TT Interviews Team "License to Kill"

2011 North American Champions Geoff Ewenson and Tyler Moore were kind enough to sit down with Tank Talk to answer a few questions on their win at the NA's and other 505 topics.

TT: Tyler, this was your third win at the NA's and Geoff your first. It was a dominant victory with six race wins and fewer than half of the points of the runners-up. Was there anything specific that contributed to this performance?

TM: We were eating Wheeties for breakfast.

No really it's been time in the boat. A new boat takes time to get sorted out and 9007 has taken longer than usual, but we've finally sailed just about enough times in enough conditions to have our numbers mostly sorted out. I say mostly because we're still not there yet but this year we were able to lock in some key settings.

When you combine decent speed with a phenomenal 90% average of going the right way up the first beat, good things are going to happen. You've got to get to the first mark with the lead group. Geoff has got great fleet management skills. He was constantly able to place us in an advantageous position. That is what caused the large point spread you're referring to.

GE: I agree with Tyler on some counts. Time in this boat has been key. It has taken more time than we might have liked but we seem to have zoned in on getting the boat balanced and the settings close for the tack forward boat. It does feel different and getting the balance right has been the key. We have solid speed now in a full range of conditions and that has given me the confidence to call our own races rather than worry too much about where other boats are.

While I might not totally agree with Tyler on being in the right spot in 90% of the cases, I am confident that we have speed enough to get our way out of trouble and sail keepers in almost all races. I know that our overall ability to sail the boat hard will likely result in a good race most of the time.

TT: Geoff you sailed the 2011 worlds with twice 505 World Champion Mike Martin and then won the NA's with Tyler. What common characteristics do these helmsmen share?

GE: Both Tyler and Mike have time in the boat beyond most other helms as well as a natural ability. This gives them a comfort level in the boat and allows them to be pushing the boat to a high percentage of targets all the time. What they share is a technical eye and the mindset that they are always looking at things that make the boat faster and more refined.

What I have found in sailing with different helms is that each has their own subtle difference in setups and a conviction that the rigging of their individual boats is the only way to go! What I realize is that as a crew you need to be adaptable to various boats and realize that the boat is really an extension of the helmsman. The nice thing is that with good helms they are so at ease in their own boats that they are very comfortable and that leads to a higher success rate on the water.

TT: Tyler, what did Geoff bring back to your team from sailing with Mike in big breeze in Hamilton Island?

TM: Geoff came back with knowledge that you always need to have a game plan and that both guys need to know what that game plan is. If you don't, you might as well just capsize now because that's easier than the horrific crash and burn that you're headed for.

GE: I know this is a Tyler question, but please indulge me with a response.

I think that sailing with Mike was a great opportunity for me. Having sailed against him in San Francisco I think almost all of the rest of us were in awe of Mike and Jeff's pure speed. They had an unfair advantage in the breeze on all, but cousins Holty and Carl. Going into the windy Worlds in Hammo I was looking forward to having that unfair advantage! The reality is that I am not Jeffa and we were not nearly as fast relative to the competition, as they were. We had to work every shift and every angle we could to be at the top of our game. What became obvious during the course of the event was that Mike and I were not as well choreographed as we needed to be.

Mike and Jeffa spent a ton of time together and their results showed it. Mike and I had a few events and practice weekends together, but that was not a recipe for winning a worlds. What I bring back from sailing with Mike was not just a respect for him as a person and a sailor. I come back with the knowledge that it takes a big commitment to get to the top. He has shown that he is willing to make that commitment and if Tyler and I are to reach our goals........

TT: At the NA's we got to enjoy a great panel of past 505 World Champions discussing their success in the late 70's and early 80's. Is there more we can be doing as a US fleet to win World Championships? The last three US Champions were California teams; the West Coast fleet is clearly pushing themselves to a high level. What do you think they're doing well in terms of training that East Coast teams should emulate?

GE: The one thing that I hear from World Champions in all classes is that they owe much of their success to others. I know that in the Finn class that the British team is dominant in recent history. A Brit has won the worlds in 4 out of the last 5 years. They work and train hard together as a team and have upped their game due to that team attitude. The guys on the panel at the NA's talked about the other guys they were fortunate to sail with and against. The reason that the West Coast guys have been so successful in recent years is not that they are doing anything revolutionary......they are simply sailing together and training.

Tyler has invited, pleaded, and opened his home to 505 sailors from all over the country in an effort to get people training together. It is difficult and has met with limited success. It seems that when push comes to shove that there arent many East Coast teams that are in a position to dedicate time to sailing. Real life seems to get in the way. There are a few pockets where there are multiple boats but, the motivation to put sailing ahead of other things is not there. Macy has tried to beat the drum in the Annapolis/West River area for years. He has a small but growing group of like-minded people who are getting out sporadically. It sounds as if the Mid-Atlantic area is getting their act together and coming up with a schedule that makes sense and could be better attended than recent years. I for one hope it is.

TT: Thanks guys.

Dates Set for 2012 North Americans

The Championship will be held at San Francisco Yacht Club in Belvedere, CA.

