There is no such thing as a typical 505 sailor. There are pre-teens to people in their 70s actively racing the 505; Current intercollegiate sailors to relaxed retired couples; people who have been sailing and racing for 50+ years, and those who are just learning how to sail and race; people racing 505s during their Olympic Trials campaign, to people who do only one or two regattas a year, to people who do not race, but enjoy high performance day sailing. There are people under five foot tall and there are people close to seven feet tall, there are people weighing under 100 pounds and people weighing over 250 pounds. There are Olympic medalists and people who have never won a race in any boat.
If you want to daysail with your spouse, 3 kids, and the dog, perhaps the 505 is not for you. On the other hand, if you can sail a Laser, you can sail a 505 - and go MUCH faster!
You could be a "typical" 505 sailor.
To give a sense of what 505 sailors are like, here are some "representative" 505 sailors.
Click on any images to get larger versions.
Marcel Buffet, 505 World Champion 1959 and 1960, racing hard at over 80 years of age
Betsy O'Brien, Annapolis area crew, races with husband Bob
Macy Nelson, 3 time North American 505 Champion
Barney Harris, past collegiate sailor, top Albacore sailor and recent convert to 505s
Monty Schumpert, time is on my side
Howard Hamlin, 505s are way better than surfing
Krister Bergstrom, five time 5o5 World Champion
Dylan Breton, start driving young
Teresca Gesing, in a 505 almost since birth
Tyler Moore, 1994 College Sailor of the Year
Ryan Cox, 1995 College Sailor of the Year
Graham Alexander, 505s forever
John Fry, a world class 505 crew for 15 years and counting
Ethan Bixby, sailmaker, 1981 World Champion
Mike Smith, 1993 East Coast Champion
Ryan Cox, 1995 College Sailor of the Year
Tim Collins all american, 470 North American ChampionFiona Lockwood, you don't have to be over 6 foot and over 200 lbs to crew
Jeff Miller, if you start sailing 505s early....
Cam Lewis, sails 505s for free
Peter Colclough, four time World Champion, now sailing with his son
Pip Pearson, crewed for Elvstrom in 1966 Worlds, past class President
Marg Hurley, winners never quit
Mike Martin, getting the driver around the course
Peter Alarie, the crew's crew
Warren Wulff, daysailing and club racing in upstate New York
Shona Moss, start sailing 505s young, do the Olympics, return to the 505
Tom Kivney, 505s forever!
Jesse Falsone why did I ever waste my time on IMS leadmines?
Henry Amthor, ex Fireball and leadmine ace, racing 505s with his wife, or his brother
Macy Nelson and Peter Alarie (right).Peter is one of the great crews, racing in multiple classes. He does everything except steer; he judges sail trim by how the boat feels from the wire, and calls tactics. Some of his skippers have reported that the skipper is not allowed to look around, only to check the leech tension from time to time. Peter won the '93, '94 and the '97 North American Championships (with two different skippers), and was second in the NAs earlier with yet another different skipper. He won the '96 East Coast Championship and was 2nd twice in the ECC. He has won the 505 Midwinters 3 times with 3 diferent skippers, and been second 3 more times with 3 other skippers. Peter was 4th in the 1998 Hyannis 505 World championship, with Mike Zani driving. Peter teamed up with Howard Hamlin for the 2000 season. They won the Pacific Coast Championship, were second at the North American Championship, and third at the World Championship. He is also in demand in J24 and Melges 24 - but the 505 is by far his favorite. Peter also races Vanguard 15 with Kara and team races. His team, "Pablo Picasso", won the Hinmann Trophy - US Sailing's National Team Racing Championship - in '96. His current team was second at the Hinmann in 2001. Peter was V-15 National Champ in 1995, and finished 2nd in both 1993 and 1994. Peter recently swore off lead mines entirely, "I just will not go out racing on a keelboat", are his exact words. Peter has been a cabinet maker, and more recently boat building, as a partner in Guck Inc, in Bristol RI. They are dealers for Rondar and the Rondar 505.
One of the original builders of the midwest 505 fleet, Graham has been active in the class for over 25 years (Graham raced the famed '71 Santa Cruz World Championship). One of the most helpful people in the class, he has taught many people how to sail and race 505s. Graham is a professional engineer, and more recently part time boatbuilder.
