The 2026 OK Dinghy World Championship concluded Friday with two spectacular races at Skovshoved, Denmark.
Johan Schubert, from Denmark, won both races to become the first Danish OK Dinghy World Champion since 1980.
Wannes van Laer, from Belgium also had a great day to move up to second while Britain’s Matt Howard took the bronze.
The challenging wind conditions of the week were forgotten with two perfect races in 12-18 knots and some great downwind sailing.
Schubert was sailing his first event in the class, clearly learning on the job and getting faster day by day. In the first race of the day he started in second, two points off leader Niklas Edler of Sweden.
Pim van Vugt NED rounded first and led away with Schubert in pursuit, but with van Vugt being BFD, Schubert took the win, some way ahead of Howard and Germany’s Stefan Hoffmann.
With event leader Edler back in 14th, this put Schubert in the lead but still one race to go. After another great start he led at the top and extended for a huge win of several hundred metres from van Laer and Sweden’s Thomas Hansson-Mild.
Britain’s Matt Howard finished 7th to confirm bronze and Charlie Cumbley was 4th to take 5th overall, Harvey Leigh 36th overall won the Youth Trophy.
OK Dinghy Worlds after 7 races, 1 discard:
1 DEN 1533 Johan SCHUBERT 11
2 BEL 112 Wannes van LAER 18
3 GBR 2298 Matthew HOWARD 21
4 GER 18 Jan KURFELD 27
5 GBR 6 Charlie CUMBLEY 31
6 GER 886 Stefan HOFFMANN 32
7 SWE 71 Niklas EDLER 34
8 NED 7 Pim van VUGT 47
9 CAN 26 Baabii’O FLOWER 51
10 DEN 3 Jørgen SVENDSEN 59
Other Awards:
Woman’s Trophy: Sofie Boel, DEN
Youth Trophy: Harvey Leigh, GBR
Veteran: Wannes van Laer, BEL
Master: Jørgen Svendsen, DEN
Grand Master: Michael Nissen, GER
Paul Elvström Trophy: Wannes van Laer, BEL
Clive Robert Memorial: Johan Schubert, DEN
