Considering an OK for the first time
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Am looking at getting an OK for the first time, aiming to get to the UK nationals (in the deep end straight away!). Last dingy sailing was about 18 years ago in a Laser. I am about 6’2, a shade (!) over 100kg, the last 15 years spent Racing big boats both inshore and offshore full time.
I need a bit of advise in purchasing an OK. I would like a composite boat that requires very little work, and I assume a pretty powerful Rig/sail setup because of my weight. What should I look for in a package? I see comments about different rigs, sails, rudder and board setups etc on the variety of forums.
I am based in Lymington, Hants. Is there a local fleet down this way? Anyone close by that I can go and take a look over a boat to get a better idea of what to look for?
Any help and advise is appreciated! Many thanks.
Campbell,
I have forwarded you some photos and web links to you email address. Hopefully our email communication today was of some use?!
Has Terry Curtis responded to you via email regarding boat designs, GRP v wood etc?
Finally, I apologise for the lack of response from other OK association members regarding your enquiry. They are not always this quite! Must have been a hard sail yesterday!
Good luck in the hunt for a boat. If you need any more help and advice do please drop me an email or call. Hopefully look forward to you joining this excellent class.
Best wishes
Richard
I’m based at nearby Christchurch.
We used to have a big fleet. Now I’m the only OK sailing at the club but it would be great to have some company.
Happy to give advice, tips & help (albeit very limited) on anything you need to know about OK sailing.
Drop me an email at ‘chris’at’arnellfamily’dot’plus’dot’com or call me on 07808 204118 if you want to chat.
Good luck!
Chris Arnell
GBR 2015@Richard Battey wrote:
Campbell,
I have forwarded you some photos and web links to you email address. Hopefully our email communication today was of some use?!
Has Terry Curtis responded to you via email regarding boat designs, GRP v wood etc?
Finally, I apologise for the lack of response from other OK association members regarding your enquiry. They are not always this quite! Must have been a hard sail yesterday!
Good luck in the hunt for a boat. If you need any more help and advice do please drop me an email or call. Hopefully look forward to you joining this excellent class.
Best wishes
Richard
Hi Richard,
Yep got all info thanks. I’m digesting slowly…
Regards,
Campbell.@chrisarnell1 wrote:
I’m based at nearby Christchurch.
We used to have a big fleet. Now I’m the only OK sailing at the club but it would be great to have some company.
Happy to give advice, tips & help (albeit very limited) on anything you need to know about OK sailing.
Drop me an email at ‘chris’at’arnellfamily’dot’plus’dot’com or call me on 07808 204118 if you want to chat.
Good luck!
Chris Arnell
GBR 2015Thanks Chris. I looked at the Chch SC website scouting around for OK’s and saw only one. Fo some reason I thought there were more than that down this way. This may influence my decision to buy as I wanted to sail in a bit more of a regular fleet without having to travel too far. In saying that there is a pretty strong Finn fleet (here we go – I’m going to get kicked out before I’m let in) but they are that much more expensive. I’m going to keep mulling over it for a few days now I have had a great deal of help and information from a variety of sources.
I may give you a shout at some stage to see if there are any others who could be coerced into startign a bit of a fleet down this way.
Thanks and cheers,
Campbell.Hi Campbell,
There are quite a few boats down on the South Coast, but they are dotted about at various different clubs. There are boats at Parkstone, Christchurch, Weston, Porchester & i think Hamble. It just needs someone to pull them all together.
I will send out a mail to the contact addresses that i have to see if we can get everyone talking, then we can re-introduce a Southern Circuit. There are loads of boats in the Thames Valley that would support South Coast events too.
Cheers
TerryI don’t think that there are many Ok clubs around i hear that waldingfield used to have on with subjects such as Andy Turner Will Turner and many more great OK sailors. I have also heard that Waldingfield are trying to regain there fleet of OKs (which would be great) has anyone heard anymore about it than I have or was it just a rumour??
Please reply if you have any information??
Jake CracknellI see Waldringfield has a few OKs, but unfortunately a litle too far for me to travel on a weekly basis!
These responses make worrying reading!!
What are the southern area reps doing to counter this apparent problem? Do we have southern area reps!?
In hindsight I am the only OK sailor at my club – Weirwood. Time for promotiion of the class I thinks!
When I sailed a Merlin, the fleets were large in specific clubs although well spread around the UK inland and sea. Shoreham – have a good 15 merlins, Whitstable, Weymouth, Poole, Starcross, Salcombe, Thorpe Bay but to name a few on the south/south west coast all have a minimum of 5/10 merlins racing regularily, all driven by the class rep representing that particular club, SELLING THE BOAT & CLASS!
So Campbell don’t be put off by the lack of numbers at various south coast clubs. You buying a boat and sailing at say Lymington TYC, could start a trend. I do recall there being a resurgence of Merlins at LTYC purely by one person obtaining a 2nd hand boat and building on this. (I think it could even have been Laurie Smith)
On a positive note, there is Felpham SC next year for the Nationals, not a million miles away from Lymington.
ATB
Richard
Richard, I wouldn’t blame area reps or committee members – as far as I know we’ve only got about half a dozen ‘signed up’ association members along the south coast although there are quite a few OK’s being sighted.
Also, that pretty much limits our options for selecting area reps!
The answer is for us to take the lead & get ourselves organised. If we won’t all travel out onto the open-meeting circuit we’d better organise some races amongst ourselves.
There are some emails doing the rounds at the moment where some of us are suggesting that we arrange for our own clubs to run an OK start in a club race & we encourage local OK helms to come & join in – it would get us on the water together & form the basis for a southern area ‘circuit’ with potential for open-meetings later.
If you’re able to get us permission to join you at Weir-Wood for a day, I, for one, will come & sail with you. Hopefully a few others will join us.
Lymington Town sailing club holds an excellent dinghy series in the autumn on sundays. If Campbell gets a boat (not a Finn!) and wishes to race in the series, I’d be very happy to come & sail at Lymington.
If you’re not on our mailing list at the moment drop me a note with some contact details & perhaps we can get some sailing organised. Its about time we got the OK fleet noticed around here – especially with the Nationals coming down our way in 2007!Hello Chris.
I like the soound of this. 1211 is garaged on a combie all ready to come out and play. I’d love the chance to sail her a bit more often. If there were more OK events within say two hours of here in Portsmouth I might buy a younger boat again.
AlanI feel a little late on this post but hey, I’ll come and race with you Portsmouth is an hour for me and lymington about two. I’m the only OK regularly racing at my club but maybe if there is some competition around I could persuade the other owner to get his out of the garage.
Kevin,
Where do you sail in Sussex? I am based in Sussex and sail at Weirwood (when I get the chance)!
I too am the only OK that sails at WWSC, so if you want to link up then drop me a line on this forum.
Cheers
Richard
Richard,
I sail at Seaford (Newhaven and Seaford SC) we sail off the beach all summer and then on a lake just north of Newhaven all winter. The winter series is open and all welcome, I’ll put some dates up presently. where is Weirwood?.
Kevin
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