Penalties hit OK Worlds leaders on penultimate day
'Bombardier OK Dinghy World Championship 2008'
Norbert Pertrausch
On the penultimate day of the Bombardier OK Dinghy World Championship in Warnem?nde, Germany, Nick Craig (GBR) sailed the best of the day with a race win and a fourth place, while regatta leader, New Zealander Karl Purdie struggled with a 16th and a 7th. However, the Z-flag took its toll on more than half the top ten, including Craig, leaving Purdie with a 16 point lead going into the final day.
After two general recalls, race seven started in 10-12 knots from the sea. The forecast Force 6-7 never materialised, so the sailors enjoyed near perfect conditions for this race.
Nick Craig led out of the committee boat end, never to be seriously challenged during the race. He extended on each leg and with the wind relatively stable for a change, controlled the fleet easily from the front. Second place was dominated by Pawel Pawlaczyk (POL), while third at the first mark, Terry Curtis (GBR) dropped to sixth before climbing back to third on the final beat.
Race eight was where everything changed. Before the fleet finally got underway under a black flag there were three general recalls under the Z-flag. In a slightly decreased wind, Purdie led round the top mark from Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE), Matthew Steven (NZL) and Craig. Greg Wilcox (NZL) found the best route on the reaches to move ahead by the gybe mark, and then led all the way to the finish to record yet anther Kiwi race win.
As the race progressed, the wind dropped to virtually nothing and the final upwind leg was shortened as the boats got slower and slower. Wilcox remained in front, with Hansson-Mild in second and Steven in third. However many of the front runners received Z-flag penalties, Wilcox got one, Steven got two and Craig got one. In a fleet of 91 boats this means a scoring penalty of 18 points per infringement.
Craig came ashore thinking he had closed the gap on Purdie and set up a last day showdown. However his scoring penalty could cost him dear as Purdie has extended his lead despite sailing his worst day so far. However, Purdie is not getting too excited yet. He said, 'I have a bit of breathing space, but anything can happen tomorrow.'
Tomorrow's forecast is 15-18 knots when the final two races will be sailed for the 2008 OK Dinghy World Championship.
OK Worlds - Leading overall positions
1 NZL 531 Karl Purdie 66 WBBC 1,0 1,0 2,0 2,0 3,0 2,0 (16,0) 7,0 18,0pts
2 GBR 2116 Nick Craig 74 7,0 3,0 3,0 1,0 11,0 8,0 1,0 (22,0)z 34,0
3 AUS 729 Andre Blasse 64 BRYC 2,0 9,0 4,0 3,0 2,0 (46,0) 7,0 11,0 38,0
4 GER 744 Karsten Hitz 61 9,0 2,0 5,0 5,0 6,0 7,0 (12,0) 5,0 39,0
5 SWE 100 Thomas Hansson-Mild 71 UMSS 8,0 6,0 9,0 7,0 (13,5) 3,0 9,0 2,0 44,0
6 NZL 527 Mark Perrow 78 WBC 5,0 5,0 6,0 8,0 20,0 5,0 10,0 (23,0) 59,0
7 DEN 1364 J?rgen Lindhardtsen 45 3,0 11,0 8,0 17,0 5,0 11,0 15,0 (47,0)z 70,0
8 NZL 522 Greg Wilcox 60 BSC HA005 6,0 12,0 (27,0) 20,0 10,0 10,0 4,0 19,0 z 81,0
9 GBR 2118 Terry Curtis 67 17,0 8,0 (19,0) 16,0 19,0 13,0 3,0 8,0 84,0
10 DEN 1340 Christian Olesen 82 KSC 14,0 7,0 12,0 25,0 16,0 4,0 8,0 (30,0)z 86,0
11 NZL 517 Matthew Steven 89 4,0 20,0 11,0 6,0 13,5 1,0 32,0 z (39,0)s 87,5
12 NZL 525 Steve McDowell 81 WBBC 13,0 18,5 1,0 4,0 18,0 (25,0) 23,0 z 24,0 z 101,5
13 POL 14 Pawel Pawlaczyk 64 JKWP POL 16,0 4,0 11,0 w 13,0 43,0 15,0 2,0 (46,0)s 104,0
14 GER 672 Gunter Arndt 67 FYC SH003 12,0 14,0 (21,0) 9,0 15,0 18,0 21,0 18,0 107,0
15 NZL 511 Luke O`Connell 86 21,0 17,0 20,0 22,0 4,0 (30,0) 20,0 9,0 113,0
16 GER 693 Martin von Zimmermann 67 (33,0) 21,0 17,0 10,0 17,0 9,0 25,0 16,0 115,0
17 GER 717 Oliver Gronholz 77 SSC SH055 18,0 (35,0) 14,0 12,0 22,5 14,0 18,0 27,0 125,5
18 NZL 532 Alistair Deaves 67 WBC 22,0 13,0 24,0 38,0 1,0 6,0 (47,0)s 33,0 z 137,0
19 GER 718 Peter Scheuerl 67 23,0 28,0 22,0 15,0 7,0 (32,0) 19,0 25,0 139,0
20 GBR 2119 Robert Deaves 67 38,0 10,0 23,0 14,0 (DNC) 23,0 13,0 22,0 143,0
21 DEN 1304 Christian Midtgaard 67 19,0 27,0 7,0 21,0 (46,0) 16,0 22,0 45,0 157,0
22 GBR 2122 Jonathan Fish 81 26,0 32,5 15,0 26,0 (57,0) 17,0 17,0 24,0 157,5
23 DEN 1346 Anders Andersen 65 25,0 34,0 28,0 19,0 (40,5) 12,0 35,0 13,0 166,0
24 SWE 99 Hans Elkjaer 59 39,0 (44,0) 25,0 18,0 9,0 21,5 29,5 34,0 176,0
25 GER 731 Thomas Glas 73 SSC SH055 30,0 32,5 16,0 29,0 33,5 20,0 (44,0)z 17,0 178,0
26 DEN 1371 J?rgen Holm 53 KBL DEN 28,0 25,0 (49,0) 47,0 21,0 24,0 27,0 14,0 186,0
27 NZL 502 Trent Pryce 76 11,0 31,0 (DNF) 27,0 26,0 59,0 24,0 21,0 199,0
by Robert Deaves 
