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KZ&RV Hollandia

European Championship 2016

Medemblik, Netherlands

22-24 April

Event page at KZ & RV Hollandia

Reports by Robert Deaves

Day 1: Not cold enough for Vikings as Thomas Hansson-Mild leads OK Dinghy Europeans

The 2009 OK Dinghy World Champion Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) leads the 2016 OK Dinghy Europeans Championships in Medemblik after winning two of the three races held on Friday. Bo Petersen (DEN) is in second and Richard Burton (GBR) is third. The other race win went to defending Spring Cup holder Charlie Cumbley (GBR).

The combined OK Dinghy Europeans and 25th Spring Cup began in very unlike Spring conditions with a bitterly cold northerly keeping the sailors cool during the day. The overnight strong winds dissipated at the start of the first race to 5-7 knots, but returned during the day to bring a spectacular final race with winds up to 15-18 knots, great sailing conditions and temperatures feeling like mid-winter.

Combining the events has attracted 64 boats from across Europe with a number of sailors pulling out at the last minute due to the forecast of cold weather.

Burton was first away in Race 1 leading round the first mark after a tricky light wind first beat. Hansson-Mild was not far behind though and gradually reeled in Burton and the two exchanged places for a while before the Swede passed him on the final beat by splitting tacks the other side of the Solo fleet coming downwind. Bo Petersen (DEN) moved up to third while Burton had to settle for third.

The wind increased slightly for the second race with the pin end again favoured. Stefan Myralf (DEN) made the best of the start to cross the fleet and round ahead, but unfortunately he picked up a UFD penalty for starting early. Cumbley then took the lead to win from Greg Wilcox (NZL) who recovered well from a really bad start, and Rene Sarabia Johannsen (DEN).

A greatly reduced fleet started the final race as the wintry conditions started to take their toll, and with the wind increasing it was a very tough end to the day on the grey IJsselmeer. However, never phased by near Arctic weather, the classes very own Viking, Hansson-Mild stamped his authority on the race. Starting near the committee boat he rounded the top mark in third, passed the leaders on the reaches and extended for a comfortable victory. Myralf, who had again led at the first mark, took second with Petersen crossing in third.

Hansson-Mild said, “It is great to see so many OK Dinghies here and so many new faces in the class. The class is just growing and growing. Making the Spring Cup also the Europeans has certainly attracted a lot more boats than usual.”

He says he is happy with his new boat, at its first real test. “The new boat is great, very solid. It is the same shape I am used to but I am very happy how I went today.”

“The first and third race went well and to plan. In the second I got stuck in traffic and could only get up to sixth. So it was a good day for me. It's not always you get a day like that. Still, it was a lot of fun, if a bit cold.”

The championship continues Saturday with three more races scheduled and concludes on Sunday with two races scheduled.

Results after 3 races:

  1. SWE 100 Thomas Hansson-Mild 8
  2. DEN 21 Bo Petersen 9
  3. GBR 2183 Richard Burton 12
  4. GBR 1 Charlie Cumbley 16
  5. NZL 544 Greg Wilcox 19
  6. GER 772 Oliver Gronholz 26
  7. DEN 1393 Rene Sarabia Johannsen 27
  8. GBR 2151 Jon Fish 38
  9. POL 14 Pawel Pawlaczyk 42
  10. DEN 1468 Jørgen Holm Nielsen 45

Day 2: Charlie Cumbley takes narrow lead at OK Europeans after cold day in Medemblik

Charlie Cumbley (GBR) made the best of the second day at the combined OK Dinghy European Championships and Spring Cup in Medemblik with two race wins to move into a narrow lead over Bo Petersen (DEN) and Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) with just two races to sail. Petersen won the third race of the day.

If the fleet thought Friday was cold, then Saturday in Medembik was colder still with a brief hail shower welcoming the fleet afloat before racing got underway. After an initial lull as a cloud bank went through the wind built during the day to well over 20 knots before dropping for the final race. The extreme cold and biting winds, combined with the steep Medemblik chop, led to massive attrition through the fleet as tired and cold sailors sought shelter back in the harbour.

Cumbley led race 4 from start to finish. Starting just down from the boat he took a long starboard tack towards a left shift to round ahead of Jørgen Lindhardtsen (DEN). The breeze dropped right off to 5-6 knots at times with huge swings in the latter half of the upwind, only returning on the second lap and strengthening further on the third upwind to set up an epic second race. Rene Sarabia Johannsen (DEN) moved up to second at the finish with Lindhardtsen crossing in third.

