INTERNATIONAL 505 CLASS 41st WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Fact Sheet

RACE:
41st International 505 World Championship (and Australian National and Pre-World Championships)

DATE:
Australian National and Pre-Worlds

Registration - April 1, 1996
Competition - April 3 - 9, 1996

World Championship

Registration - April 10 - 11, 1996
Competition - April 12 - 18, 1996

TIME:
2:00PM each race day (weather permitting)

CLASS:
International 505 - The premier high performance two person racing dinghy around the world. One of the most widespread - if not the most widespread - high performance dinghy. The boat preferred by many of the Worlds top dinghy racers.

SPONSORS:
XXXX Lager
ten network

COURSE:
Location - off Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Length - 14 miles
course diagram

FORMAT:
World Championship - Seven races with the worst finish discarded.

RACE HEADQUARTERS:
Townsville Sailing Club, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

PARTICIPANTS:
Approximately 105 two-person teams from at least 10 countries on five continents. Entry in the World Championship is restricted to qualifiers. Entry in the Australian Nationals and pre-Worlds is open; there are already over 110 entries for this event.

TEAMS TO WATCH:
Chris and Darren Nicholson (Australia) - The Nicholson brothers of Australia won the '92 and '94 World 505 World Championships. They have not raced a major 505 event together since the '94 event in Durban South Africa. Both have been racing Australian 18s, and Tornados (Chris won two races at the Tornado World Championship, despite only recently jumping into the class). Chris recently won the overall Australian 18 Grand Prix circuit. They are reported to be practing very hard, and sailing very well in preparation for the Worlds.

Jeremy Robinson and Bill Masterman (Great Britain) - Robinson/Masterman won both the '95 World Championship and the 170 boat '95 UK Nationals and pre-world championship.

Krister Bergstrom and Martin Westerdahl (Sweden) - Bergstrom is a four time World Champion, and Bergstrom/Moss were only 0.3 points out of first at the '95 World Championship. Bergstrom is determined to become the first FIVE TIME 505 World Champion.

Ian Barker/Cripps (Great Britain) - The 1993 505 World Champions were a close second at the '94 World Championship, but had a disasterous 1995 Regatta, finishing well out of the top ten.

Howard Hamlin and Cam Lewis (United States) - Hamlin has finished in the top five numerous times, and nearly won the '94 505 European Championship. Cam Lewis won the '81 and '82 505 Worlds, the '80 Finn Gold Cup and numerous other Laser and Finn titles, and several 505 North American championships. He was one of the crew on the first sailboat to sail around the world in under 80 days, winning the Jules Verne trophy. Lewis sailed for Dennis Conner on the catamaran America's Cup defence.

Jurgen Schonher (Denmark) and Charles Spence Australia - Schonher/Kaempe are the 1990 505 World Champions and '90 European Championships, this team has been at or very near the top for over 15 years. Schonher will be racing with Australian 505 sailor Charles Spence in this event.

All 505 World Champions from the last ten years will be at this event.

PRESS BOAT/HELICOPTER:
A Press Boat leaves the Townsville Sailing Club daily during the event.

TV COVERAGE:
10 Network will televise the event on the national sports show "sports tonight", daily.

CONTACT:
John Whitbread
International 505 Yacht Racing Association
North Queensland Fleet No. 17
61 77 741 578 (Phone and Fax)
61 77 741 578 (after hours)

A Closer Look at the International 505 Dinghy

History
The 505 was designed by John Westell in the early 1950s. The 505s flared sides, long spinnaker pole, large spinnaker, and use of the trapeze from the beginning, made it quite unique. The boat quickly became popular in many countries, and became an IYRU International Class. The 505 is a one design class, as boats must meet a strict set of measurement rules to race as International 505s. No significant changes have been made to the 505 measurement rules, as John Westell clearly "Got it right the first time!". A more detailed 505 history is available.
Technology
The 505 is a leader in technology and construction. It has evolved from moulded plywood construction to honeycomb and foam cored Kevlar, carbon fiber, and glass cloth, using epoxy resin. The 505 class pioneered the use of the spinnaker launcher.
Longevity
The use of hi-tech construction materials allows builders to build very strong, light and stiff 505s that have extremely long competitive lives. Many fifteen year old boats are completely competitive at a World Championship level, almost unheard of in high performance dinghies.
Adjustable Rig and Wide Crew Weight Range
The 505 has a very adjustable rig, and sailors can use whatever mast and sails they want, provided they meet the 505 measurement rules. This has allowed 505 sailors to set up their boats to suit a very wide weight range. Top teams at a World Championship frequently range in weight by 100 pounds! This wide optimum crew weight range encourages women as well as large men to race 505s. Women have had considerable success racing with the men in the 505, with several top ten finishes at World Championships, and two North American Championship titles.
Raced by Top Sailors
A list of past and current top 505 sailors reads like a "Who's Who" of International Yachting. The famous Danish sailor, Paul Elvstrom raced the 505 extensively - it is his favorite boat - and won the 1958 and 1959 World Championship, and finished a close 2nd in 1966. He was still racing 505s as recently as the 1985 World Championship! The man who defeated the Great Dane at the '66 Worlds was Jim Hardy - now Sir Jim Hardy - of Australian America's Cup Challenge fame. French America's Cup campaigner Yves Pajot was a long time 505 racer, winning the 1974 World Championship with his brother. Other America's Cup sailors with 505 backgrounds include Paul Cayard, Cam Lewis and John Marshall. Other well known International sailing stars and Olympians include: Steve Taylor, Steve Benjamin, Gary Knapp, Dick Deaver, Debbie Jarvis, Carl and Carol Buchan, Jonathan, Charlie and Bates McKee, Sally Lindsay, and Allison Jolly. Marcel Buffet, winner of the 1959 and 1960 505 World Championships, and French Olympic representative in the Flying Dutchman class has raced almost every 505 World Championship. He is currently 74 years of age, and is racing once more in this World Championship.
Raced in Extreme Conditions
The 505 is virtually unique in the wide range of conditions it can handle. Races may be cancelled for too little wind, but rarely for too much! The 505 Class Rules allow races to be started in up to 35 knots! If the wind strength exceeds that during a race, the race continues at the discretion of the Race Committee. Races may also be postponed or cancelled due to bad fog.
Large Regatta Turnouts
Last year's 505 World Championship had 106 teams from 14 countries, while there were 170 505s at the Pre-Worlds, making it the largest high performance dinghy event in several years. Australia being rather far from most other places, the turnout for the '96 pre-worlds will not be as high.