Henry Amthor with daughter KeatonHenry started racing in Erie PA, and was a long time Fireball racer - he still has a bare Fireball hull which he may fix up again some day - and is a past Fireball North American and US National Champion. Henry moved to Hampton VA and got into 505s during the 80s, racing out of Hampton Yacht Club. He has been 505 Regional (Chesapeake Bay) Champion twice. He is much in demand as a J24 and other leadmine helsman or tactician, and has participated in several World Championships in the US, Canada and Australia, in the 505 (preferred), Fireball, Shark 24 and J24, but has cut back to focus on the 505 in recent years. He also won Key West Race Week Division C as tactician/helmsman, on "Defiance" in 1989. Henry raced 505s with girlfriend - and later wife - Barb Moss Amthor, but now normally races with his brother Doug. The Amthor's are renowned for their light and medium air speed, especially downwind. The stranger seabreeze and tide get, the better they do. Henry is the Star Wars - the Chesapeake Bay Champion of Champions for 1996, 1997, and 1999 racing with a 505 sailors as crew. Henry is a construction executive."Sailing 5o5 is the most exciting thing I know"Krister Bergstrom has an impressive list of qualifications in 5o5. He has won the World Championship five times, the European Championship once, the Swedish championship 11 times, the Scandinavian Championship 3 times, the Golden Anchor once and finally he has been nominated yachtsman of the year by the Swedish Yachting Association. Krister is a long-time member of GKSS, the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club.
Born 1956, raised in Gothenburg on the Swedish westcoast, lives in Stockholm with wife Helen and their two children, Oskar and Hanna. Krister has lived here for the last 15 years. He works as a highschool teacher at the Tyreso Gymnasium.
The motive power behind his success is great zeal in sailing, which makes him go sailing time after time. Today, sailing is not only an interest of his, but it has also become a way of living. He is not only talented and interested in sailing but he also has the physical qualities needed to become a top class yachtsman. He is strong and flexible, has good balance and he quickly apprehends and understands the different situations that occur in races. These qualifications together with a well planned and carried through training have led him and his crew to success.
His training consists of three different parts - physical, mental and sailing. The physical training is mostly running to get in good conditions and weight lifting for shoulders and backside. The mental training increases his ability to concentrate which helps him to systematically and thoroughly think of the start, the first windward sailing and so on. After a race he analyzes advantages and disadvantages.
But how is he able to make the boat go at such great speed?
- Training, training and again training he replies. You have to manoeuvre the boat and sheet the sails right and at the same time have a good balance in the boat. The trimming is more like "the cream on the cake".
Ethan at the Hyannis pre-pre-Worlds.After starting to sail 505s in Florida as a teenager, and an intercollegiate racing career at Tufts, Ethan went on to be a sailmaker with Van Zandt, Hood, Johnson and now North. Ethan and boatbuilder Larry Tuttle developed the now standard North American rig in the late 70's after some near misses at the World Championship. Ethan and Cam Lewis won the very competitive 1981 505 Worlds in San Francisco Bay. Ethan continues to support the 505 class as a competitor, coach, and sailmaker. Ethan and Cam have won the North Americans at least once since 1981, have been close at at least one Worlds and were back on the water in Hyannis for the '98 Worlds (racing the same boat they won in, in 1981!). After not owning a 505 for 25 years - since he was a teenager - (but usually managing to have access to one to race), Ethan bought a used Waterat 505 in the mid '90s and then in 2001 traded up to a nearly new Watarat. Ethan and his wife Trudy live in St. Petersburg FL, where they race Snipes and Windmills occasionally as well. They have two children. 
Dylan Breton (center) with father Mike (left) and Ethan Bixby (right). Dylan learned to sail with his father Michael. He remembers going out in the 5o5 when he was five. He started crewing for his Dad in the 5o5 at age 12, after sailing 6-7 420 regattas, and was driving the 505 shortly afterwards. At the age of 12, he drove the 505 in the '92 Hyannis Annual, and at the North American Championship the following year, with his Dad crewing. The Breton's were one of the fastest teams downwind in those events. Dylan is also into soccer, which also takes up weekends, so the Breton's cannot make all the East Coast events.Dylan qualified for the US Junior Sailing Olympic program with his finish in a heavy air junior regatta. He attributed his sucess in heavy air to his 505 experience. He is now at University, and teaching sailing during the summer.
Marcel Buffet and Damien Trouillet at the European Cup in Nieuport
. Photo thanks to the 505 Class in Belgium. Marcel Buffet has been involved with the 505 from the earliest days of the class. Racing against Paul Elvstrom and other famous sailors, he won the 1959 and 1960 World Championships.
Committed to the 505, he has raced in almost every 505 Worlds ever held, only missing a few while doing an Olympic Campaign in the Flying Dutchman. He raced the heavy air 1992 Santa Cruz 505 Worlds at 71 years of age, raced in the 1995 Mounts Bay Worlds, finishing 24rd, and the 1996 Worlds in Townsville Australia, where he was 10th in the last race. The French nespaper La Telegramme published a great article about M. Buffet. He has also been featured on French TV.
Tim Collins (driving) and Bill SmithTim Collins was a top intercollegiate racer and all American. He raced 470s, competing at Olympic trials and winning the 470 North American Championship. He sold the 470s and bought a used 505 in 1996. Tim races with Bill Smith on the New England and MidAtlantic circuit. Tim and Bill recently bought an almost new Kulmar 505 built in Australia. Tim and Bill won the 1998 and 1999 505 East Coast Championship.