With the wind now up to 18-20 knots race 5 was marked by a huge left shift on the first beat leaving the group on the left reaching in with Jon Fish (GBR) making up for his impromptu swim in race 4 by leading round from Cumbley. Cumbley was in the lead by the next beat to sail away and take his second bullet of the day. Fish hung on for second while Greg Wilcox (NZL) continued his good form with a third.

In a much reduced fleet of just 29 boats Petersen led race 6 from start to finish, starting well clear of the group, rounding ahead of Lindhardtsen, Pawel Pawlacyk and Burton. The wind dropped off to 14-15 knots before returning for the sail back home. Richard Burton sailed another excellent race to cross second while Oliver Gronholtz (GER) picked up his best result so far with a third.

Tonight is the traditional OK dinner at Cafe Brakeboer and the sailors who braved the wintry IJsselmer today will have earned second helpings.

With two races left the championship is going down to to the wire with four boats within six points. Cumbley commented on the very close competition this weekend. “The competition in the class is vert tight. One little mistake and you get sucked into the pack. The breeze building all day made it really hard work and it was very cold out there. It was all about a clear lane off the start and getting around the top mark in the top 5, and then you are in reasonable shape. But to be honest I am very tired.”

On the new format Europeans he said, “I really like the idea of having a Europeans every year instead of once every four years. The class is growing at such a rate that I think it is a really positive spin on the way things are going, though perhaps running it over four days would be even better. The class is certainly getting large enough to warrant an extra championship.”

The 2016 European Championship concludes on Sunday with two races scheduled. The forecast is for more of the same.

Results after six races

  1. GBR 1 Charlie Cumbley 14
  2. DEN 21 Bo Petersen 15
  3. SWE 100 Thomas Hansson-Mild 20
  4. GBR 2183 Richard Burton 20
  5. NZL 544 Greg Wilcox 25
  6. GER 772 Oliver Gronholz 31
  7. GBR 1393 Rene Sarabia Johannsen 34
  8. DEN 6 Stefan Myralf 36
  9. DEN 142 Jørgen Lindhardtsen 48
  10. GBR 2151 Jon Fish 49

World No 1 Bo Petersen takes OK Europeans after eventful final day in Medemblik

Bo Petersen (DEN) has won the 2016 OK Dinghy European Championship and Spring Cup in Medemblik after an eventful final day sailed in the most extreme conditions of the week. The only race sailed went to Richard Burton (GBR), who took the silver, while Charlie Cumbley (GBR) pulled out with a broken rudder and had to settle for the bronze.

There was a lot of onshore debate about the virtue of sailing today with the temperature falling further to just three degrees, winds up to 30 knots, and hail heavy enough to make small snowballs before the fleet launched. But the clouds cleared and a much reduced fleet set out for the final races.

Race 7 started in 18-25 knots between a series of hail storms passing down the IJsselmeer. A big left shift made the pin end very favoured. Burton was first out from the pin and rounded the top mark just behind Jon Fish (GBR). Burton took the lead on the reaches and controlled the race until the finish. Fish got wet and a bit battered, but was also sailing well to maintain second until the finish. Dave Bourne (GBR) occupied third for most of the race but lost out to Oliver Gronholtz (GER) and Greg Wilcox (NZL) on the line.

The regatta favourites were deep having started at the committee boat and had a lot to do to catch up. Cumbley was ahead of both Petersen and Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE), but a broken rudder on the first reach caused him to pull out of the race. His boatbuilder Alex Scoles (GBR), showing great sportsmanship, also pulled out of the race to exchange rudders so that Cumbley could complete the final race.

However with the weather worsening and more storms coming downwind, the race officer sent the fleet ashore to wait, and shortly after abandoned for the day.

So the World No 1 Bo Petersen picks up his second European title after first winning in 2013. Richard Burton has sailed the best regatta of his life in the first of the newly shaped IdolOne boats from Idol Composites to take the silver, while Charlie Cumbley will be ordering a new rudder before the World Championship in July in France and contemplating his missed chances to take his first International OK Dinghy title.

Petersen commented, “I was a bit lucky. But I have lost so many championships on luck, that I'll take it.”

“When I heard the forecast I thought it will be tough to win because the competitors are so strong. Of course I am happy because the series of seven races were so fair, but I am sorry for Charlie that he broke his rudder in the last race.”

“I am looking forward for the Europeans in Faarborg in 2017, and hopefully everyone will be there because that's my home town.”

