Gareth Jones won the 2020 OK Championship at Cookham Reach Sailing with three class wins on Sunday 25th October 2020. Four OKs competed in the day’s racing which also counted for the final round of the CRSC Autumn Series with Gareth Jones (OK 2115), Andrew Boxer (OK 2196), James Long (OK 1990) and Jerome Dreux (OK 2007) taking part.

Winds were very light at the beginning of the day and the OD debated whether to start racing with strong river currents from heavy rain the previous day. However, nearing 11am the wind picked up and was around 10mph gusting to 20mph from the south and so it was possible to race. A simple course was set with the bottom C  and paddle buoys set above the start line due to the poor winds around the club jetty area. The middle B buoy was positioned near the bend in the river and taken to starboard going upstream with the top A buoy positioned between the bend and Andrew’s beach and taken to starboard, the return leg to the start/finish line involved taking the middle B buoy to starboard before rounding the C buoy to starboard.

Jerome and Gareth quickly opened up a gap on Andrew and James at beginning of the first race and some excellent sailing saw them extend that lead over the first couple of laps whilst Andrew and James struggled behind.  Gareth passed Jerome on the second lap and opened up a small lead before the end of the race with over half a laps lead over James in third and Andrew behind in fourth, who had been exchanging third place throughout the race. On the final lap on the tacking back to the finish, James forgot to pass the middle buoy to starboard and had to return to round it succeeding third place to Andrew.

In the afternoon Gareth again made a good start ahead of other three who were battling for second place. The racing was closer in this race, but Gareth opened up a sizeable lead on the other three. James managed to pass Andrew after a problem with a gybe before rounding the top A buoy caused him to collide with it and James and he served a penalty. James then chased after Jerome and passed him tacking back and forth back to the middle buoy. He opened up a good gap on the other two, but still over three minutes behind Gareth by the finish of the race with Jerome in third and Andrew close behind in fourth.

The wind picked up for the final race of the day and Andrew took the lead at the start with Jerome second, James third and Gareth trailing in fourth after a bad start. The outcome of this race was decided by the wind conditions and Andrew and Gareth took to the Buckinghamshire bank on the upstream downwind leg up to the A buoy on the second lap and took the lead whilst Jerome and James stuck to the Berkshire bank. By the buoy both Andrew and Gareth had passed the other two and opened a good gap rounding the buoy. Gareth then pulled out a gap over Andrew with some excellent sailing with James now ahead of Jerome, but both catching Andrew. By the third lap, the wind had increased and a strong gust caused Jerome to be pushed into the bushes and get stuck on the Berkshire bank. The same gust saw James lose control at the top mark whilst trying to gybe before the A buoy and the gap to Andrew opened back up. Gareth won the final race by a minute and a half ahead of Andrew and James with Jerome retiring on the fourth lap.

Gareth wins the 2020 OK Championship after some excellent sailing saw him take all three wins with Andrew second, James third and Jerome fourth.