OK Dinghy History
In 1957 Axel Dangaard Olsen of Seattle, U.S.A., asked the Danish yacht designer Knud Olsen to prepare drawings
for a light and fast single-handed sailing dinghy based on conventional plywood construction.
The resulting design was named the O.K., using Knud Olsen's initials in reverse
(I guess KO would have sent the wrong message).The O.K. was intended as
a preparation class for the Olympic Finn and it has followed its technical
evolution ever since.
Sometimes the OK even sets new standarts in singlehanders.In the beginning, the OK
was somerthing like a revolution, some national authorities tried to prohibit
the OK, because it was 'not sailable',
but after a while it became clear, that it was the sailor not good enough for
the OK and not vice versa.
OKs are built in plywood,
G.R.P and composite construction and all forms enjoy equal racing success.
Freedom of choice in hull construction is replicated in choice of rig, with
choice of mast, sail and fitting entirely open.
Consequently, every OK develops to suit the owner's style of sailing, while
the shape of the hull is designed by a comprehensive set of rules ensuring
a long competitive life span.
Old boats often only need a rig up-date and minor constructional modifications
to make them competitive, provided they meet modern buoyancy requirements.In the 60s and 70s, the
OK class enjoyed a explosive success, with the total number of boats exceeding
10.000 and large racing fleets building up.
In the 80s, the success of the popular one-design single-handed Laser affected
the success of OK.
In the eastern countries, the OK was the official youth single hander and after
the breakdown of the socialist system, many 'old' sailors came back to the
class of their youth, now with their own boats instead of club-owned.
Today, we are seeing a remarkable revival of the OK class. Lots of older boats
are being restored and updated, new boats are being build and participation
in club races is on the rise.
The OK was elected as single hander for the Asian Games 1998.
This strong come-back can be contributed to the unique characteristics of the
International OK-Dinghy:
a light, responsive sailing dinghy that may be raced in fair and equal competition
all over the world, without getting into cut-throat Olympic competition, and
with the freedom to appeal to the individual that is in each of us.
Based on a strong history, the International OK class is facing a bright future.
