OK Dinghy European Championship at Real Club Náutico de Palma – Day 4
by Robert Deaves 2 Nov 14:33 PDT
30 October – 3 November 2024
New Zealand’s Luke Deegan has taken the lead at the 2024 OK Dinghy European Championship in Palma after another race completed on Saturday. Britain’s Charlie Cumbley slipped to second place, while Sweden’s Niklas Edler moved up to third.
The fleet was greeted by the news that the orange severe weather warning had been lifted, allowing racing to continue. However, the wind was slow to build, topping out at only 5-7 knots. After several restarts, one race was completed, but the diminishing breeze at the end caused 20 boats to fail to finish.
Deegan maintained his lead throughout, while many top competitors struggled further back. The conditions were shifty and inconsistent, with some sailors managing to recover to the front, while others faced a challenging time searching for pressure and angles to remain competitive.
As the wind started to fade again, Deegan crossed the finish well ahead of Edler and Poland’s Pawel Pawlaczyk, who had consistently been in contention throughout the race. Further racing was called off for the day.
Deegan remarked, “It was looking a bit touch and go, and we tried 3 or 4 starts as the wind shifted right, followed by a 20-minute postponement before we finally got underway on a black flag start.”
“I came off the pin and caught a bit of left shift to move ahead of the fleet. That was essentially the crux of the race. It was still competitive, particularly at the front. I had many Swedish sailors right behind me throughout, but I’m really pleased to secure the win.”
Speaking about the competition, he said, “I’m really enjoying the fleet. We have 80 boats present, which is fantastic, and there are some excellent sailors here as well as ample opportunity for everyone.”
“A close friend, Tim Goodbody, couldn’t participate in the Europeans, so he lent me his boat for this regatta. I’ve done a bit of OK sailing this year with Tim, but jumped in only a month ago, leading me here.”
“I come from a Laser background, and the beauty of the OK is that you can fine-tune the boat and your settings a bit more to suit your preferences. That’s why there’s such a diversity of sizes and ages in this class, which I really appreciate. I’m learning a lot about pre-bend, mast rake, sail shape, and similar aspects, so it’s been extremely beneficial.”
The championship wraps up on Sunday, with two more races still possible.
Results after Day 4: (top ten, 4 races)
1. ESP111 Luke Deegan 4pts
2. GBR6 Charlie Cumbley 6pts
3. SWE71 Niklas Edler 11pts
4. GBR2279 Matthew Howard 12pts
5. GBR2261 Baabi’o Flower 17pts
6. DEN21 Bo Petersen 17pts
7. SWE100 Thomas Hansson-Mild 18pts
8. GBR11 Andy Davis 21pts
9. FRA8 Timothee Petetin 23pts
10. SWE73 Patric Mure 24pts
