OK Dinghy: Watch this space

New may be better when it comes to boat design, but not necessarily for One Design Classes. Case in point is the OK Dinghy which was designed in the 1950s but just hosted its second largest World Championship ever with 143 boats from 13 countries racing for the 2023 title on June 26-30 in Lyme Regis, UK.

As the younger sibling to the Finn Class, the Worlds had a 50 percent increase on expected entries with also a significant number of new sailors, many of whom joined the class for the high-quality racing at great venues as well as the infamous social element.

Fantastically hosted by Lyme Regis Sailing Club with more than 70 volunteers helping throughout the week, it was a great example of what a small club can do when the reality far exceeds the expectations.

The beach party was a sight to behold, with 15-20 people helping every day to get the huge fleet on and off the water, an often overlooked, and entirely necessary part of any event…especially when the tide was out.

The enthusiasm and welcome from the club members were amazing, and the endless free beer (thanks to the huge number of sponsors) and hot sausage rolls after racing went down a treat. It will be a hard act to follow for sure, though if truth be told, OK Dinghy event organizers raise the bar every year and that’s part of what brings people back year after year.

Critical to any successful one design class are reliable suppliers, and while British built hulls and sails dominated in terms of numbers, the masts and booms were more spread geographically. Overall, there were hulls from 24 builders taking part and 13 sailmakers.

The class will be dangling a massive carrot with its 2025 World title to be decided on Italy’s Lake Garda, which is a venue that consistently attracts massive participation, regardless of the Class.

New World Champion Henry Wetherell (GBR) concurred, “The big one for me and my friends will be in Lake Garda in 2025. I think that is going to be really big. A few of the guys I know came down to watch earlier this week and they sound like they are going to buy some OKs.”

Wetherell holds the title for just six months as the next World Championship will be held in Brisbane, Australia in February 2024. Several containers are already being planned from Europe with another 100+ boat event expected. The class continues to grow, and this year’s championship will undoubtedly attract even more sailors in future years. Watch this space.