Racing will be held September 20th-23rd.

For those unfamiliar, this is the sunny side of San Francisco Bay and it should be a little warmer and less nuclear than late August.

Start making your plans to be there now!

Palm Tree Dreams

With winter quickly closing in and boats in the East and Midwest headed for garages, it's time to plan your winter 505 sailing.

The two events to mark down on your calendar are the Midwinters in St. Petersburg, FL from February 24th-26th and the Carolina YC Regatta in Wrightsville Beach, NC from March 31st-April 1st. Recaps from last year's great events can be found here and here.

One idea that I've heard around the class with more frequency than past years is for more winter events or some kind of winter circuit. I am personally supportive of this concept though there are many logistics challenges. Other classes like the Etchells, Melges 20's, Vipers and J80's have obviously had great success with their winter circuits and these events are essential parts of the seasons in those classes. Do we as a class think a Florida and Carolina circuit could be put together and would people attend? I imagine we could likely get a dozen people on board with 3-5 events; would it grow? Would this many events entice any Canadians to come down and thaw out?

Would this work:

Miami or Ft. Lauderdale late January

Ft. Meyers or St. Petersburg early February

Midwinters in St. Petersburg late February

Wrightsville in early April

Charleston Race Week in late April if we can get in?

Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

Region II Championship - Henry Amthor

The 5o5 Region Two Championship was sailed once again on the warm and windy waters of Hampton Flats. The weekend led off with a nice Friday dinner at the Moore compound. Leigh Chapman organized a nice event at HYC complete with free registration, snack bags for those hungry crews and a neighborhood Oyster Roast Saturday night at Kathy & Malcolm Brady's house.

PRO Bob Thomas & Tyler Moore set up the course close to the harbor entrance for an easy sail out to the Big Breeze. Saturday started off at a very civilized noon start that sent the fleet on a double sausage course in 15 to 22 kts. The fleet was very tight after the first two legs; however, Drew Buttner & JB Turney suffered a broken pole after a spectacular splash on the first run. That left them unable to wire run for the remainder of the day.

By day’s end Geoff Ewenson & Tyler Moore were on top with a 1,1,1,2,1. Big Clayton James & Henry Amthor managed a 2,2,4,1,3. Past North American Champs Parry Barclay & Macy Nelson held 3rd with a 3,3,2,4,2.

Sunday dawned with sunny temps in the high 60's and a lighter breeze at about 12 kts. The breeze steadily improved with puffs in the mid 20's by day’s end. Drew & JB came out of the blocks smoking fast (now armed with a new carbon pole provided by Santa Moore). They managed all top three finishes, including two race wins. Unfortunately this was not enough to overcome their first day breakdown.

With Tyler and Geoff locking up the regatta by holding consistently near the top including two more wins in heats 8 & 9, the race was on for second overall. The Carolina brothers Charles & Jay Smith had a shot along with the boys from Baltimore and Team Hampton. The top five team scores tightened up as the day progressed so it all came down to the ninth and final race. Team Hampton got the jump on the first lap in a building breeze only to watch the fleet sail away after the spin halyard failed to unwind at the leeward mark. Team Baltimore Macy & Parry sailed through to secure second overall. Team Hampton recovered from the leeward mark mishap to get third.

It was nice to see some new sailors in the fleet including Catherine Guiader, Evan Hoffman, Ron Thompson and Andy Forman.

A Big thanks to PRO Bob Thomas & his crew: Vince & Tripp Behm for mark boat and Captain Eley and Ric Handly for photo boat & safety. Thanks are also due to the Chapmans, Bradys and Moores for their hospitality.

Results

1. 9007 Geoff Ewenson/Tyler Moore 1,1,1,2,1,3,2,1,1. 10
2. 8722 Parry Barclay/Macy Nelson 3,3,2,4,2,4,3,4,3. 24
3. 8012 Clayton James/Henry Amthor 2,2,4,1,3,5,4,5,5. 26
4. 8830 Andrew Buttner/JB Turney DNF,6,5,5,5,1,1,3,2. 28
5. 8952 Jay Smith/Charles Smith 5,5,3,3,4,2,5,2,4. 28
6. 8441 Olav Schluter/Katrin Deinhart 7,7,6,6,6,7,8,6,DNS. 53
7. 8822 Andy Forman/David Burchfiel 6,8,7,7,8,11,10,8,6. 60
8. 9007 Ron Thompson/Jim Englert 4,4,DNF,DNS,DNS,6,7,DNF,DNS. 69
9. 8883 Michael Renda/John Berquist/Evan Hoffman 9,9,8,DNF,DNS,9,6,7,DNS. 72
10. 8059 Chris Brady/Catherine Guiader 10,11,10,8,7,8,DNF,DNS,DNS. 78
11. 8951 Caroline Rasmussen/Christian Rasmussen 8,10,9,9,DNF,10,9,DNF,DNS. 79

Postcard from Hampton

Charles and Jay Smith cruising downwind

Double-Double D - Henry and Clayton lead Tyler and Geoff to the finish

More 2011 NA's - Parker Shinn

The 2011 505 North American Championship, hosted by American Yacht Club on Long Island Sound, brought 27 teams from all over the East Coast, Mid-West, Canada, Santa Cruz and even class legends, Pip Pearson and Earle Alexander, all the way from Aussie Land. We were fortunate to have three days of excellent racing that provided a wide variety of conditions which tested sailors ability to adapt. American Yacht Club was a gracious host and their race committee did an outstanding job of running a world class regatta for us.

