While early conditions on Friday looked like repeating Thursday, the southerly Ora was late and then never fully came in, only reaching 7-8 knots. With a cut off time of 15.00, and after a postponement and several recalls, it soon became clear that it was going to be a one race day, taking the pressure off Mills.
Wind pressure, however, was variable on the first upwind with Craig rounding ahead from Edler. Howard was not far behind and took the lead on the downwind to lead round and win his third race of the week. Many of the top 10 rounded deep, with Mills about 30th, but he pulled back on the second upwind to cross in eighth.
With the time limit soon expiring the fleet was sent back to the beach for more free beer and pasta. The event was over.
Mills said, “I had a very good week. We had classic Garda for the first four days. With three fleets the points were going to be very tight, so I made a big effort to minimise points at that stage and with five firsts and a second, I was very happy. It was very clear Nick was in cracking form as well. In the Gold fleet racing I got two firsts on the first day, but Nick did not really give me a break and was always there on my transom. So, it was hard to build a lead over him.
“I went into today with a small lead, and it was different Garda today, but I managed to survive and win the week. Lake Garda is interesting because it is a simple place in many ways – if you can execute the start and be fast it looks very easy, but if you don’t do that it can suddenly look very had. I was confident considering the speed I had throughout the week but you still have to make that start each time, so it was not in the bag for sure.”
It is his first ever world championship win, “I have obviously sailed the Finn at a high level for a long time and a few other class, but it’s something different to put together a whole week with very few mistakes and actually nail that world championship, so to actually do it here with a 200 plus boat fleet is quite special and I’m super happy get that ticked off.
“I had a nice block of training coming into the event training with Matt and Charlie at the local club and that has helped a lot and it’s all gone exactly the plan.”
On the class, “The fleet is brilliant. People come from all over the world to be here and it’s just a good group of people. The racing is full on and brutal with the wind we have had. No one gives an inch, but when you get in everyone is there to have a beer and chat and talk about the racing. A lot of people want to race hard but leave that on the water and enjoy the social side together, which is a great thing to be part of.”
It has been an incredible week on Lake Garda. The sailors have loved being at the host club, Circolo Vela Arco, with its impressive new facilities, and the club has loved having the sailors. The weather has been amazing, textbook Garda almost every day, getting hotter as the week progressed. The competition on the water was also hot, even with a largely one-way track, but the sailing conditions were superb.
ILCA sailor, Gabriel Medeiros Konigsfeld, from Luxembourg, was a late entry, but soon found some form to dominate the Youth Trophy, with a string of top 10 places to end up a very creditable 20th overall ahead of Noah Hengst, from New Zealand and Australia’s Dennis Dixon.
There were four women taken part with the 2017 winner, Juliane Hofmann, who also donated the Trophy in 2017 when the worlds was in Barbados, convincingly winning the Trophy again finishing 12th in the Bronze fleet, including a second place in the final race, ahead of Denmark’s Sofie Boel, Germany’s Jessica Finke, and last year’s winner, Pam Johnston, from Australia. It is traditional in the class that all women competitors are acknowledged on the trophy each year.
With 212 boats from 17 nations, it was the largest championship ever held by the class and underlines the huge growth and development over the past decade. At the class AGM during the week the sailors looked at plans to continue this trend in the coming decade, for what is once again one of the premier singlehanded dinghies.
Looking to the future, the 2026 World Championship heads back to Denmark for the first time in 14 years. Another big fleet is expected in the home of the largest OK Dinghy country in the world and where the boat originated.
Final results after 9 races
1 GBR 94 Andrew Mills 9
2 GBR 2295 Nick Craig 14
3 SWE 71 Niklas Edler 21
4 GBR 6 Charlie Cumbley 24
5 GBR 2298 Matthew Howard 25
6 CAN 26 Ben Flower 33
7 DEN 21 Bo Petersen 37
8 GER 886 Stefan Hoffmann 41
9 GER 19 Ulli Kurfeld 46
10 GER 71 André Budzien 52
Woman’s Trophy: Juliane Hofmann, GER
Youth Trophy: Gabriel Medeiros Konigsfeld, LUX
Veteran: Nick Craig, GBR
Master: Bo Petersen, DEN
Grand Master: Rod Davis, NZL
Paul Elvström Trophy: Nick Craig, GBR
Full results: https://www.racingrulesofsailing.org/documents/10764/event
Full gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/okdia/albums/72177720329141512
It was a hard day for some with some high scores alongside some high winds. But Mills and Craig were on a mission and while Mills led both gold fleet races all the way, Craig applied some pressure in the second race only to be taken wide, spat out and then left behind. He said, “there was no way he was going to let me past!”
