The 2026 New Zealand OK Dinghy Nationals were sailed over Waitangi Weekend, 6-8 March, at Wakatere Boating Club in Auckland. The regatta delivered three days of quality racing, good food, and the camaraderie that has always marked out the OK Dinghy class.

That bond was on display before a race had even been sailed. On the Thursday, Wakatere's own Rod Davis ran a rigging session on the beach, openly sharing his numbers, tuning tips and thinking with the very sailors he'd be lining up against the next day — a reminder that in this fleet, information travels freely and boatyard banter is often the quickest path to a better result.

The 2026 NZ OK Dinghy Nationals fleet off Wakatere Boating Club. Photo: Wakatere Boating Club

Day 1 — stable SSW breeze, full hiking

Weeks of unsettled weather across the North Island — including a damaging storm — had given way to glamour conditions by the time racing got underway. Boats headed out to a stable SSW breeze and it was clear early that it would be full hiking for the first three races.

Race 1 got away cleanly, with an early left shift rewarding boats starting near the pin. By the top mark it was obvious the standard was high — many sailors had banked performance gains at the recent World Championship in Lake Garda. Steve McDowell won from Ben Morrison and Sean Cleary, both former national champions. Race 2 swung right during the sequence, pulling the fleet toward the boat end, before a last-gasp left shift rewarded the pin again — Dave Ridley won from Eric Rone and John Cutler. By Race 3, fitness was starting to bite. Yet another left shift arrived on cue, and Wakatere regatta organiser Gordon Sims made the most of it to win from Steve McDowell and Mark Perrow, picking up the day's first TIKI. Two of the day's three races ran over 50 minutes for the leaders — by the end, more than a few sailors were wondering if they had six more of those left in them.

Full hiking conditions on Day 1 — a stable SSW breeze produced three tight races. Photo: Wakatere Boating Club

A catered dinner, cold beverages and a yarn at the Devonport Yacht Club sent everyone home looking forward to going again the next day, on a similar forecast.

Day 2 — same breeze, AGM ashore

Day 2 dawned with the wind already up from the same direction, though an early morning AGM for the class pushed the start of racing back. Sailors heard a report on the recent Worlds and the schedule ahead — with talk clearly turning to Thailand in 2027, and to Napier in 2029. The excitement in the room was obvious; the fleet was ready to race.

With wind and tide much as they'd been the day before, a pin-end start again proved the fast route for most of the day. Steve McDowell won Race 4 from Ben Morrison and Sean Cleary. Race 5 followed a similar pattern, Sean Cleary winning from Eric Rone and Ben Morrison after picking the shifts well over three-quarters of an hour. Race 6 started on script too, the left holding strong and up-tide until the final beat, when a late right-hand shift let Mark Perrow snatch the race — and the day's TIKI — from Steve McDowell and Dave Ridley.

Day 3 — a different breeze, tight at the top

The final morning brought a different breeze again, and a fleet where no one was dominating. Steve McDowell led the way in, but three sailors sat tied on points within striking distance. Conditions tested everyone, including Race Officer Dan Bush and his mark-laying team. After one abandoned start, Dave Ridley won Race 7 from Steve McDowell and Alistair Deaves — with the entire Napier sailing team of Chris Devine, Adrian Coulthard and Noah Hengst right on Alistair's transom.

A shifty final-day breeze kept the top of the fleet tightly bunched through Race 7. Photo: Wakatere Boating Club

By Race 8, the maths was getting painful for some. Both Ben Morrison and Sean Cleary were carrying costly Race 7 results and needed a reset — Ben delivered, bouncing back to win ahead of Rod Davis and Sean.

A long wait followed as the breeze dropped in and out of the raceable range, but the Race Officer held his nerve and got Race 9 away. Dave Ridley and Gordon Sims broke clear early, with Simon Probert in behind, and covered the fleet through a final beat that had punished the fleet a day earlier. Ridley's two bullets on the last day — and the day's TIKI — rocketed him from fifth overall into second, ahead of Ben Morrison and 2026 National Champion Steve McDowell.

Final placings

Full results on Sailwave →

The Clive Roberts Trophy, awarded for NZ OK Dinghy Personality of the Year, went to a deserving Dan Bush — a tireless supporter of the fleet, often out on the water running racing, who stepped up as Race Officer for the Nationals and delivered a superb regatta with his trademark calm, capable style. The fleet also had the privilege of awarding Bushy life membership of the NZ OK Dinghy Association. Congratulations, Bushy.

By Eric Rone

Adapted from a report by Eric Rone, originally published by Wakatere Boating Club. Words and photographs used with permission of Wakatere Boating Club. Read the original report on the Wakatere Boating Club website.