Teignmouth’s Charlie Cumbley has won the 2025 OK Dinghy European Championship, in Warnemünde, Germany, after all racing was cancelled on the last day with strong winds and passing storms. Paignton’s Ben Flower takes the silver while Sweden’s Daniel Björndahl takes bronze.
The 2025 OK Dinghy Europeans got underway in Warnemunde, Germany, on Sunday 6th July with race wins for Sweden’s Daniel Björndahl, Britain’s Andy Davis and Charlie Cumbley and Denmark’s Steen Christensen. The 111-boat fleet from 14 nations sailed in two qualifying groups, with two days of qualification races and two days of finals racing scheduled.
On day 1 conditions were generally light with winds from 8-12 knots, broken cloud and very shifty with occasional sunshine brightening the day for the 111 sailors.
In the talent packed yellow fleet, Cumbley and Björndahl made the best of the day with a first and a third each. Denmark’s Jens Eckardt was the early leader with Cumbley around sixth at the top, but he built a nice lead by the second top mark and held it to the finish. In the second race Sweden’s Olle Albrektsson led into the top from the left and held it until the second upwind, when Björndahl came through to take the win.
In the blue fleet, Spain’s Mark Branagh rounded first with Christensen in second. Christensen gybed and found better pressure on the first downwind to take a nice lead with Flower making his way through the pack to claim second behind Christensen. Flower then followed up in the next race by leading until the final 100 meters, when fellow Brit Andy Davis produced some better speed in the very light winds and rather large chop to win by less than a boat length.
On day 2 the breeze had turned right, so was more onshore and was a solid 12-15 knots with a moderate confused sea state as the boats left the harbour in sunny conditions. However as per forecast it dropped during the day. The yellow group got the best of the day in their first race and were on the final leg before the blue fleet got underway after multiple recalls.
Budzien led from start to finish in the first yellow group race, chased hard by Björndahl, with Flower never far behind. Then in the second Flower found the front to take his first win of the week. Cumbley won both races in blue group, the first after a long battle with Andy Davis as both extended from the fleet. In the second race Denmark’s Soren Christensen led round the top, but Cumbley was soon in the lead, and even though he lost it again on the second upwind, Cumbley moved back in front on the final run as the wind dropped and became very patchy.
As a result Charlie Cumbley held a two-point lead at the half-way stage of the 2025 OK Dinghy European Championships. Four scheduled races remain.
Flower the younger of the two grew up sailing at Teign Corinthian YC and took inspiration from Cumbley who was already an established international sailor also starting his roots at Teign Corinthian YC. Flower now a representative for Paignton SC had the following to say at the half way stage of the regatta: ‘It’s a real honour to be competing with Charlie at the very top, we both shared the early days of our careers on the river Teign in Devon and he was the first person in the sport that I looked up to and took inspiration from. I managed to get the better of Charlie a couple years ago at the Solo Nationals but he’s had the upper hand since then. I still pinch myself when our scorecards are similar as it doesn’t seem right.’
Day 3 the westerly winds of 14-16 knots had built a huge sea overnight, which is why the class loves to return to Warnemunde. Big surfs downwind and huge lumps of water upwind made for a challenging but fun day. It was a great sailing day with sunshine early on and only a brief shower as the fleet headed home. Today there were no recalls, but there were still some significant starting penalties in the final race, including three in the top 10. It also was the first time the south Devon boys were racing each other this week.
With the 110 boat fleet split now in gold and silver groups the interest was mainly on the gold fleet. In Race 5, Germany’s Budzien led 6 time world champion Nick Craig at the top mark but after a challenging downwind, Flower passed Budzien and rounded the opposite gate to Craig. At the next top mark, Flower was in the lead and went on win his second race from Craig and Denmark’s Bo Petersen. Cumbley had a difficult start to the race but managed to fight back to 8th place. Craig then dominated Race 6, leading off the line and never in danger. Flower rounded around fifth, moved up to second and then dropped back on the last legs. Budzien ended up second with Cumbley overtaking Flower on the dash to the line for third after both Petersen and Jens Eckardt, also from Denmark were scored UFD.
Going into the final day the 2025 OK European Championship was going down to the wire. Flower has barely put a foot wrong and is sailing very fast. Cumbley had a few starting problems on day 3 that cost him points but they go into the final day on equal points with two more races to sail. While Sweden’s Daniel Björndahl moved up to third place, the 2024 world champion Nick Craig finally found some form on Tuesday to win the day with a 2,1 in the toughest conditions of the event so far.
The weather forecasts all week had not been entirely reliable and everything pointed towards a showdown between Cumbley and Flower. However, a glance at the sea state in the morning told a different story and while some forecasts predicted the wind dropping, many also predicted an increase with considerable rainfall and passing storms. After an early three-hour postponement was made, the decision to cancel was made mid-morning with many sailors already packing up. By early afternoon it was gusting 30 knots on shore with a huge sea state, as everyone took shelter in the Lokschuppen for the prizegiving. The wind did not drop below 25 knots until late afternoon.
Cumbley was both pleased and surprised to win his second European title in the class, after first wining two years ago on Garda.
“Super pleased. Most of the week was light to medium and I was really happy with my speed in that but just need to sort my starting really; the whole combination and remembering to sheet and steer and look where you are going at the same time. So, I will try and improve on that for Garda (World Championships). But great racing as usual and great to sail in Warnemünde with some awesome waves.”
Warnemünde delivered a range of conditions over the shortened series, with first class race management and on shore social events organised by the German class. With the world championship just eight weeks away, this was a good indication of form, however many more will join the fleet for what is likely to be the toughest and largest world championship the class has ever had. For the two south Devon sailors a couple more months of hard work training will hopefully pay off in September for the World Championships.