In the silver fleet, Australia’s David Meehan and Spain’s Mark Branagh took the race wins, while in the bronze fleet victory went to Germany’s Mathis Vorndran in both races,
Nick Craig said, “Another fabulous day on Garda. We’ve been blessed with the conditions this week for mid-September. We’ve had 15-20 knots every day. Great racing. really nice waves. Downwind has been fantastic as well. But pretty tough.
“Today this is the probably the hardest OK fleet I’ve ever sailed in. The quality is amazing. I came away with two seconds which normally I’d be absolutely delighted with. But Millsy came away with two firsts. He’s a strong lad who’s quick upwind but also very good downwind. And starting well and tactically good.
“Hopefully he’ll make a mistake tomorrow. But it’s not looking that way. I’ll try and keep the pressure on. Doing all I can.”
On the organisation, “Absolutely spot on. We’ve got three fleets on outer and inner loops. Recipe for chaos but there’s been none at all. Been absolutely spot on. Timing of the fleets is perfect. Courses are perfect. Length of races are races spot on. Getting it all in the 3-4 hour Ora window. Couldn’t be better. And the pasta and beer is good as well.”
Steve McDowell, from New Zealand added, “Another great day’s sailing. Pretty tough in the gold fleet. Everyone who didn’t come will be feeling they missed out. Another beautiful day forecast tomorrow. Rash top sailing, it’s just brilliant.”
While Juliane Hofmann, from Germany, looks set to win the Women’s prize, the event has been a revelation for Sofie Boel, from Denmark.
“This is the best day of my life. Monday has nothing on today. I think I’ve started to realise why people go to regattas and have fun. It’s just been crazy.
“I’ve never been in a field of this many people, usually 7, 8 maybe 5 people around me and here was 25. I cried a little bit when I came down. I cried a bit on the way back as I was so proud of myself. I’ve never been so proud of myself. I think I have to make something of this. Can’t’ be a Danish laggard anymore. Maybe I have to start training.
“Best day of my life.”
Two races remain on Friday to determine the 2025 OK Dinghy World Champion; the champion of the biggest OK Dinghy fleet of all time. It will be some accomplishment.
Results after 8 races
1 GBR 94 Andrew Mills 7
2 GBR 2295 Nick Craig 11
3 SWE 71 Niklas Edler 19
4 GBR 6 Charlie Cumbley 20
5 DEN 21 Bo Petersen 23
6 GBR 2298 Matthew Howard 24
7 CAN 26 Ben Flower 24
8 GER 886 Stefan Hoffmann 30
9 GER 19 Ulli Kurfeld 31
10 GER 71 André Budzien 32
Full results: https://www.racingrulesofsailing.org/documents/10764/event
Full gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/okdia/albums/72177720329135038
The breeze took a while to build, but by 13.00 it was clearly building for another Groundhog Day. Head to the right; keep your nose clean and tack on the layline. Some got it right, some went early and some went late. Australia’s Rob McMillan was fast upwind, but Matt Howard sailed round and past downwind for two comfortable wins. Mills had a slightly harder time with a very close finish for the top three in the second race. Meanwhile Nick Craig, mulling over the mistakes in Race 5 where he finished third, took off in the last race to lead all the way and win by some 400 metres.
With six races completed there is almost nothing to separate the top boats. But for the remaining races, the top boats will face everyone and it’s going to be tough. Among the top 10 there are 10 world titles with a massive amount of talent and determination. It’s Garda, and the rewards are great, but mistakes are also heavily punished. What’s left is four gruelling races – the forecast is more wind – but also a lot of fun. And these guys are having fun for sure.
Andrew Mills is proving hard to beat. With five wins from six races, he has not made many mistakes. He said, “Another lovely day on Garda today. Third day of somewhere in the region 12-18 knots. A little bit fresher today for the last day of qualifying. Been superb so far. I’ve been going well. Another couple of firsts for me today.
“It will be interesting tomorrow when we stick the gold fleet together and see what happens.
The organisation has been brilliant so far. Three fleets of 70 boats starting for 2 races for all the fleets in a 4 hour window is brilliant.”
Niklas Edler dropped one place to fifth with a 2, 7 today. “Lovely venue here. Organisation is very, very good. One general recall. That’s about it. And they are working really hard on the starts.
