)—the Club's premier annual dinghy event—will take place on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November 2025. Posted on 27 Jun
OK Dinghy class at Kieler Woche Day 1
Niklas Edler leads the fleet after two races On the first day of Kieler Woche for the OK Dinghy class, Sweden's Niklas Edler began his defence for the OK Dinghy with a solid 2, 1 on the day that started with light winds and which increased through the second race. Posted on 26 Jun
OK Scottish Championship at East Lothian
Attracting sailors from the far corners of the UK On the weekend of 7th & 8th of June, East Lothian YC based out of the beautiful harbour of North Berwick hosted the OK Scottish Championship. The event was also part of the Grand Slam OK circuit and attracted sailors from the far corners of the UK. Posted on 11 Jun
OK class in Daffodil Regatta at Ullswater
Fleets of 12 for part 1 of the Border Trophy A dozen OKs turned up at Ullswater for the annual Daffodil Regatta, this year sponsored by Magic Marine and also being run as part of the SailRacer Summer challenge. It was especially encouraging to see several new faces join the fleet. Posted on 28 Apr
OK Border Trophy Preview
The first half takes place at Ullswater YC's Daffodil Regatta next weekend This coming weekend sees the first half of the OK Border Trophy being sailed at the Ullswater YC Daffodil Regatta. The Border Trophy started in 2023 as an initiative to help grow the fleet in the North of England and Scotland. Posted on 21 Apr
Roger Blasse remains OK Dinghy World No. 1
As an epic season is set to begin Australia's double world champion, Roger Blasse, maintains his lead at the top of the OK Dinghy World Ranking list for April 2025. In November 2024 he became the first Australian to reach No.1 in the 20 years since the list was started. Posted on 18 Apr