European Championship 2016 Results
#SailnoNamePtsR1R2R3R4R5R6R7
1DEN 21Bo Petersen20,02435518
2GBR 2183Richard Burton21,03546dsq21
3GBR 1Charlie Cumbley22,0817114dnf
4NZL 544Greg Wilcox29,012259364
5SWE 100Thomas Hansson-Mild31,0161114811
6GER 772Oliver Gronholz34,0411117633
7DEN 1393Rene Sarabia Johannsen42,07317210119
8GBR 2151Jon Fish51,0623939292
9GBR 17Dave Bourne55,03210818955
10DEN 142Jørgen Lindhardtsen57,0163110381010
11POL 14Pawel Pawlaczyk66,024126107ufd7
12GBR 69Terry Curtis81,03471620121313
13POL 1Tomasz Gaj94,0239151614dns17
14DEN 1468Jørgen Holm Nielsen95,091719172112dns
15GER 693Martin v. Zimmermann97,025161812dns206
16GBR 2116Ed Bradburn98,03982113181919
17GER 787Ralf Tietje100,026191415152215
18DEN 6Stefan Myrällf101,011ufd24117dns
19GBR 2145Tony Woods.112,021182221161521
20GBR 85David Caroll119,01429121933dns12
21DEN 22Ask Askholm125,037202714171829
22GBR 21Andy Rushworth132,01813242536dns16
23GER 797Andreas Pich135,010dns3031232318
24GER 778Sönke Behrens147,0221413824dnsdns
25DEN 1407Malte Pedersen152,051322026321725
26GBR 8Tom Lonsdale158,03550dns24131422
27DEN 1454Fritz Banner159,040352833201627
28SWE 99Hans Elkjaer164,042412534222814
29GER 735Dirk Gericke169,027493129282628
30SWE 2820Stefan Pavia183,0304432223421dns
31GBR 2156Robert Deaves184,04337293219dns24
32SWE 2809Jonas Borjesson187,0203446283029dns
33GBR 13Alex Scoles188,01915263527dnsdns
34GER 78Andreas Dellwig193,041433541312520
35GBR 18Deryck Lovegrove214,059554736262426
36GER 690Carsten Sass224,0564036402527dns
37DEN 1Bo Reker Andersen242,017254127dnfdnsdns
38SWE 2804Ingemar Janson253,02847383737dnsdns
39SWE 2803Mårten Bernesand256,05030334235dnsdns
40GBR 999Simon Davis278,048264923dnsdnsdns
41SWE 2791Lennart Hansson279,047223444dnsdnsdnf
42GER 773Dittmer BEHRMANN283,0133339dnsdnsdnsdns
43POL 7Marek Bernat284,053942dnsdnsdnsdns
44POL 4Drozdzik Radoslaw286,0293623dnsdnsdnsdns
45GBR 2121Anthony Rich289,0dnsdnsdns3038dns23
46GER 791Frank Strelow294,0312144dnsdnsdnsdns
47GER 775Joerg Rademacher295,0332440dnsdnsdnsdns
48GBR 64Jon Hammond297,036463746dnsdnsdns
49NED 663Stephan Veldman313,044514838dnsdnsdns
50DEN 77jesper strandberg321,01542dnsdnsdnsdnsdns
51GER 799Stefan Rassau322,0462850dnsdnsdnsdns
52GBR 46Ken Caroll324,052dnfdns4529dnsdns
53GER 800Ralf Mackmann325,0492751dnsdnsdnsdns
54DEN 1437Per Sørensen336,060564543dnfdnsdns
55GER 665Peter Stephan341,0554543dnsdnsdnsdns
56DEN 1391Nils Troland350,03848dnfdnsdnsdnsdns
57GBR 66Martin Bower359,05738dnsdnsdnsdnsdns
58GBR 2120Simon Cox361,04552dnsdnsdnsdnsdns
59GER 678Heinz Ridder364,0615352dnsdnsdnsdns
60NED 669Sybren Hornstra371,0625853dnsdnsdnsdns
61BEL 230Jacques Pirenne372,05454dnsdnsdnfdnsdns
62NED 667Hessel Hoekstra379,05857dnfdnsdnsdnsdns
63GER 727Lutz Boguhn383,053dnfdnsdnsdnsdnsdns
64GER 788Jessica Finke386,06359dnsdnsdnsdnsdns
65GER 643Jürgen Illers396,0dnsdnsdnsdnsdnsdnsdns