“The sailing was a bit windier that than yesterday and the day before. So, a lot of hiking and still the right corner close to the mountains. But it’s tricky. Not just speed. You have to take care when you tack.”
Gabriel Medeiros Konigsfeld, a Laser sailor from Luxembourg, is sailing his first OK Worlds and also competing for the youth trophy, which he is leading. He is currently lying in 24th.
“The championship is going really well. I’m happy tomorrow is going to be gold fleet. Today wasn’t really a good day for me. I had some difficulties in the field. Tomorrow is going to be better. I’m sure of that. I’m enjoying the OK class a lot. It’s very different from the Laser. The boat is a bit heavier but I’m enjoying it a lot.”
The fleets is now split into gold, silver and bronze groups for the final two days. Four races remain and it’s about to get tough at the front.
Results after 6 races
1 GBR 94 Andrew Mills 5
2 GBR 2295 Nick Craig 7
3 GBR 6 Charlie Cumbley 10
4 CAN 26 Ben Flower 11
5 SWE 71 Niklas Edler 12
6 GBR 2298 Matthew Howard 12
7 GER 71 André Budzien 12
8 DEN 21 Bo Petersen 13
9 GER 886 Stefan Hoffmann 18
10 GER 19 Ulli Kurfeld 18
Full results: https://www.racingrulesofsailing.org/documents/10764/event
Full gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/okdia/albums/72177720329113058/
With a slightly lighter forecast than the opening day the 212-boat fleet set out for two more races, now assigned to three very different groups. The wind started off further left but the right side was still favoured and increased during the first race for some exciting and close finishing.
Cumbley dominated the yellow groups to win both races and move up to third overall. In the blue fleet, Stefan Hoffmann led all the way in the first race of the day, while Niklas Edler took the second.
The red fleet was probably the hardest fleet of the day. After a good deal of waiting for the third start on the first day – to keep the groups apart – there was some apprehension about the timing of the start, with the third group now starting as the second group rounded the top mark, instead of the gate on the inner loop. However, the race committee got it spot on and all races went ahead with no recalls and no fleet overlaps. Andrew Mills made it three race wins in a row after dominating the first race. Then Denmark’s Bo Petersen led the second race of the day only to lose out to Craig on the second upwind, for Craig to take his third race win.
After four races, the points are incredibly close, with just eight points separating the top ten. The British team seem to like the conditions, holding the top three positions and with five boats in the top ten.
New Zealand’s Russell Page- Wood said of the day, “Awesome to be here in Garda. The fleet is amazing. Sailing is perfect. Couldn’t have asked for better conditions. Probably the best worlds we’ve had.”
Dayne Sharp, sailing for Denmark, is at his first OK Dinghy worlds. “Another great day on the water here in Garda. We’ve had two really superb sailing days. Just had to get a good start and get to the right side and chose the right time to tack over and not overlay the top mark too much. Perfect sailing. Challenging. Physical. And great ashore with a lot of nice guys. So top game.”
Bo Petersen is up to sixth overall. “Great day on the water. I had a second and third and I think that was ok in the group I was in. I am amazed about this place and how professional they are. I thought today would end up in chaos because they changed the starting, but it didn’t happen. It was great. Really good.”
The opening series is scheduled to conclude on Wednesday with two more races, before the final series on Thursday and Friday. Racing continues Wednesday at 13.00.
Results after 4 races
1 GBR 2295 Nick Craig 3
2 GBR 94 Andrew Mills 3
3 GBR 6 Charlie Cumbley 4
4 SWE 71 Niklas Edler 4
5 CAN 26 Ben Flower 6
6 DEN 21 Bo Petersen 7
7 GER 71 André Budzien 7
8 GBR 11 Andy Davis 10
9 GBR 2298 Matthew Howard 10
10 GER 886 Stefan Hoffmann 11
Full results: https://www.racingrulesofsailing.org/documents/10764/event
Full gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/okdia/albums/72177720329095119
It has heralded the start of what is lining up to be a tough week on Lake Garda. 212 OK Dinghies from 15 countries are taking part in a 10 race, 5-day series that will become a standout moment for the class. To add to the competitive level, around 37 sailors out of the top 40 sailors from the current OK Dinghy World Ranking List are taking part, making this probably the most competitive OK Dinghy event ever held. The winner will be a true World Champion.
