New Zealand pressure

Nick Craig wins OK pre-worlds in Poland reports Robert Deaves

With the OK Dinghy World Championship starting on Monday in Leba, Poland, 60 competitors sailed for the Mayor’s Cup from 18-20 July in a range of testing conditions.

Only one race was managed on Wednesday when the wind disappeared shortly after the end of race one. Current world Champion Nick Craig (GBR) was the early leader and built a useful lead before being the wrong side of a massive shift that brought Luke O’Connell (NZL) to the front. Craig recovered to second.

Sailors had a much harder time on Thursday with the more expected strong winds and big seas. Three testing races were sailed which were dominated by Craig and a selection of the strong Kiwi team. Craig won two races with Mark Perrow (NZL) winning the other.

On Friday, sailors were quite glad for the four hour postponement to rest their weary limbs to allow the wind to fill in. In the afternoon, two more races were sailed in light to moderate winds and a difficult chop. Paul Rhodes (NZL) and Greg Wilcox (NZL) won these races, although a second place in the first for Craig was enough for him to take the cup with a race to spare.

This event should provide a good indication for the world championships starting Monday, although several of the key players did not sail the pre-worlds event. However Craig has proved he is still the man to beat, although he was seriously challenged by several members of the New Zealand team, which had six boats in the top 10.

For the worlds, the opening ceremony is on Sunday evening with the first race scheduled for Monday at 12.00.

		Name	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Tot-1
1	GBR-2116	Craig, Nick	2	1	6	1	2	5	11
2	NZL-502	Purdie, Karl	3	2	2	10	3	6	16
3	NZL-517	Rhodes, Paul	6	7	3	6	1	3	19
4	NZL-527	Perrow, Mark	8	4	1	2	9	8	23
5	NZL-522	Wilcox, Greg	4	6	5	8	10	1	24
6	DEN-1364	Lindhardtsen, Jorgen	5	3	4	5	18	9	26
7	NZL-524	Stechmann, Matt	7	5	8	4	7	4	27
8	NZL-525	Mcdowell, Steve	12	20	13	3	4	2	34
9	GBR-2118	Curtis, Terry	9	8	10	11	8	20	46
10	GBR-2119	Deaves, Robert	17	15	12	13	12	17	69
11	DEN-1324	Teglers, Bo	16	12	14	17	30	13	72
12	POL-16	Jarocki, Marek	10	18	16	15	14	25	73
13	DEN-1340	Olsen, Christian	DNC	14	15	14	25	7	75
14	GER-717	Gronholz, Oliver	11	10	9	DNF	34	12	76
15	NZL-523	Porebski, Joseph	14	DNF	17	7	20	19	77
16	NZL-474	O`Connell, Luke	1	13	31	16	21	27	78
17	DEN-1335	Johansen, Mogens	15	28	26	DNF	6	15	90
18	NZL-497	Pryce, Trent	22	17	22	19	16	18	92
19	POL-1	Gaj, Tomasz	25	OCS	18	9	11	31	94
20	GER-656	Pich, Andreas	18	19	20	22	22	16	95
21	GBR-2084	Meadowcroft, John	29	26	19	12	19	24	100
22	GER-665	Stephan, Peter	13	22	29	21	23	35	108
23	GBR-2117	Scoles, Alex	20	OCS	25	20	15	29	109
24	POL-5	Kras, Dariusz	21	23	30	23	24	26	117
25	NZL-515	Wilde, Mike	26	27	27	DNF	28	11	119
26	SWE-2767	Hansson-Mild, Thomas	28	16	11	DNF	5	OCS	121
27	GBR-2085	Waldron, Gavin	35	21	21	18	40	32	127
28	GER-726	Sylvester, Jorg	27	29	24	28	26	28	133
29	GBR-2105	Harris, Ian	39	32	28	DNF	13	23	135
30	GER-731	Glas, Thomas	DNF	11	23	DNF	29	14	138
31	DEN-1339	Borup, Jonas	DNC	25	32	25	27	30	139
32	GER-693	Von Zimmermann, Martin	DNF	9	7	DNF	DNF	10	148
33	GER-699	Hoffman, Juliane	19	33	36	30	35	40	153
34	POL-27	Kania, Jakub	24	31	DNF	DNF	17	21	154
35	POL-47	Przybysz, Bartosz	34	37	DNF	27	32	34	164
36	POL-44	Drozdzik, Radek	31	30	33	DNF	36	37	167
37	POL-11	Pezala, Maciej	DSQ	35	34	26	45	33	173
38	POL-46	Misko, Maciej	36	39	38	32	39	47	184
39	POL-190	Gîrka, Adrian	DSQ	36	35	31	48	45	195
40	POL-4	Bojanowski, Jerzy	DNF	DNF	37	29	33	39	199
41	POL-101	Rakocy, Bartosz	23	40	DNF	DNF	38	38	200
42	GER-651	Ridder, Heinz	42	42	42	DNF	37	41	204
43	POL-24	Dworniczak, Jakub	30	43	DNF	DNF	31	42	207
44	POL-2	Bajaczak, Piotr	44	41	41	33	49	49	208
45	GER-670	Ries, Hinnerk	DNC	DNF	DNF	24	DNF	22	229
46	GBR-2125	Goodhead, Neil	32	38	40	DNF	DNF	DNF	232
47	GBR-2099	Dutton, Keith	33	34	DNF	DNF	46	OCS	235
48	GER-660	Willmann, Bernd	41	OCS	39	DNF	DNF	36	238
49	POL-45	Falczynski, Piotr	38	DNF	DNF	DNF	41	44	245
50	GER-404	Willmann, Tobias	40	44	DNF	DNF	50	50	245
51	POL-113	Gruszka, Sebastian	37	DNF	DNF	DNF	47	46	252
52	POL-61	Szpinalski, Jaroslaw	47	DNF	DNF	DNF	43	43	255
53	POL-81	Czyz, Waldemar	43	DNF	DNF	DNF	44	48	257
54	GER-497	Meilenbrock, Rolf	48	45	DNF	DNF	52	52	258
55	GBR-2120	Ager, Dan	DNF	24	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	268
56	GER-33	Knorr, Sebastian	45	DNF	DNF	DNF	51	51	269
57	GER-357	Gerbig, Ralf	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	42	53	278
58	POL-649	Ruban, Szymon	46	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	290
59	POL-247	Durajski, Jan	49	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	293
60	GER-41	Warnecke, Eric	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	305