Tyler Moore and Ryan Cox (right).Ryan Cox was college sailor of the year in 1995. He raced for the Naval Academy, and crewed for Tyler Moore for their 470 Olympic campaign. Tyler and Ryan were 5th at the 1995 505 World Championship. Ryan then bought a new 505. Ryan was a Seal in the navy, and was racing with Carl Smit, another long time 505 sailor, Naval Academy sailor, and Navy SEAL, with the Hampton VA 505 fleet. More recently both Ryan and Carl are on the West Coast, racing with the Californians.
Jesse (left) sailed keel boats much of his life before realizing that dinghy sailing is more fun and challenging, especially in a 505. Jesse was the captain of the Offshore Sailing Team at NY Maritime College (class of '91) and went on from there to campaign IMS boats. In 1995, he bought and refurbished an old InterClub and resurrected the Annapolis InterClub Fleet http://www.clark.net/pub/ssa/Classes/InterClub.htm. Macy Nelson recruited Jesse to sail 505's in 1996. Since then, Jesse has been campaigning a 505 with Barney Harris in 7772 and then 8643. Jesse and Barney won the 1999 505 Midwinter Championship. Jesse teamed up with Macy Nelson for the 2001 season, finishing 3rd in the North American Chamionship. Jesse is a naval architect with Advanced Marine Enterprises, Inc. in Arlington VA. He and his wife and two sons live in Annapolis MD.
John relaxing in the boat while sailing in after a '95 pre-worlds race. John was a crew in the 1982 Worlds, and a crew in the 1995 Worlds, and many worlds in between. Once upon a time he sailed Solings with Stu Walker. John sailed Snipes with his wife Karen for awhile, his son Matthew is still a little young for the 505. John is a Wall Street trader. John lives in the Seattle area.
Mike Martin and Howard Hamlin (head in boat) preparing Spaceman Spiff.After years of surfing, and believing that sailboats were slow and boring, Howard was given a ride in a 505. Despite no prior sailing experience, Howard immediately decided that racing 505s was for him, and he quickly became one of the best crews on the West Coast. Howard then decided to build a better 505, and he built a set of tooling and started building the very innovative Hamlin 505 (after Howard stopped building boats, Waterat began building boats from the same tooling). After several years of crewing with John Andron, and some narrow misses at the 505 World Championship, Howard started steering. He raced with Jay Glaser on the wire for several years, with numerous top finishes. More recently, Howard has been racing with Don Smith, Cam Lewis, Mike Martin, and Peter Alarie. Howard and Cam won the heavy air pre-worlds event in '92 and were favorites to win the Worlds until Cam was injured and forced out of the regatta. Howard and Mike Martin narrowly missed winning the '94 European Championship, and the '95 North American championship. Howard and Cam Lewis narrowly missed winning the 1996 International 505 World Championship in Townsville Australia. Later, Howard and Mike won the 1996 5o5 North American Championship. Howard and Mike were 3rd at the '97 Worlds, 2nd at the '98 Worlds, and they won the 157 505 1999 World Championship. Howard and Peter were 3rd at the 2000 World Championship. After several years of boatbuilding - his Hamlin tooling is still used to build the Waterat 505 - Howard decided not to be poor, and now is in real estate.
Barney Harris after narrowly missing a capsize. Barney Harris raced intercollegiate at the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY. While he was there, they were in the top 3 nationally, winning nationals twice. After graduating he raced Albacores for years in he Washington DC area, he still races the Albacore. He won the '94, '95, and '96 Albacore US Nationals, and was second at the '96 Canadian Nationals. He has several top five finishes at the Albacore Worlds. He has also raced Snipes, Thistles, Highlander, Laser, J22, J24, Melges 24, Etchells, Sheilds, Ensign, El Toro and - he claims - anything else that floats. Barney borrowed a 505 a couple of times over the past two years, and bought a used 505 in 1995. A few weeks later he was racing it for the first time at CORK. Barney took delivery of a new Waterat 505 in the spring of 1997 and is campaigning it with local crew and IC sailor Jesse Falsone. Barney and Jesse won the 1999 505 Midwinter Championship. Barney is an engineer with a consulting company in the DC area. 
