Chairman’s Chat…

1st September 2018

Hello everyone who has anything to do with OK dinghies, or even aspires to sailing one. This is my first message as UK class chairman.

We have had some great Brit results this season internationally and there is still Bandol to go as well as the hugely hospitable Belgian Nationals.

The UK events have been well contested, although we could do with bigger fleets at the open meeting – it is tough to run meetings for small fleets and limits the options open to your fixtures organiser who is trying to get the best fixtures for you.

It was great to see a lot of new faces at the Nationals and Brixham once again put on a great event for us. There were some notable achievements throughout the fleet. Some that were clear to see at the front of the fleet, congratulations Charlie Cumbley, and some that were more personal to competitors further down the fleet.

I hope everyone went away with some sense of personal achievement.

As we all know, the OK is a great boat, relatively easy to sail but tricky to sail fast. It provides challenges technically, physically and mentally – a great all round racing package for those who are up for it.

If it was easy, it wouldn’t be worth doing would it?

Aside from the sailors who appear on our travelling circuit, there are a lot of you who sail at your local club, some in a fleet of OKs, some on your own.

I would really like to hear from you; tell us about your achievements. It doesn’t have to about winning a championship.

I still recall the first time I survived a dead run at South Staffs in a breeze and didn’t fall in, to me that was a huge step at the time. Pity I can’t remember how I did it!

We would love to see you at an open meeting, it is the way to make big leaps forward so you can go back to your club and show them how it is done.

On that subject, there are three events left in this years domestic calendar. Brightlingsea, Burghfield and Northampton. For some of you, these events are vital towards getting your name in the hat for the North sails voucher raffle.

Six events including the Nationals are needed to get you in. Come on then, let’s see you all there. There’s a voucher from North sails to be won that is worth quite a bit and the odds are very good. You don’t even have to win a race, just get there and join in!

If I don’t get round to see you, I still want to hear from you, even if it is just to learn of the guy who came up to you in the dinghy park and said “I used to have one of those”.

Keep in touch, part of the OK deal you have signed up for is the long lasting friendship that comes from sailing the thinking persons singlehander.