Circolo Vela Arco is the perfect host with after race pasta and beer parties, huge on shore organisation and some great new facilities for sailors.
With three groups, every point gained or lost is the equivalent to three points. After the opening day, four sailors won at least one race and lead the rankings, but after Tuesday’s races this will surely change. In Race 1 the wins went to Flower, Mills and Craig. In Race 2, the wins went to Edler, after a tight battle with Denmark’s Bo Petersen, Mills and Craig. While some were dominant, there were many tight battles and hard fought mark roundings. But also, there was a euphoria in the fleet that only venues like Garda can bring.
Both Mills, a former top Finn sailor, and Craig, a six-time OK Dinghy world champion won races by a significant margin, while the other wins were close fought. It will be a fascinating series with more top ranked sailors than ever seen before at a world championship.
Sofie Boel, from Denmark is one of four women taking part this week and is sailing her first world championship. “I think I’ve had one of the best days of my life. It’s really amazing you know. Some super great fights. I wasn’t completely at the bottom of the field, but I was moving up a little bit. It’s been really amazing. Super hard.”
Chris Turner, from Britain, said of the day, “It was great. Fantastic. Good day on the water. Bit of pin bias in the second race that a lot of us missed. Got a sixth and maybe an early teens.”
Past world champion, Charlie Cumbley, from Britain, “Great first day to the world championship. The Ora came in, three fleets. We were in the last fleet. Good bit of Brit racing actually. Nick [Craig] won both races. I got a second and a third. Matt got a fifth and a second. James Downer was up in the first race. Now I am looking forward to a bit of a sit down. My legs hurt turns out when the Ora comes in. But all good. Nice first day.”
Racing continues Tuesday at 13.00. A six race/three day opening series will be followed by a four race/two day finals series.
Full gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/okdia/albums/72177720329068179
Results after two races: https://www.racingrulesofsailing.org/documents/10764/event
The world championship was opened tonight at Circolo Vela Arco after the practice race and two Hall of Fame inductions. After a cloudy start to the day the skies cleared, and a 10-12 knot Ora filled in just in time for the practice race. With the huge fleet split into two groups for this race the current world champion, Nick Craig, from Britain, won the first group with Sweden’s Daniel Bjorndahl winning the second group.
In the evening the opening ceremony was held at the newly opened brand new clubhouse at the Circolo Vela Arco. Newly elected OKDIA class President Pontus Gäbel from Sweden stated, “It’s great to be back. It’s going to be an amazing event with the biggest OK fleet of all time on the race course tomorrow. It’s amazing. Racing on Lake Garda is probably on every sailor’s bucket list, The backdrop is spectacular, the race course is beautiful, the weather is warm, and the sun is shining. To quote a sailor who did well here two years ago at the Europeans, the only problem with this place is that it is so beautiful that if you look up for a second you lose concentration.”
It is traditional in the class that Hall of Fame nominations happen at the world championship. The OKDIA Hall of Fame was started in 2007 when class legend Jørgen Lindhardtsen was the first inductee. Since then, the list has included multiple world champions, such as Nick Craig, New Zealand’s Leith Armit and Australia’s Roger Blasse, along with many of those who have defined the class through the decades, including of course Paul Elvstrøm.
Tonight, on the shores of Lake Garda, modesty permitting, two long standing OKDIA officers were brought into the fold. Both have been racing OK Dinghies for more than 40 years. Alistair Deaves, now from New Zealand, has sat on OKDIA committees for 28 years, has been Chairman of the Technical Committee for 17 years and has been instrumental in defining the current technical expertise in the class, was introduced first by former Vice-President Mike Wilde from New Zealand. Then, the current Vice-President Andreas Pich, from Germany, introduced Robert Deaves, long time secretary, media manager and behind the scenes operative for the current success of the OK Dinghy class. The nominations were surrounded in secrecy, but we have to report the response from the assembled crowd, with well over 200 people gathered for the flag parade of the opening ceremony, was humbling, and greatly appreciated by both nominees.
Celebrations inevitably ensued, which is why this press release is late….
Racing is scheduled to start at 13.00 on Monday with a 10 race series until Friday.
Gallery Day 1: https://www.flickr.com/photos/okdia/albums/72177720329018736
Notice board and results here: https://www.racingrulesofsailing.org/documents/10764/event
For here many in Garda it has been a pilgrimage to get here, with containers from Australia and New Zealand, and sailors from 20 countries, the most countries represented at the event for generations. It has become a bucket list event with most sailors planning for three years to be here. After a period of unsettled weather, the conditions have returned to normal, with a plethora of ear-to-ear smiles on and off the water.