Marg Hurley at a party during the 1998 505 Canadian ChampionshipLots of people think you have to be young, male, tall and strong to race 505s. People who think that have not met Marg Hurley. Without mentioning age, Marg has been racing 505s for over twentyfive years, and she did not start right out of school either. Marg is a little over five feet, and weighs about 110 pounds. Marg bought her first 505 in 1977.She and ace crew Howie Turner raced against Marg's boyfriend - and longtime 505 sailor - Peter Wood, who bought an identical new 505 at the same time. Marg and Howie beat Peter most of the time that summer. After years of racing against each other, Peter's protests that he was a terrible crew were ignored, and Marg recruited him to crew for her.They raced together for almost ten years; Peter was a better crew than he let on, and Marg is one of the top 505 skippers in Canada, winning the Fleet Four Invitational in 1996. Peter has retired from crewing, but Marg is still racing the 505.Marg is one of the toughest sailors I have ever met. In the first race of the day at one of her first 505 regattas, the 1977 Eastern Canadian Championship, she was hit in the head during a gybe, opening a gash in the top of her head. She couldn't see for all the blood in her eyes, but finished the race anyhow with Howie telling her "come up a little, ok now down a little". Back on shore she was cleaned up, and was back out there for the next three races, in winds gusting to over 30 knots. She capsized in every remaining race, and still finished every one.
Marg works for the Canadian government.
Tom Kivney and Todd Johnson blasting upwind at the '97 East Coast Championship. Tom started in 505s at sixteen years old, in 1967. He crewed in the 1967 North American Championship, for George Minchenburg. He bought his first 505, 2937, in 1968. Tom has owned 7 505s, a Butler, 2 Parkers, a Parker-hulled Lindsays, and 3 Lindsays. Tom is currently racing with Todd Johnson. Todd bought his first 505 from Sandy Van Zandt in the early '70s. Tom is a fabrics broker in Boston. Tom convinced first the 505 Class American Section, and then the rest of the 505 Class, that the 1998 World Championship should be held at Hyannis Yacht Club and was the key organizer of that event.Mike Martin (left) and Howard Hamlin preparing Spaceman Spiff.Mike is another great crew who can get almost any driver around the race course. He currently keeps Pete Melvin and Howard Hamlin pointed in the right direction, but has also crewed for Macy Nelson. Mike is a past intercollegiate All-American and Laser North American Champion. Mike won the 1996 International 505 North American Championship with Howard Hamlin, and was fourth, with a pick up driver, at the 1996 International 505 World Championship. Mike and Howard were 3rd at the '97 Worlds, 2nd at the '98 Worlds, and they won the 157 505 1999 World Championship. For the 2000 season, Mike decided to drive, with Steve Bourdow on the wire. They were 2nd at the Pacific Coast Championship, won the North American Championship and were second at the World Championship. As with many other crews, Mike owns the boat. Mike works as a Research and Development Engineer for Hewlett Packard.
Ali Meller (driving in photograph) has been racing 505s for twentyone years, first in Ottawa Canada, then in the Annapolis/Baltimore/Washington area. Ali won the 1994, '96 and '97 505 East Coast Championships, and has multiple top three finishes in the 505 North American Championships. Ali has also won the 505 Midwinter Championship several times. Ali and Allan Johnson were 7th at the '97 World Championship in Denmark. Ali races out of Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis MD. He is a computer system architect.Tyler Moore (left) and Ryan Cox.Tyler Moore, intercollegiate sailor of the year 1994, bought a used 505 from Gary Bodie and raced the 1994 505 North Americans. In '95 he teamed up with Ryan Cox, 1995 college sailor of the year for a 470 Olympic campaign, continuing to race the 505 as well. Tyler and Ryan were 5th at the 1995 505 Worlds. They both subsequently bought new Waterat 505s. Tyler - with Scott Ikle crewing - was 2nd at the '96 North American Championship, and 2nd at the '97 East Coats Championship. Tyler and Scott were 2nd in the '97 pre-Worlds in Denmark, and 8th in the World Championship. In 2001, Tyler and Peter Alarie teamed up, finishing second at the North American Championship. Tyler won the '96 J24 East Coast Championship (as tactician), and was second (as helmsman) in the '97 J 24 Midwinter Championship.Macy Nelson (left) and Peter Alarie.505 North American Champion 1983, 1993, 1994, past East Coast Champion, past Mid Winter Champion, and competitor at multiple 505 worlds. Macy races on the Chesapeake Bay, out of West River Sailing Club. Macy has raced with some of the great crews, John Fry, Duncan Skinner, Mike Martin, and Peter Alarie. His wife Ann has been known to crew, and more recently young kids Nick and Anna have been jumping out of the Optimist into the 505. Macy and Ann are lawyers in Baltimore.
Pip (foreground) started racing 505s in 1959. He has crewed for Paul Elvstrom in two 505 World Championships, finishing a very close second in the 1966 event. He lived in California for several years and raced with Dennis Surtees, winning multiple Pacific Coast and North American titles. Now back in Australia, Pip is still racing hard- he and skipper Ian Dixon raced the '95 Worlds, Malcolm Higgins and Pip raced the '96 together, while Pip made the '97 Worlds racing with Dave Cahn. Pip recently stepped down as President of the International 505 Class Yacht Racing Association.