The 505 class owes a tremendous amount of gratitude to all of those who helped organize this great event and to our sponsors as well. Doug McKeige has been a generous contributor to our class ever since he joined over six years ago and this year, as the lead organizer of the event, he did not let up. Heineken, North Sails, Glaser Sails, APS and Zhik have also consistently been strong supporters for whom we are grateful.

One of my favorite things about the 505 class always has been and always will be the quality of people that it attracts. The reason I first got hooked was because Mike Martin took me for a ride on his boat at a Team Tuesday practice in the spring of 2005. Donning a trap harness he obviously hadn’t worn in years (you could tell because each leg strap was about 3 inches too long), Mike willingly let an 18 year old kid drive his boat and later that year convinced someone to help me get into the class by selling me their boat at a great price. Howie Hamlin then put his entire garage (read world class tool shop) at my disposal so I could re-rig my new boat and copy his layout.

Friendships become so strong that people are even willing to travel across oceans and continents as was testified by Pip and Earl coming all the way from Australia to sail with us. I had to tow a boat from a neighboring yacht club to American for someone who was chartering and Pip readily offered to help even though he was missing dinner. There is a bond in 505 sailing that we all cherish because it is capable of bringing us together each year as though little time had passed.

This year was no different as we quickly caught up with one another and excitedly took to the race course to test our skills. I have often pondered why I enjoy racing so much more than simply sailing and I’ve come to the conclusion that it is because racing brings out the best of sailing by challenging us to be both faster and smarter and it provides a reward for when you succeed. Each day of the 2011 NA’s provided an excellen opportunity to enjoy these challenges and starting with the first race, gave us a clear view of who was on top of their game.

On Day one the wind was out of the East and there was a good sized chop as the waves funneled down Long Island Sound. Most teams were raked to 7 or 8 with crews fully out on the wire while some of us were raked back as far as 6. Large shifts made it difficult to determine which side would pay off, but it seemed that the right was primarily dominant with some large left shifts occasionally working their way down the course. Huge distances could be made or lost on the downwind legs by deciding to either wire or sit run. With the surfable waves, Simon and I thought that our aggressive technique allowed us sit a little longer than we otherwise would and on a few runs we nervously worked our way down the middle of the course as other teams wired out to a side. Most of the time this paid off, but it was critical to keep a watchful eye out for puffs and holes. On the first run of the first race a pack of boats wired out to the left side and lost huge distances by sailing into a lull that made it difficult to get back to the mark. Tyler Moore and Geoff Ewenson quickly showed that they were going to be the boat to beat that day by knocking out a 1, 2, 1, 4.

Friday presented us with an entirely different wind direction and some new variables to figure out. The wind was a bit lighter than the first day and with spotty breeze there were still huge gains to be made or lost. The left seemed to consistently pay off at the top of the course and most races started off with a drag race to that side. Tyler Moore, Ethan Bixby and Mike Holt seemed to have tremendous height (I got pinched off by all three of them) and were able to get punched off the line while punishing any boats who dared to start to windward of them. Downwind often proved to be a tactical chess match. A wrong decision could put you in a hole and cost half the fleet. Even when you made the right decision, breeze filling in from behind sometimes compressed the fleet so that the leaders were scrambling to maintain their lead. In one race I rounded the windward mark in third place on the way to the finish. It was clearly not windy enough to wire run and Tyler, Brian Kamilar and I were fighting each other for the lead. At one point I looked back to see Mike Holt, miles behind us, come around the windward mark in a puff and start wiring out to a side. Three quarters of the way down the run, all of a sudden, Mike is now hurtling back through the center of the course in 4th place and hot on our heels. Everyone in the front was then trying to figure out when to start wiring and which side to go to. Besides Tyler Moore and Mike Holt, most of the fleet’s finishes were up and down quite a bit it seemed.

Saturday everyone showed up to halyards slapping against masts and the entire Sound covered in whitecaps. As teams wearily got suited up and rigged their boats, the race committee went out to see how bad things actually were. They registered gusts in the low thirties and with the breeze expected to build throughout the day, it was an easy call to cancel racing for the day. There were a few of us who were contemplating going sailing anyways and ripping around to put on a show, but with another windy day of racing to go, no one was willing to run the risk of breaking gear. Matt Barry and I were trying to figure out a way to get on the water and for a while the club 420’s didn’t seem like such a bad idea. As we were talking it over, Matt came up with a brilliant idea and said, “Why do’t we just put 420 sails on a 505?” I recognized a genius idea when I heard it and we ran over to the sail locker and managed to find one main that had all of its battens. We raked the mast back to 0, extended the jib-tack up about 6 inches to make room for the forestay block and improve our sheeting angle and made an extension for the jib halyard. For the main we extended the halyard and outhaul and lashed the tack to the mast. One of the Canadian teams even supplied us with a short-luff spinnaker, but without a retrieval patch, we couldn’t figure out a way to take it down. In hindsight, we could’ve only rigged one of the guys and done a windward takedown, but for whatever reason this thought never crossed our minds.

