Sailing an OK Dinghy

The OK dinghy is the most sociable and less expensive dinghies that people from all walks of life can afford. The one design can be built by anybody with enough DIY skills and strong desire for a smooth finish. Today, young sailors train on OK dinghies leading to the sailing one of the most coveted regattas: the Olympic Finn.

The Men behind the OK Dinghy

After World War II when sailing was slowly becoming available to “ordinary” people, Axel Olsen acted on his vision of having another dinghy that’s cheap, practical, and full of ability for ordinary people to enjoy. Axel told his friend, Knud Olsen (no relation), about his vision and thus the birth of the one design OK dinghy. The name OK is derived from its designer’s initials written backward (Olsen, Knud).

OK Dinghy Description

The OK dinghy is a single-handed helmsman with 4 meters LOA, 1.42 meters beam, 8.50 square meters main sail, and 72 kilograms hull weight. The dinghy is sailed by men and women between 60 to 95 kilograms. Unlike other one design dinghies that have standard plan, the OK dinghy’s one design is on its set of acceptable measurements. Meaning, variations in construction is permitted as long as it follows the set of rules stipulated in the acceptable measurements.

The Challenges of Sailing Early OK Dinghy

The early years of OK dinghy sailing were off to really rough waters. Its roots in Denmark were met with opposition from regatta associations for reasons of safety. They say the dinghy’s design is prone to capsize; it’s just not safe enough for professional sailing. But the OK dinghy designers and avid fans didn’t lose heart; they press on and succeeded to syndicate the dinghy. An in the 1970s their efforts paid off when the dinghy was raced in over 40 countries. The list has grown since then.

OK Dinghy Association

The OK Dinghy Association (OKDIA) is the organization that assumes responsibility to all international OK dinghies sailing class. The association’s headquarter is in the United Kingdom. Sailors and OK dinghy regatta enthusiasts are advised to enroll as members of their local OK dinghy associations that are affiliated to OKDIA.

OK Dinghy Sailing Competitions

For a true blue OK dinghy sailor, nothing can beat the thrill and excitement of competing against fellow OK dinghy sailors from across the globe. For upcoming international events, you can check international regattas at OKDIA events logged. Before going to international dinghy regattas, though, it’s good to get a dinghy insurance to keep you covered.

Building Your Own OK Dinghy

Axel and Knud, the original designers and makers of OK dinghy, designed the boat to be the most simplistic and easy to build. They want the boat to be the most sociable in terms of cost and capabilities, and they were right.

But right now it’s your chance to build your own OK dinghy that conforms to the original set of measurements and rules of construction by the Olsen’s. Trevor Gore, an official OK dinghy authority who works closely with OKDIA came up with a simple technical manual on how you can build your own OK dinghy. If you can manage to build your OK dinghy exactly conforming to the rules of construction, you can get dinghy insurance for it.

Over 50 years ago, Axel and Knud had a vision of a simple, versatile dinghy that everyone can afford. They were right, and now the OK dinghy is sailed in international regattas as precursor to the Olympic Finn.

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