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Monday, 1 August 2005 Roger Blasse has placed fourth at the OK Dinghy World Championship, which finished in Sweden over the weekend. In a regatta plagued by light, shifty winds and numerous delays due to conditions, he sailed exceptionally well to win the final race. Three other Australians competed and the final Australian results were:
4. Roger Blasse
26. Andre Blasse
43. Paul Richards
52. Peter Nielson
Event media reports:
The final day of the 2005 OK Dinghy World Championships began with rain, no wind and a 2 hour postponement. It ended with Nick Craig (GBR) becoming the new OK Dinghy World Champion after seven previous serious campaingns and describing the struggle as “one of the hardest things I have ever tried to win.”
The sailors were held on shore for two hours while the rain battered down and the wind failed to come. Even the frogs started to come indoors because outside was so wet. Finally at 11 am, the postponement came down and the fleet was towed out to a glass like sea wondering what was going on.
However a breeze appeared, a course was set and race 8 commenced in barely enough wind to cross the start line. Nick Craig said afterwards, “It was shocker, they should have waited a bit longer. There was barely enough wind to sail with massive shifts from each side. Jonus Quist (SWE) sailed an excellent first beat though to win. I was doing OK until the wind died and got buried in the middle. I rounded the top mark in about 20th. And caught up a few on the reaches. On the second beat I went right a bit caught a big shift and moved up to 3rd. Lost one on the final leg to finished 4th, but that was enough.” With not enough time to run two races, Nick Craig had finally won the OK Worlds, after many medals but no wins. He said, “This is awesome. I am over the moon, and really happy to have won it finally. It has been the hardest thing I have ever tried to win. It is very satisfying.”
For the start of race 9, a strong wind arrived for for once the sailors could stetch their legs in the force 4-5. Jon Fish rounded the top mark in first and would have done well apart from a spash down the run which dropped him to 20th. On the second beat Roger Blasse (AUS) and Mark Perrow (NZL) had banged right and found a good shift and more wind to take the lead and win the race in the fantastic sailing conditions.
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