Launching proved to be a difficult task with the wind pushing us down into a giant rock pier and very little runway to get flow going over the blades. There was a floating line anchored beyond the pier to pull ourselves out with, but it wasn’t tight enough and so we were still drifting down towards the rocks when Pip came and noticed the problem and got a bunch of guys to yank on it and pull us to windward. Once we finally cleared the rocks and got sailing, the boat actually felt great.



After getting our fix, Matt and I joined everyone over at Ted Ferrarone’s for horse shoes and bocce ball tournaments. That night Doug and Marie McKeige were kind enough to host an amazing party with delicious catering, sailing footage and videos from Photoboat and a bunch of great stories from one of the most comical figures to ever sail 505’s, Cam Lewis. Ali Meller tells the story better than I can in his write up of the event, but between the explanation of his boat names, “Complex Chemicals Kill” and “Nancy Says No”, and why the drugs of his day weren’t as bad as the bass salts kids are doing now, Marie thought it was a good time to escort all the kids out of the tent.


Sunday morning the Sound was once again filled with white caps and the wind was howling. With gusts in the mid to high twenties there was some debate in the parking lot about whether it was too much, but thankfully they made the decision to sail us and we got a day of racing to remember. Simon and I knew we could have a tough time holding on to our 4th place with some heavier teams like Drew and Ramsey right behind us. The first beat we were having a tough time keeping our lane and we had started getting a left shift so we decided to tack out and go right. The breeze started clocking back and we watched the entire fleet falling into our hip as we approached starboard layline. We tacked and crossed almost everyone, rounding the mark in 3rd which we managed to hold onto.

Simon and I were the only ones who did gybe sets around the windward mark (except for Holt on one leg) and by the time we got to the leeward mark or finish, it seemed like the whole fleet had disappeared. Anyone can challenge me on this, but I think Tyler, Ethan and I were the only ones who didn’t flip that day. Even Holtie and Falsone went for a swim. Needless to say, it was really windy and a lot of fun.

There are tons of photos and video on Photoboat.com for anyone who wants to take a look. The regatta was a huge success and will definitely be remembered as such. Thank you to all of the regatta organizers and sponsors as well as to the teams who traveled long distances. We are grateful for all the hard work that went into making this event what it was.

2011 505 NA's Report - Ali Meller

Ali has posted a great report on the 2011 Championship on the event site.

Moore / Ewenson Win 2011 505 North American Championship

American Yacht Club, Rye, New York continued its support of High Performance dinghy racing by hosting the 2011 International 505 Class North American Championship this past weekend immediately after the HPDO (Oct 12-16).

The AYC RC team rattled off 4 races per day on the first two days and 2 good races in a building south westerly on the last day before sending the fleet in as conditions worsened.

Tyler Moore and Geoff Ewenson of Hampton Yacht Club crushed the 27 boat fleet with 6 wins and only a drop of 4 from the 10 races sailed. Top Worlds sailor Mike Holt, Santa Cruz YC, and crew Jesse Falsone, SSA, was bridesmaid again, closely followed by previous World Champion Ethan Bixby and crew Chris Brady, St. Petersburg YC, in 3rd place.

Results

Day 3 was blown out but a pair of young guns rigged their 505 with 420 sails and went for a quick blast.

Videos and photos

Thanks to sponsors Heineken, Balestra Capital, Zhik, APS, Glaser Sails and North Sails there was lots of beer, food and prizes, so everyone was a winner!

Top woman helm was Katherine Long from Chicago Corinthian YC. There were four woman helms sailing.

Top youth team (under 25 years) were Zachery Marks & Brian Kamilar from St. Petersburg YC.

Whit Duncan & Chris Burd (combined age under 60) won the raffle for a North Sail jib which they have to pick up at the 505 Mid Winters in St Petersburg in February 2012. Earle Alexander, from Australia, was Master Helm and Christian Antoni, Master Crew.

2011 NA's Less Than One Week Away

Racing begins October 13th; late fee kicks in after September 30th.

Help the organizers and get your team registered.

32 teams are signed up already. Don't miss the fun.

Pre-NA's also going on October 8-9 with 24 teams as part of the Heineken HPDO.

Was ist das?

As seen here (in German)

Labor Day - Ethan Bixby/Erik Booth

The A-Team Returns - Zack Marks

More from Marblehead and in some big breeze (check out 5:22):

So last Monday I finally got to use the asymmetrical in some real breeze, with lots of rain and big seas (by East Coast standards). Several instructors and I set out in the 505 and two RIB’s. It’s always good to have some protection. Before we left I made sure to give the pole lots of pre-bend. As soon as we cleared the rocks and had some water to work with we hoisted. What a ride! We were blasting and sometimes just hanging on. Eventually we heeled up a bit too much and Pete just fell on top of me.

