OK Dinghy International Association Press Release

2009 OK Dinghy World Championship Kalmar, Sweden

Thursday 30th July 2009

Thomas Hansson-mild, champion du Monde 2009

Le nouveau champion du monde est suédois.

Race 9

The day started with two sailors, current World Champion Karl Purdie (NZL) and
Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE), on 13 points, each in a position to win the World
Championship. With a fresh breeze forecast, there was much speculation on who would win today’s races and with them the Championship. Hansson-Mild was looking the favourite, having won 4 races to Puride’s 3. With the wind holding steady at 8 m/s, with gusts of 10m/s, some sailors had decided to call it a day, choosing to pack up their boats instead.
With so much resting on these two races, the fifty nine competitors jumped the gun on the first start and a general recall was called. The black flag immediately instilled discipline for the second start at which there were no premature starters. An 18 minute beat to the windward mark saw some bang both corners but the majority sailed the middle course. One of the leading pack capsized on the first reach, costing him valuable points, but the rest were soon gibing at the leeward mark, to sail the port side of the course. In the lead was Jorgen Lindhardtsen (DEN), closely followed by Oliver Gronholz (GER) and Hannsson-Mild, with Purdie on his transom. Lindhardtsen had increased his lead up the next beat and held it on the run to the leeward gate.
Hansson-Mild had climbed to second place, with Purdie and Andre Blasse (AUS) a short distance behind. They all continued on starboard tack for much of the beat to the finish, short tacking as the line approached. Lindhardtsen was first to finish, closely followed by Hansson-Mild, but Blasse forced Purdie into fourth place.

Jorgen Lindharsten gagne la 9e manche

1. Jorgen Lindhardtsen DEN
2. Thomas Hansson-Mild SWE
3. Andre Blasse AUS
4. Karl Purdie NZL
5. Oliver Gronholz GER
6. Greg Wilcox NZL
7. Martin Zimmermann GER
8. Terry Curtis GBR
9. Gunter Arndt GER
10. Tomasz Gaj POL

Race 10

With Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) on 15 points and Karl Purdie (NZL) on 17 points, the Championship was very much in the balance. Once again the first start resulted in a general recall, but the second start was quickly underway under the black flag, again with no premature starters. With the wind still oscillating between 8 and 10 m/s and the waves becoming quite pronounced, the leaders chose the committee boat end to start. It is fair to say they were line-shy, but with so much counting on the last race for many of the top ten places, no-one was taking any chances. Andre Blasse (AUS) was first to the windward mark, holding his lead on the two reaches, with Martin Zimmermann (GER), Pawel Pawlaczyk (POL) and Gunter Arndt (GER) close behind.
Again Karl Purdie (NZL) and Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) were inseparable in 5th and 6th places. Again the port side of the course was favourite, with Blasse still leading the race. Blasse again led the fleet at the leeward mark, with Arndt 2nd Purdie 3rd and Hansson-Mild 4th. A nail-biting final beat ensued with Blasse, the new President of the OK Dinghy International Association, taking his first gun of the series. Purdie was second and Hansson-Mild 3rd.

André Blasse gagne la 10e manche

1. Andre Blasse AUS
2. Karl Purdie NZL
3. Thomas Hansson-Mild SWE
4. Martin Zimmermann GER
5. Gunter Arndt GER
6. Pawel Pawlaczyk POL
7. Jorgen Lindhardtsen DEN
8. Terry Curtis GBR
9. Greg Wilcox NZL
10. Oliver Gronholz GER

With a complete series of ten races completed, all that remained was the assembly of the overall results. Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) became the new World Champion, beating the current World Champion Karl Purdie (NZL) by just 1 point. Hansson-Mild has competed in fourteen World Championships and this is his 7th appearance in the top ten. His highest position to date was 3rd in 2001.

Overall positions

1. Thomas Hansson-Mild SWE
2. Karl Purdie NZL
3. Jorgen Lindhardtsen DEN
4. Andre Blasse AUS
5. Greg Wilcox NZL
6. Nick Craig GBR
7. Terry Curtis GBR
8. Pawel Pawlaczyk POL
9. Martin Zimmermann GER
10. Gunter Arndt GER

1st Veteran : Karl Purdie NZL

1st Junior : Bartosz Rakocy POL

1st in host country : Thomas Hansson-Mild SWE

1er Français : Matthieu Chenuil

Event website : www.kalmarraceweek.se
Class website : www.okdia.org

Text : Mary Reddyhoff OKDIA
Photos : Mary Reddyhoff