OK Dinghy Nationals, Interdominions and Worlds, Wellington, NZ

OK racing off Wellington. Image copyright Adrian Rumney.

by Mandy Burt

By winning the final race of the regatta Karl Purdie cemented his lead and became the NZ OK Dinghy National champion for 2010. Karl sailed a strong regatta and was seldom far from the front of the fleet. Purdie certainly looks to be in good form going into the world championships which start this weekend.

Fellow Kiwi Paul Rhodes finished in second place on line in Race 8 which was enough to put him into second place overall. Nick Craig from Great Britain rounded out the podium.

Fifty four entrants started Day 3 of racing, with champagne sailing conditions – 15knts from the south with good chop. By Race 8 (the third of the day and last of the regatta) this had almost reached the upper limits of sailing, gusting 25 knots, and nearly half the fleet were back on the beach. Race 8 was particularly hard, with Purdie and Paul Rhodes battling it out for the finish. New Zealand took out the Interdominion championship this year with placings of 1st, 2nd, 4th, fifth, sixth and seventh giving them a total of 281 points.

NZL TEAM 281
Purdie (1) 16
Rhodes (2) 24
McDowell (4) 34
Page-Wood (5) 67
Morrison (6) 68
Steven (7) 72

AUS TEAM 1695
R Blasse (16) 139
M Williams (25) 180
G Lokum (33) 241
P Robinson (35) 250
D Williams (41) 286
G Williams (42) 290
E O'Donnell (43) 309

JUNIORS
M Steven (7) 72
K Weeks (17) 144
B Lutze (25) 187
D O'Donnell (52) 377

VETERANS
K Purdie (1) 16
P Rhodes (2) 24
A Mannering (9) 82

The sailors had a day off today, Thursday 4th Feb – measuring for the Worlds, time out for last night’s party revellers (some of whom saw it through to breakfast this morning before retiring to bed) taking the ‘Interdom’ challenge very seriously.

Racing for the OK World Champs starts with the Invitation Race at 1400hrs tomorrow at the Evans Bay course, followed by the Opening Ceremony Powhiri at Te Papa National Museum (a ceremony of welcome extended to visitors of Maori) which will take place in the Rongomaraeroa marae of the Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa).

OK Worlds 2010