The 2025 New Zealand OK Dinghy Nationals at Queen Charlotte Yacht Club, was the best championship regatta I have been to since my own boat club hosted the 2019 worlds. And that was not what I expected…
Queen Charlotte Yacht Club is in Picton on the northwest tip of the south island. They call it “The Sounds” and the racing area is in fjords. We all expected light and shifty racing in these fjords. I expected an adventure. There would be 31 boats. This would be  the first nationals on the south island since 1984. As we look back on this fantastic regatta, it was indeed an adventure, but will be remembered for the nine races in epic conditions followed by world class hospitality at the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club.

I arrived early and was able to sail for a couple of days before the regatta. The Paper Tiger Nationals was running concurrently and I was able to see the race course. The main thing I learned is that the race course was at least a 45 minute sail from the yacht club which was something we would have to manage. We would also have to sail into and out of very different breezes in our fjord from what we would be racing in. 
Day 1 started light but would see over 30 knots in the end. The first race got away in just under 10 knots. Sean Cleary (Wakatere) won from Steve McDowel(Worser Bay)l and both were a step ahead of the fleet. Scott Fyfe, Brett Linton, and Annebelle Rennie-Younger all got top ten finishes running Linton sails like Steve. Race 2 started in 12 knots of breeze. Steve got the jump and led until the top of the second beat. He failed to cover Sean and got stranded on the left side of the race course as a persistent 40 degree shift came. Sean won race 2 from Alistair Gifford and Paul Rhodes. Race 3 saw the RO move the race course…, and the arrival of big breeze. The race officer ran primarily triangle double windward leeward courses except for taking a leg off of a couple of races. They took just under an hour. Race 3 was boat end biased and took a couple of tries to get away. Steve had the bit in his teeth and won from Sean and Paul Rhodes. Alistair Gifford had swimming lessons. Oscar Paulich was having it and also had swimming lessons. Hans Van der wal, from QCYC, managed 11th. The race committee boat observed 29 knots through the race. Mike Kelly blew up his mast step and his regatta was over. The OK fleet had had a massive, seven hour day on the water.

We woke up the next morning in regatta mode. Trent Pryce and Chris Fenwick had both had all keepers. We were going to be on the big course. Everyone had realized that they did not need to leave the boat club. The commodore, Meg Stetchman, happens to be married to the 2014 OK dinghy world champion and had seen to everything. Bacon and egg sandwiches in the morning, and great dinners in the evening with the bar and views. Some of the athletes had discovered a handy hiking trail from the yacht club for the legs. Some of the athletes had discovered the Irish pub after burgers the night before. The racing on day 2  established a clear pecking order. Sean, Steve, and Alistair Gifford (representing QCYC) took all podium spots from the three races sailed. Rod Davis came 4th in each race. The rest of the fleet was in a battle. No one truly managed to come away with three keepers out of the day. Gordon Sims bested the contenders but still took 21 points from the three races. Alistair Deaves picked all the shifts on the last race of the day to come 8th. Alistair Gifford won his first tiki, winning the last race of the day. He would go on to win the first race of day 3 as well, and his performance would see him on the podium and affect the championship.

Day 3 was championship day. We found ourselves in the area where the regatta began, but with a different and shifty breeze. There was tension in the air as the sailors did runs up and down trying to figure it out. I identified a bit of a trap before Race 7.  The top left of the course had a geographic right hand shift and a bit of velocity. I believe that this lured a lot of sailors to the left of the race course when it wasn't really the thing to do. The thing to do was to pick shifts and to keep in mind that you were not necessarily going to get the same shift that you could see your friends in. The fjord that produced that trap also affected the reach. There was plenty of pressure to sail high on outside of the first reach and then take puffs back down. Alistair won Race 7 from Sean and Steve. Annebelle Rennie Younger came 5th with her brand new Leech hull and Linton sail. Race 8 saw Rod over early. This was a problem for him as he was carrying a 13th from day 1. I made it up the first beat in good shape and noticed both Rod and Steve buried in the back of the fleet. They both knew the situation…, and they both mounted unbelievable comebacks. Rod came 4th in race 8 putting him out of touch in 4th place overall. Steve managed to come back to second utterly focused on picking every shift and his hiking…, but it wasn't enough. Sean Cleary had clinched the 2025 OK nationals with a race to spare never finishing worse than second.

Sean’s goal going into the regatta was to be on the podium having come 4th at Nationals last year in Napier. I expected him to do well. What he has shown by winning this championship, is that there is a pathway to the top of this very competitive New Zealand OK fleet. We now look forward to Turangi, and the 2025 OK Dinghy Worlds in Lake Garda. 

By Eric Rone