The OK Dinghy is an international class sailing dinghy, designed by
Knud Olsen in 1956.
History
In 1956
Axel Damgaard Olsen of
Vordingborg
Vordingborg () is a market town and old ferry town on the south coast of the island of Zealand in Denmark. Because of three large estates surrounding the town, a coherent urban development has not been possible, which is the reason why three sat ...
, 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 "OK", using Knud Olsen's initials in reverse.
The OK was intended as a preparation class for the Olympic
Finn and it has followed its technical evolution ever since. The rig is identical to a Finn comprising a single sail set on a rotating, un-stayed, bending
mast.
OKs are built in plywood,
G.R.P and composite construction; all forms enjoy equal racing success. Freedom of choice in hull materials is replicated in choice of rig. The choice of mast, sail and fittings must fit within the class rules but enables all sailors to have a combination suited to their own requirements. Consequently, every OK develops to suit the owner's style of sailing, while the shape of the hull is defined by a comprehensive set of strict one-design rules ensuring a long competitive life span. Old boats often only need a rig update and minor constructional modifications to make them competitive, provided they meet modern buoyancy requirements.
In the 60s and 70s, the OK class enjoyed an 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
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...
affected the success of the OK.
In the eastern European countries, the OK was the official youth single hander and after the breakdown of the USSR, many 'old' sailors came back to the class of their youth, now with their own boats instead of club-owned.
The OK Dinghy was selected as the Open class single hander for the
Asian Games 1998.
In 2003
carbon fibre
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers ( Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon comp ...
masts were introduced to the class.
In 2005, there was a revival of the OK class with many older boats being restored and updated, new boats being built and participation in club races rising.
The 50th anniversary of the design of the OK dinghy was marked by the largest ever OK Dinghy World Championships held at
Łeba
Łeba (, ; ) is a seaside town in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of northern Poland. It is located in the region of Gdańsk Pomerania ( Pomerelia), near Łebsko Lake and the mouth of the river Łeba on the Slovincian Coast of the Baltic Sea.
History ...
on the
Polish coast in July 2007.
Events
World Championships
See also
Knud Olsen
References
External links
OK Dinghy - International Association ISAF OK Dinghy Microsite
{{Authority control
Classes of World Sailing
Dinghies
1950s sailboat type designs
Sailboat type designs by Danish designers
Sailboat types built by Clark Boat Company