Robert Deaves

Chronikle Robert Deaves

chrOniKle is an anecdotal history of the OK Dinghy to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2017. It includes 100 stories, many of which are illustrated, drawn from all periods of the class's history. Old stories are complemented by new stories, with many class legends and tales of folklore told and embellished down the years in print for the first time. The book has turned into something of a scrapbook of OK Dinghy memories past and present. Its many contributors have painted an alternative picture of the class that is as much a part of its history as the battles that took place on the water. Most of the stories concern a diverse group of characters from all over the world that loved having fun together, racing OK Dinghies together, socialising together, and causing general mayhem along the way. Stories of derring-do from the past six decades are complemented by extracts from class archives and important turning points for the class. In these pages you can read about some of the defining moments in the class: the famous European tours by Australians and New Zealanders in the 1980s, wise words from some of the supreme champions of the class, anecdotes about some of the larger than life characters who have sailed the OK Dinghy, reminiscences of events and boats long passed, dodging East German guards during the Cold War, ditch hopping in Belgium, drinking jackets, the scandal at Olpenitz, fly tipping, drinking stories, personal perspectives, colourful fables from the past, the epic storm of 1982 and the even more epic prizegiving night that followed. It is the stuff of legends...