Once I emerged from the water, we got the boat back up. The kite was a mess, the main was falling down a bit, and when I pulled on more outhaul I had too much line left over. Not quite ready to call it a day we sorted the kite, lowered the main, lashed the outhaul, raised the main and headed back out to sea. Despite the major tangle with the kite it was still super easy to sort out. Pete had decided to wear gloves designed for an infant and after trimming the kite and raising the main, was bleeding quite a bit from the hands.

So Geoff stepped in as skipper and I swapped to crewing. I tried to think heavy, but I don’t think it worked. With the jib barber-hauled out to the rail and the main luffing at full rake back we decided that downwind would be much more fun. So we set off to hoist. I told Geoff that we had to get a gybe on video. He agreed and so we went for it. Unfortunately as I unhooked in the gybe we slammed into a wave. The kite didn’t feel like stopping and decided to pull the mast to leeward with it. We thought that we might be able to bend it back the other way by gybing, but no dice. I think that the gybe would have been awesome if the guy in the back of the boat hadn’t decided to wrap the bridle around the tiller extension. What a muppet! So we just enjoyed the ride, doused, and headed back to the harbor.

Overall one of the most memorable sailing days I have ever had. The A-sail worked great and it was awesome not having to worry about any pole situations. I do think that for an a-sail the lead for the spinnaker sheets could be put further forward, almost to the jib sheet. This would make the gybe hand switch sort of like a tack. I found it hard to gybe with the spin sheets behind me when crossing. I also think that you could have a crew hoist and douse. Leaving the skipper to focus on his primary job, steering the boat. All in all a great day on the water!

Parker-hulled Lindsay Restoration

Read it here: Stern Scoop - Zero to 505 in Five Weekends

2011 East Coast Championship - Drew Buttner

The 2011 505 US East Coast Championship saw a little bit of everything over the course of three days of racing. Big wind, light wind, a broken rudder, and many broken egos. In the end, Tyler Moore and Geoff Ewenson were just better than the fleet and won the event going away (although their ego is one of the ones broken).

The Championship was held as part of the Buzzards Bay Regatta. 15 505’s joined over 400 other boats at one of the biggest regattas around. 150 420’s went home wanting to race 505’s ... 10 tons of keelboats went home wanting to race 505’s ... and the 15 505’s went home glad they race 505’s!

Day 1 started with a light northerly. Half the fleet was in denial and didn't leave the beach in time and missed the first race (they were the smart ones). Those that did race were treated to a healthy dose of "eating vang" and a four lap parade before the breeze completely shut off. Everyone waited for the famous sea breeze, but a strong northerly gradient kept the southerly from filling in. At three o'clock the southerly finally arrived, and although moderate at 8-10 knots, it did manage to provide the fleet with two decent light air races. Tyler/Geoff escaped trouble all day and scored a series of bullets. The rest of the fleet found themselves tied for second as everyone had a good race, a bad race, and a terrible race.

Day 2 was one of those days that put a smile on everyone's face, 12-15 knots all day long. The racing was tight and the fleet started to sort itself out. Tyler/Geoff continued their winning ways going just fast enough to lead everyone around the course, increasing their lead at each mark and finishing each race about 100 yards in front. Ramsay/Drew started the day with a pair of seconds, trying to put a dent in Tyler/Geoff's armor, but unable to do so. Ted/Jesse came on at the end of the day as the breeze backed off a bit to 12 knots. The day was not as fun for the Watsons who broke their rudder blade and had to get towed in. Komar/Russell suffered a broken topping lift shackle, which somehow lead them to a full shrimp of their kite. Whit/Chris broke their forestay control, ripped their jib in half, and limped home to lick their wounds.

The forecast for Day 3 was not great: heavy rain and heavy wind. Arriving at the club we found the weathermen right. Breeze was forecasted to peak in the upper 20's, but the rain squalls were not supposed to contain lightning. The race committee cancelled the 420's and sent the 505's to the inner circle. Out we went. It turned out to be a San Francisco day. Race 1 got under way and Macy/Parry, Ramsay/Drew, and Tyler/Geoff quickly separated themselves from the pack. A drag race to the left and all three stayed even. Macy/Parry tacked first, ducked, and headed right ... bad move.

Ramsay/Drew and Tyler/Geoff continued for another minute until Tyler/Geoff tacked right. Ramsay/Drew would follow 30 seconds later and close to the port layline. At the top mark Ramsay/Drew were able to tack inside of Tyler/Geoff and lead the race around the top mark. Tyler/Geoff proceeded to flip on the set. Oops! Ramsay/Drew held on, trying to keep the boat upright, nailed the jibe, and managed to survive the next lap to win. Tyler/Geoff tried to get back into the race, but couldn't catch Macy/Parry.