The seeds of the 2025 OK Dinghy World Championship were planted back in 2017, but after the original plan for 2021 was scuppered by the pandemic, it was reorganised for 2025. It’s been a long time coming but it’s almost here. And the fleet cannot wait to get started.
Equipment inspection is never a welcome task, but the need for rigorous checking and limitation control underway for such a large fleet has been embraced by most of the fleet. Sails are checked for correct labelling and certification, masts are checked for weight and centre of gravity, hulls for correctors, rudder fittings and safety. The jig templates are used to check the last hulls built from all production manufacturers and any new home builds.
With up to 215 boats to pass through the inspection shed there are queues unlike the class has seen for many years, but there is no rush. Conversations, catching up with friends, and checking out the other boats keeps everyone occupied while they wait. Friendships are renewed and new ones made in the queue. It is, for want of a better phrase, organised chaos. But good natured and useful for all.
More than 100 boats were cleared on the first day, which is some achievement given that it used to take three days to get through 80 boats.
During the last two days Garda has produced sublime conditions, with a 14-16 knots afternoon Ora than has tempted most out for training. With six former world champions and many more world championships in waiting, it is going to be a monumental battle on the water. There will be three starting groups, two races per day, so up to 30 starts in all. It’s a big challenge to make it all work.
Many here will have their own objectives, but for the majority it is just to enjoy the event, a celebration of a class that is growing faster than at any time for three generations. In the words on one former world champion, “My goal is to be surprised if I go well.”
Registration and equipment inspection continues Saturday and Sunday morning. A lively technical meeting was held Friday evening, the class AGM will be held Saturday evening, all with the now traditional free beer for participants, and then the practice race on Sunday afternoon. It’s about to get real.
But will all be OK!
Full gallery here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/okdia/with/54780858157
HOW TO FOLLOW
Official Notice Board and results: https://www.racingrulesofsailing.org/documents/10764/event
Event website: https://2025.okworlds.org
SCHEDULE
12-14 Sept – Measurement/Registration
14 Sept – Opening Day and Class AGM
15 Sept – Racing (2 races scheduled)
16 Sept – Racing (2 races scheduled)
17 Sept – Racing (2 races scheduled)
18 Sept – Racing (2 races scheduled)
19 Sept – Racing (2 races scheduled) followed by Prizegiving
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OK-Dinghy-197171683649284
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxRW4POh1vghfqFhFIP2Bqw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ok.dinghy/
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/okdia/
CLUB CHANNELS
https://www.flickr.com/photos/153162608@N02/sets/72177720329039269/
https://www.facebook.com/CircoloVelaArco
https://www.instagram.com/circolovelaarco
https://www.youtube.com/@circolovelaarco
PRESS RELEASES
Press releases will be issued daily with links to extensive galleries. Sign up here to receive daily news: https://okdia.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d45743fb70846f6a8bdc2837d&id=45cc28e0f9
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Daily highlights will be available on https://okdia.org/ok-tv
And on https://www.facebook.com/pages/OK-Dinghy/197171683649284
PHOTOS
Photos are all free of rights for editorial and social media use with credit.
Photos will be published on Facebook and Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/okdia/
High-res photos can be obtained from: https://robertdeaves.smugmug.com/OK-Dinghy
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High numbers were always expected for this championship, which has been delayed since 2021 because of the pandemic, but this has outstripped all expectations. The number of registrations has surprised everyone, with a lot of new names on the list and many other stars parachuting in for what will be an epic event.
This will easily make it the largest OK Dinghy event ever held, smashing the previous record of 145 boats set at the 2012 World Championship. Planning is already underway about how to manage so many boats on the shore and on the water. But it is a nice problem to have.
At least 4-5 containers are being planned from Australia and New Zealand to boost the huge European entry, which in total represents more than a quarter of the global fleet.
This World Championship follows on from the very successful European Championship held in Arco in 2023, which attracted 112 entries.
The ONB including Notice of Race and entry form is here: https://www.circolovelaarco.com/cva/regate/2025/ok-dinghy-world-championship
As is traditional, the World Championship on Garda will be followed by the Autumn Trophy in Bandol, on the Côte d’Azur, France from 23-26 September.
The ONB including Notice of Race and entry form for that is here: https://events.okdinghy.org/2025-autumn-trophy
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