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10:08 PM Sat 14 Feb 2009 GMT
 | | 'Karl Purdie NZL heads the OK Dinghy rankings'
Robert Deaves
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The first OK Dinghy World Ranking list of 2009 has revealed a sweep of changes at the top of the board, and also only the third sailor to occupy the top slot in the history of the rankings.
Started in 2005 to encourage and reward international participation, only three times world champion Nick Craig (GBR) and Jorgen Lindhardtsen (DEN) have occupied the top slot. However, after winning the world championship for the first time in Germany last summer and placing second in the combined New Zealand and Interdominion championships in Wellington, NZ last week, Karl Purdie (NZL) takes the number one slot for the first time. Fellow Kiwi Mark Perrow (NZL) who won the New Zealand and Interdominion title on the final race from Purdie moves up to second in the rankings.
Previous leader Lindhardtsen drops to third, while previous second placed Craig drops to eighth after having only competed in three counting events in the past year.
Despite winning the Australian National title again in an impressive fleet of 37 boats, Andre Blasse (AUS) drops out of the top ten, while Thomas Hansson-Mild (SWE) climbs one place to 10th, and into the top ten for the first time. Also out of the top ten is Steve McDowell (NZL), dropping to 14th, while Luke O'Connell (NZL) climbs from 14th to ninth after placing eighth in Wellington.
In fact the Wellington event was a test regatta for the 2010 OK Dinghy World Championships, which will be sailed out of New Zealand's capital for the first time ever.
The next ranking list release will be after the initial events back in Europe and before the class meets for the 2009 World Championships in Kalmar, Sweden in July.
Rankings:
Rank Name Country Sail No. Points No. Events
1 Karl Purdie NZL 531 940.33 7
2 Mark Perrow NZL 527 920.11 9
3 Jorgen Lindhartdsen DEN 1364 909.08 12
4 Gunter Arndt GER 672 866.67 8
5 Christian Olesen DEN 1340 847.49 10
6 Martin von Zimmermann GER 493 836.69 12
7 Terry Curtis GBR 2118 835.80 10
8 Nick Craig GBR 2116 824.93 12
9 Luke O'Connell NZL 511 790.19 10
10 Thomas Hanson-Mild SWE 2767 784.91 9
11 Oliver Gronholz GER 717 781.59 10
12 Pawel Pawlaczyk POL 14 774.04 8
13 Thomas Glas GER 731 762.87 13
14 Steve McDowell NZL 525 758.58 7
15 Andre Blasse AUS 727 754.99 6
16 Karsten Hitz GER 744 739.59 8
17 Greg Wilcox NZL 522 734.55 6
18 Jorgen Holm DEN 1371 718.96 12
19 Hans Elkjaer SWE 99 702.43 8
20 Marek Jarocki POL 16 674.97 8
by Robert Deaves, OKDIA
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Green Cape, NSW