Race 2 got underway with about half the fleet. Ted/Jesse won the start, but just didn't have the speed to stay in front. Tyler/Geoff proved too much and were determined to make up for their first race blunders. They crossed Ramsay/Drew at the top and lead the fleet around the top mark. The breeze was reportedly hitting 30 knots by this time. Tyler/Geoff and Ramsay/Drew stayed next to each other for both laps, neither making a big mistake. Tyler/Geoff were faster downwind; Ramsay/Drew were faster upwind. Rounding the last leeward mark, Tyler/Geoff had a 20 length lead. They headed right and went deep into the corner under the lee of the shore. Ramsay/Drew tacked out toward the bay. When they came back together, Ramsay/Drew had a 5 length lead. They tacked to make the finish, Tyler/Geoff tried to punch through to leeward while Ramsay/Drew tried to get the boat moving again ... Tyler/Geoff just couldn't make it through and Ramsay/Drew went on to win the race (then managed to pitch pole on the sail in!).

A nice downpour with horizontal rain while we packed up the boats was a great end to the day. Time for a nap!!

Congratulation again to Tyler Moore and Geoff Ewenson for winning the 2011 US East Coast Championship!!!

Editor's note - all photos courtesy of Spectrum Photo - Full Gallery

Results

What Was?

Twin strings on a 1975 Parker

Kings of the Bay - Aaron Ross

Editor's Note - Read up and learn about the venue for the 2012 NA's.

Nine teams turned out last weekend for the Kings of the Bay Regatta, hosted by the San Francisco Yacht Club in beautiful Belvedere, California. Saturday's racing was held on Southampton Shoals, which is a little to the north of the Berkeley Circle. Being in the lee of Angel Island, there's a little less breeze and a fair bit less chop. This course can also be shiftedto get just the right amount of breeze. The race committee nailed the location, and we had 3 perfect races in 15-18+. Race 1 was a triangle sausage, 2 and 3 were sausage triangle sausages. All the races were gate starts and downwind finishes, so racing time was maximized. The longer courses were only 35 minutes long, so even though there was a lot of corner banging, there was no time to get bored. Mike and Carl won the day with a 1,1,1. Howard and Andy scored a 2,2,2, Jeff and Pat a 3,3,3. Ted with Steve Kleha got a 4,4,4, and Aaron and Rob recorded a 5,5,5. Tim and Garth got a 6,7,6, with Geoff and Reeve breaking the trend with a 6 in race 2. While preparing to be the pathfinder for race 3, Geoff decided now would be a good time to break a rudder gudgeon.

Back on shore, the club wheeled out a dock cart full of beer on ice and a barbecue with all the trimmings. A comprehensive debrief followed.

Since the 2012 North Americans will be at SFYC, the fleet and the race committee took the opportunity to try a new race course on Sunday. We sailed the Knox course, very close to the club between Angel Island and the Marin headlands. With 8-14 knots of breeze, 4 knots of current and geographically shifty breeze, the results were not a repeat of Saturday. Jeff and Pat won the day with a 1,3,2. Howard and Andy would have won the day, but they were outsmarted and outmaneuvered at the finish of race 4 by the incredibly handsome team of Aaron and Rob. Mike and Carl scored a 2,2,3, enough to hold onto the regatta win. There was much place changing between fourth and seventh in each race. So even though the conditions were not as exciting as Saturday, there was never a dull moment.

Back on shore, the club wheeled out another cart full of beer and presented trophies, engraved hot toddy sized thermoses for the top three helms and crews.

A big thank you is due to the San Francisco Yacht Club staff and volunteers, including the local 505 team of Mark Dowdy and Jason Bright. You can always count on the club to put on a great regatta with excellent on shore facilities, race management and logistics. Plus it's always sunny and warm on the club's deck, it's the best place to be after a day on the Bay. God would live in Belvedere if he could afford it. The 2012 North Americans at SFYC is a regatta not to be missed. And unlike the Saint Francis, you can leave your hat on...

Results

The A-Team Reports - Zack Marks

The first thing that I noticed when rigging the bowsprit and the asymmetric was how much gear I did not have to use. The auto guys could be taken off, the foreguy could be left in the boat, the topping lift could be skied, and the pole could be tied to the boom with launcher lines removed. A very clean look. And the bowsprit (the Kiwis call it “the prod”) is superlight.

The first day I sailed with the rig was in New Jersey in Barnegat Bay. Andrew Jones and I sailed downwind with Parry and Macy in non-wire running conditions. We eased the tack line and seemed to be holding well and against them. They might have been a touch faster but that also might have been technique. Either way the performance felt fine in light air. A friend, Mike Dowd, was on a coach boat. He said that the separation between the spinnaker and the main and jib looked much better with the a-sail than the symmetrical.

The next time I used the prod was on a windier day in Marblehead. It was probably about 10 knots, which was enough to wire run. I sailed with another Pleon instructor, Pete McGrath, who is a current collegiate sailor but had never sailed a 505 before. Despite having a rookie crew everything was easy. He pulls out the tack line and trims the sheet while I raise the sail. Going into gybes he eases one sheet and pulls another. By the end of the day his last two gybes were really good and he was having a blast. It was easy for a new sailor to pick up. Regarding, performance the boat felt great downwind. We were playing with some keelboats that were racing and we could easily gybe back and forth through the fleet.

