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31 July 2005, 11:45 am

CRAIG Takes The Title For Great Britain

OK Dinghy World Championship 2005

Skaelskor, Denmark

The final day of the 2005 OK Dinghy World Championships began with rain, no wind and a two hour postponement. It ended with Nick CRAIG (GBR) becoming the new OK Dinghy World Champion after seven previous serious campaigns 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. Finally at 1100, the postponement ended and the fleet was towed out to a glass like sea wondering what was going on.

However a breeze appeared and 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 dies 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 and for once the sailors could stetch their legs in the force 4-5. Jon FISH rounded the top mark in first but dropped 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.

Top Ten Results

Pos	Nation	Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts
1	GBR	Nick CRAIG	1	3	3	1	2	2	5	4	(DNC)	21
2	SWE	Jonas QUIST	4	(BFD)	1	2	8	3	6	1	7	32
3	NZL	Greg WILCOX	(16)	1	8	12	1	1	15	6	5	49
4	AUS	Roger BLASSE	3	6	6	11	3	10	14	(27)	1	54
5	DEN	Jørgen LINDHARDTSEN	7	18	12	3	(43)	6	2	11	3	62
6	DEN	Mogens JOHANSEN	5	4	15	10	(34)	7	1	19	9	70
7	DEN	Ulf BRANDT	8	12	25	8	5	(30)	4	8	16	86
8	NZL	Steve MCDOWELL	2	17	18	(23)	6	4	9	21	12	89
9	GER	Martin VON ZIMMERMANN	15	8	9	5	16	12	(OCS)	2	29	96
10	DEN	Peter WIBRO	19	(25)	22	9	11	8	3	16	11	99