It has the perfect balance of power and control, is free of vices and is well-mannered and forgiving. Crews and helms of combined weights from 23 to 30 stone (146-190 kg or 321-418 pounds) can be internationally competitive, whilst lower or higher combined weights are competitive at club level.
The 505 has a long racing life and good inexpensive boats are available on the second-hand market.
The Class has strict international controls, the result of which is that it has never suffered an overnight obsolescence. There is an unrivaled training organization and strong club fleets around the country, together with a superb open meeting calendar at venues throughout the UK and a range of European cup events.
Always responsive, a 505 will plane upwind in a force 3, but off-wind? well!, a screaming three-sail reach, with two-thirds of the boat out of the water, but still under control (after a little practice), is an experience difficult to describe and impossible to forget. Some high performance dinghies can behave like real animals, but you will find an International 505 to be remarkably well-mannered and forgiving.
To many the biggest surprise about the Class is the fact that Championship races are won by crews weighing anything between 23 and 30 stone (146-190 kg or 321-418 pounds). A genuine seven stone(45 kg or 100 pound) weight range.
The key is that Class rules enable enough variation in the way that masts are rigged (height of spreaders, hounds, trapeze wires and with various mast sections), that allows power levels to be tailored to individual needs. A range of spinnaker designs and sizes further allows you to complete your desired configuration. However, our rules allow only small tolerances in the hull shape which is as attractive and efficient as it was when John Westell's design genius became a production boat back in 1954.
The International 505 Association's open-minded, but cautious, attitude towards any change that may create over-night obsolescence, of have a serious impact on cost, ensures that this yacht, with its sophisticated construction and build quality, low weight and lasting stiffness, has an incomparably long racing life.
The myth that a 505 is 'shot' after one or two seasons is still believed by some and promoted by others. Suffice to say, the 1988 Worlds, in Sydney Australia, were won by a five year old British built Parker (and a rather good yachter), and when the Dane, Jorgen Schonherr, won the 1990 Worlds, in Kingston Ontario, in his four year old Australian Kyrwood, the American that was pushing him hard, all the way to the last day, was sailing a thirteen (yes 13) year old boat.
The fact is that in a healthy second-hand market, a genuinely competitive, down to weight, stiff 505, can be bought at a very affordable price, and this is the way that most get started.
Many like to combine 'circuit sailing' with racing at their home club and indeed the majority of 505 sailors only sail at 'home'. The Association strongly encourages Club racing and it is the way that most people find out about the Class. If you enjoy handicap racing then you will find that a 505 performs to its handicap right across the wind range.
So, whether you see yourself at the toughest World Championship, screaming off the waves in a Force 5 or 6, or racing around the cans at your Club on a Sunday, in fleet, handicap or pursuit racing, a 505 will be happy to oblige.
By the way, everyone (and we mean everyone), does a fair bit of swimming in their early days of 505'ing, but, usually this phase soon passes. Anyone who tries to tell you that they didn't is either being economical with the truth, or they never go sailing in anything over a Force 3. If they are not 505 yachters, or they are standing on the beach having a laugh at your expense, just think of the feeling you will get when you maintain a position ahead of them on the water. Whatever you do, don't worry about taking the occasional 'dip', give yourself time, every 505 yachter has been through the same experience.
In the US, three builders, Lindsay, Hamlin, and Waterat, have built fully cored, epoxy hulls, that appear to last indefinitely. The oldest were built in 1977, and if well cared for, are still capable of winning a North American or World Championship. Some of the following discussion is more relevant to not-fully-cored, polyester layup boats.
Lasting stiffness and strength is paramount in the rig tension areas, the forward end of the center board case and, the crews 'landing areas'. Topsides, towards the bow and stern, the foredeck and the aft 2-3 foot of the seat tanks, will often feel quite flimsy compared to a heavier, or wooden, boat. This is because the builder strives to keep weight out of the ends, to reduce the pitching moment. These parts of the hull are not under any significant load and are built to the minimum weight that is both safe and durable, so don't worry about this.
Generally, if the boat has been looked after, a 505 will maintain its rigidity and strength for a very long time and a good second-hand boat is and ideal introduction to the class.
None of the above are the end of the world because most of them can be put right but, obviously, any problems should be reflected in the price you pay. Osmosis however can be quite serious.
Within the Association there is all the help and advice you need to take the first step. We often know of boats for sale before they are advertised.
As already explained, Class rules allow some variation in the way that the masts are rigged. There are four basic types of rig in use at Club level and in International competition and, whilst there are further variations within each type, the following is a guide to the four groups. In North America, most top boats use a Proctor "d" based rig that uses increasing rig tension as the wind comes up, unlike several of the rigs discussed. The "straight" rig discussed, is now used by very few North American boats. Check the other tuning sheets for North American rig type and tuning ideas.
We believe that in the choice of rig types there is a rig which will suit almost any crew/helm weight combination.