The video that I uploaded was also sailed in Marblehead with yet another rookie 505er. Ian Barrows skippered while I crewed on another day around 10 knots. As a crew who has sailed with the single pole, the double pole, and some other weird stuff in between, the a-sail was incredibly easy and clean. I even tried gibing backwards a few times because the spin sheet blocks are so far aft that it is an easy hand switch. Check out the video for all the details. While the kite does not stay flying the whole time and it takes a while to get trimmed back in, I think that in heavier air this will be less of an issue because the kite will be floating further away from the boat.

Overall I really like the asymmetrical spinnaker. The boat was really easy to rig and the performance was about the same if not better. I would like to do more testing in windier conditions but unfortunately Marblehead is not known for its massive summer seabreeze. I will have the equipment down in Newport for the upcoming clinic if anyone wants to try it out.

2011 Pacific Coast Championship - Mike Holt

Editor's note - Mike has also posted this article on the International Site.

For the 2011 running of the Pacific Coast Championships 24 505's turned up for three days of racing in Santa Cruz. The last major event hosted by the Santa Cruz Yacht Club was the 2004 Worlds and in the intervening years there has been a changing of the guard at the Yacht Club and a new to the 505 class team of John Buchanan as Regatta Chair and Dave Emberson as PRO had the reigns and an excellent job they and their team did too.

Friday's racing was run in a slow to clear high fog resulting in fickle westerly breeze. During the afternoon the fog pulled back a little and the wind increased to a peak of around 12 knots. Just allowing for some good wire running in the last race. At the end of the day Andy and Howie held the lead from the three races ahead of the East Coast's finest, Jesse and Tyler with "locals" Carl and myself in third. Following racing a thorough debrief was held on the deck of the YC with Howie and Tyler revealing all their hard earned knowledge.

Saturday dawned to a heavy overcast fog and drizzle and doom and despair were espouced by the locals and light weight spinnakers were stuffed into launchers. Race 1 was sailed in 8 knots building to 12 by the end and by race 2 the breeze was a good steady 12-15. For race 3 of the day those packing .6 spinnakers were getting nervous as the breeze approached 20 knots. The day was "won" by Steve and Nick, back from their "break" from sailing with a 5,1,2 score line and surely regretting not taking the day off on Friday. Elsewhere in the fleet Matthias and Bruce moved up the standings with a race win in the big breeze and Carl and I leapfrogged the pride of the East Coast to move into 2nd with Andy and Howie's lead at the top narrowed to two points. Another full debrief was delivered with Bruce explaining his tactical genius. Following this was a huge Taco feast.

Sunday started brighter and it was quickly clear that Santa Cruz was going to deliver a classic day. The fog peeled back from the shore fast and by 1PM start time the breeze was already at 15 knots and climbing. Carl and I knowing that we had to pull two points back went at hit hard and fast but Andy and Howie stuck close behind for us to finish in that order. Matthias and Bruce finished 3rd to put some serious pressure on Jesse and Tyler for third overall. By the 8th and last race the breeze was up to around 20 knots with a lovely rolling swell. The course was the full Worlds course so plenty of race track, no quick crash and burn and by the top mark Matthias and Bruce just led Carl and I with Steve and Nick right on our heels. At the bottom of the run we had dropped to 5th and Andy/Howie had moved up to third, momentum back to them. By the gybe mark it had swung back as we pulled up to and past them, but a slow drop at the leeward mark allowed the SoCal team back ahead again and they put a hard cover on from there. Meanwhile at the front Matthias and Bruce reveled in the big breeze to win handily from Steve and Nick. Bruce was heard singing "Bruce is back, who needs Dave" all the way in!

All the way through the fleet there were some good battles, boat on boat and boat versus race track, with lots of new faces and boats traveling down from Canada, up from San Diego and across from the East Coast. It was also good to see three mixed teams racing too. For me it was the best regatta on the West Coast since the North American's in Santa Cruz in 2000.

Results

Newport Regatta - Drew Buttner

17 boats showed up for the 2011 Newport Regatta in Newport, RI July 9-10. This was a huge multi-class event in New England with hundreds of boats and probably close to a thousand competitors. 505's ended up being the second biggest class!

Newport is known for a comfortable sea breeze that offers quality racing for all. Our circle was placed outside the bay which usually leads to an early sea breeze and some decent ocean racing. Unfortunately the gradient was too dominate and the sea breeze only managed a weak showing. Crews spent most of the event crouched on the rail, praying to stretch their legs.

4 good races and one (I'll be honest) crap race (#2) were completed. Racing was challenging with decent changes in wind direction, strong current, and off-center swell. Geoff Woolley and Zack Marks continued their early season dominance winning again in relatively dominating fashion. Parker Shinn and Simon Gerson were able to break through twice for race wins and take 2nd overall.

