FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11 September 2001this press release is available on the web at
http://www.int505.org/2001worlds/PR0911.htm |
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Contact: Alexander Meller,
International 505 Class President,
E-mail alimeller@aol.com,
Tel +1 240-461-4533 |
NINETEEN US TEAMS TO CONTEST INTERNATIONAL 505 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN CASCAIS PORTUGAL
CASCAIS PORTUGAL - The largest US team in years will contest the International 505 World Championship in Cascais Portugal at the 46th 505 World Championship, September 21-28, following a 2-day pre-worlds warm-up event September 19-20.
According to Alexander Meller, president of the International 505 Class Yacht Racing Association, while there have been larger turnouts at 505 worlds held in North America, no one can remember a team this large going to a worlds outside North America.
This US team is not just large, it is also very strong, with several US entries capable of winning worlds races and perhaps the world championship. Members of the US team include:
- Howard Hamlin/Mike Martin - after a year of each steering a 505 (and finishing 2nd and 3rd at the 2000 International 505 World Championship) the 1999 505 World Championship team is back together looking for their second 505 world championship. They won every race but one at the recent North American Championship -- racing their backup boat as all West Coast Worlds participants had already shipped their boats to Portugal -- and have been practicing with other members of "Team Tuesday" every Tuesday evening. Howard and Mike are 2/3 of the US' only Australian 18 footer team, and have been very successful in that class as well.
- Andy Beeckman/Ben Benjamin - The "young bucks" are another "Team Tuesday" team practicing with Hamlin/Martin, and were second at the 1999 World Championship and sixth at the 2000 World Championship.
- Nick Adamson/Alan Norman - Nick represented the US at the Atlanta Olympic Games in the Laser class. He has been racing 505s with Alan Norman since moving to the San Francisco Bay area several years ago. Nick and Alan are frequently the fastest West Coast team upwind. With the long beats on 505 worlds courses their upwind speed -- and experience -- could serve them very well.
- Jeff Miller/Jeff Nelson - While Jeff Miller has not been racing every 505 world championship over the years, he has a long standing habit of finishing very near the top when he does. This year he has teamed up with a member of "Team Tuesday", Jeff Nelson, for the world championship. With 25+ years of 505 experience, having won 505 world championship races, and finishing near the top of the fleet many times before, and now with a top crew, this new team could do very well.
- Dan Thompson/Andy Zinn - Dan Thompson was 3rd at the 1979 505 World Championship. After being out of the 505 class for many years, raising kids and racing Etchells (he won the Etchells North American championship), Dan returned to the 505 class in 1997 and teamed up with Andy Zinn. They recently bought a new Waterat 505, relegating their 21 year old Hamlin to backup status, and have been frequently faster than anyone else in "Team Tuesday" in their practice sessions and West Coast regattas. With the "Team Tuesday" experience and a new boat, this could be their year.
- Ryan Cox/Carl Smit - Ryan was college sailor of the year 1995 (one of several recent college sailors of the year racing 505s), and has raced with Carl Smit (they were both Navy SEALs) since 1998. Since leaving the navy they have had more opportunities to practice and have been racing against "Team Tuesday", upping their game. This is a very strong, fit team; watch them if it gets windy for several days.
- Barney Harris/Clayton James - Though a new team this year, each member has three+ years experience in 505s. Barney also races Albacores and has won all of the Canadian Albacore championship, US Albacore Championship and North American Albacore Championship multiple times, recently, as well as several near misses at the Albacore International Championship.
- Morgan Larson/Steve Bourdow - This could be the 19th US team if their brand new 505, completed after the containers were shipped, makes it to Cascais in time. Apparently it is being shipped by air to make the event. Morgan recently teamed up with Trevor Baylis in a borrowed 505 and won the Pacific Coast Championship, so getting up the 505 learning curve does not seem to be a problem for him. With limited experience racing a 505 together, but very strong sailing backgrounds, and Steve's top level 505 experience last year racing with Mike Martin (finishing second at the 2000 World Championship), this team should be able to get around the race course just fine.
"Team Tuesday", based in Long Beach, is probably the strongest 505 fleet in the world at this time. There could easily be five "Team Tuesday" teams in the top ten at the World Championship. The top three teams within “Team Tuesday” report they are close to equal in speed. But they have very strong competition to deal with, including five time 505 World Champion, Krister Bergstrom of Sweden, who most recently won the 2000 World Championship with Thomas Moss. Team GBR is sending 23 teams to this worlds, including past Enterprise and Fireball World Champion Ian Pinnell, racing with 1993 505 World Championship crew Tim Hancock. Pinnell has won virtually every major European 505 event held in Europe, but has not yet won a 505 worlds. Other top teams capable of winning the 2001 505 world championship come from Germany, England, Sweden, Australia, Denmark, and France. So far 105 teams from twelve countries are registered. For a list of all entrants check URL: http://www.myskipper.com/505wc/participantes/participantes.asp
More information about the 2001 505 World Championship is available at the event web site at URL: http://www.myskipper.com/505wc/index.asp.
More information about the International 505 Class is available at the International 505 web site at URL: http://www.int505.org.
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