The other consideration of course is the spinnaker. The finest sailmakers in the country all work to develop faster 505 sails, success in the International 505 is important to them. The range of spinnakers is extensive, from 'flat little ones' to 'rather large big ones'. Those most commonly used are the designs that are somewhere in the middle. For some reason, members of the 'crews union' demand 'poof blocks', more properly known as ratchet blocks, to help control these things and, to be honest, after a long hairy three-sail reach across waves, one would have to agree with them.
So how do we get that elusive edge?
One thing we should all realize is that as the wind changes, from nothing to very windy, we must adjust the rig accordingly How we adjust it depends largely on the rig used. Different mast sections, sails, even hulls and foils, all need to be adjusted in different ways.
As the Proctor 'D' is the mast section used by most crews, including me, these tips are based on the rig.
The most important starting point is to calibrate all controls on the boat properly. When I say properly I mean having an easy to read scale, one which can be seen easily when racing.
The most important starting point is to calibrate all controls on the boat properly. When I say properly I mean having an easy to read scale, one which can be seen easily when racing.
Some of the very best sailors may have the ability to guess quite accurately most of the settings during a race, but they will not remember all of the settings all of the time.
What you should be aiming to do is write down "on the boat", a list of the fastest settings for all controls in all the wind strengths. Only then can you quickly, accurately and with confidence, adjust your rig to the maximum boat speed for any change of wind strength.
We will now run through the controls, one by one, and discuss the effect of each one.
To decide what the correct mast position is, I tend to set it up so the rig is just overpowered in a given wind strength. That means that in order to keep the boat flat, (and we all do sail flat don't we?), I have to adjust the boom in and out from the centerline a little when sailing to windward.
If the mast is too upright you will get excessive back winding, the boat will "trip up" in a gust rather than accelerate, and you'll be playing the main too much dropping the boom too far off the centerline.
If you are raked too much then the main will be pulled hard in all the time to try and get the boat upright, your crew will be dipping in the water too often, and you will lose pointing ability.
So you should be aiming to get in between these two positions. In very gusty conditions set the rig for the correct trim in the lulls, and go for pointing in the gusts.
In very light winds, 0-5 knots, when the crew is not on the wire on a beat, you should pull the shrouds on very hard to bend the mast in the upper half, this has the effect of flattening the top of the mainsail allowing the leech to twist of, you can then sheet the boom on the centerline and keep the top telltale flying.
As the wind increases, and the manual labour gets out on the wire, his volume of lard will bend the mast even more. This will make the main too flat, so just led the shrouds off so the leeward one goes ever so slightly slack, leech tension on the main is then regained.
As the wind picks up even more, the leeward shroud should be getting slacker and slacker, until in 20-25 knots of wind it is flapping about.
In reality, because the mast is always raking back on the jib halyard as the wind increases, you shouldn't have to adjust the shrouds much at all.
The best way to get this right is during boat tuning.
In all the tuning I have ever done, the biggest difference in boatspeed, between otherwise equal boats, has been due to the position of the fairleads. Also, as the wind increases and you move them out, the sheeting on the jib reduces, which is what you want.
I currently use a 24:1 system which is ample.
The only other time the Cunningham is used is on a really tight reach to de-power the main, then pull it on really hard.
The basic principle is, as the rig takes aft, the centerboard follows it to maintain balance on the tiller, making the boat easier to steer.
OK, so now we have calibrated the controls in the boat and we know what each control does to affect boatspeed. Now all you have to do is draw up a table (based on my guide chart) mounted "on the boat" of all controls mentioned against wind strength, and every time you boat tuning, or go fast in a race, fill fill in the table to compile a list of settings that can be reproduced time after time. When done, this will allow you to concentrate on the race whilst going at full speed.
Wind Speed (knots) 0-4 4-8 8-10 10-12 12-14 14-17 17-22 22 up Mast Rake 25' 5" 25'4.5" 25' 4" 25' 3" 25' 0.5" 24' 10.25" 24' 10.5" 24' 9 3/4" Shroud Tension 470-490 430 350 300 300 280 260 260 Kicker No No A bit Yes Yes Loads Loads Loads Cunningham No No No No No No Yes Yes Jib Fairleads (from centerline) 19 5/8" 20" 20 1/2" 20 7/8" 22 1/2" 22 1/2" 24" 24" (from deck) 1 1/8" 3/8" -3/4" -3/4" 0 0 3/8" 3/8" Strut (from neutral) 0 0 d 1/8-1/4 0 u 1/2" u 1/2" u 1/2" u 1/2" Jib luff tension no no no a hint of no no tension a tension a creases creases creases creases creases creases little little Centerboard position 10 10 5 0 0-5 20 20 30 degrees degrees degrees degrees degrees degrees degrees degrees forward forward forward aft aft aft aft Outhaul V. tight Tight Tight Tight Ease 1/2" eased 1/2" Eased 1/2" tight"