The event also saw Tim Collins make an appearance on Sunday, helping secure a 3rd place result for Mark Zagol and Drew Buttner.

Next on the calendar in New England is the East Coast Championship Aug 5-7 which will be part of the Buzzards Bay Regatta.

Results

Newport Training Event - July 23-24

All - please send me a note if you plan to attend the upcoming
training weekend at Sail Newport.

Dates: July 23-24
Venue: Sail Newport
Schedule: Ready to go out on water at 10 am both days
Coach: Peter Alarie
Format: 2-3 sessions of sailing, video debrief, etc.

Thanks to Nick Burke, you can leave your boat at Sail Newport from
this past weekend to BBR for only $65, so you can bring your boat down
anytime, and stay until BBR.

There are many boats, skippers, and crews potentially available, so if
you have any interest in attending, let me know.

Dont miss this excellent opportunity to whip your program into shape
just prior to ECC's.

TF

Local Knowledge: ECC's - Tom Kivney

The 2011 505 East Coast Championship is a part of the Buzzards Bay Regatta running August 5-7, sailed out of New Bedford Yacht Club. The Club is located in the picturesque New England Village of Padanaram. Buzzards Bay and the New Bedford Yacht Club are my favorite venue to sail 505's on the East Coast. Great breeze, warm water and a short sail out to the starting line all make this an ideal place to race 505's.

Steve Taylor, former 505 World Champion and local resident, states it best: “if it is clear and sunny there is nothing to stop the thermal it just happens.” In Early August the thermal forms ideal 505 conditions 12-18 kts. You reach out and reach in on the SW breeze. 505's launch from a private beach and lawn right next to the New Bedford Yacht Club.

The Buzzards Bay Regatta (BBR) is one of New England’s largest one design regattas and most famous sailing events. There is a limit of 120 Club 420's that is filled months before the regatta. It is not only a great place to sail 505's, but it is a great show case for the class.

There is plenty to do for family and friends, great beaches and sight seeing. There is plenty of social life at the Club in the evenings.

Hope to see everyone there.

Notice of Race
Registration

Registered Teams

Buzzards Bay Regatta Website

Current Conditions

Hamlin/Zinn win Pacific Coast Championship

Results

The A-Team

Zack Marks has been doing some testing with the A-sail this summer and has provided the below video. He is going to put together a report about sailing with this rig, so stay tuned.

Local Knowledge: PCC's - Bruce Edwards and Mike Holt

Editor's note - an earlier version of this article first appeared in the Summer 2004 Tank Talk.

I’ve said it before in 1992 and again in 2000 - Santa Cruz is pretty darn close to 505 sailing Utopia. The breeze is reliable and generally strong in August, and the waves make for some exciting downwind surfing conditions. It’s also not very far from the harbor to the race course and open ocean waters. Santa Cruz is just a fantastic place to sail 505’s.

The typical afternoon winds in Santa Cruz are thermals, also called a seabreeze, generated by the warm inland air rising which draws in the cool ocean air. California’s Central Valley is responsible for the heat, and the Pacific current that runs south keeps the water temperature at a chilly 58 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees C). This temperature differential helps the seabreeze develop and can allow it to pump all afternoon. By mid-August, the strength of the seabreeze has generally subsided into the 12 to 18 knot range because the water is a bit warmer and the low pressure systems that cross the state in early to mid spring subside. However, the winds can still be much stronger if the Central Valley gets very hot. There is no appreciable current, although drunk locals may tell you there is a “long shore” current. Regardless, if there is, it is very slight and consistent across the course.

Typically the famous Northern California fog sweeps into the Monterey Bay in the evening and then “burns off” in the mornings. Sometimes the fog might not burn off which can create light to moderate breeze conditions for several days straight. It becomes very obvious which of the 2 conditions you will sail in by 11am. The daily temperatures are typically 78 degrees in the daytime, and 60 degrees at night when the fog rolls in (so bring a fleece jacket). Don’t be fooled by the c o m f o r t a b l e temperatures on land because it will likely be very COLD on the water. The water is very deep just off the coast, and therefore very cold, so make certain you dress appropriately for sailing.

If the prevailing breeze is filled in to the shore, right is always favored. If the wind gets a bit light inshore, which can happen later in the day, short tacks left into more velocity may yield big gains. However, in general, right is favored (very similar to Long Beach, CA). It is not uncommon that late in the day the westerly will back off and a light warm easterly wind will slowly fill. This phenomenon is due to an inversion layer (colder air on top of warmer air) caused by the warm land mass that the city of Santa Cruz sits on. As the cold air sinks, it pushes the warmer air back over the water. It starts at the shore and moves out slowly into the bay. Typically this happens after racing around 5pm, but sometimes it can happen earlier and makes for very interesting leeward mark situations. It is obvious if you just keep your eyes peeled down the bay. You’ll see sailboats sailing downwind toward you as you sail downwind toward them!

Hazards - The only major hazard is the cold water. Not wearing a wetsuit and being in the water for an extended time is dangerous. Also, if you don’t turn around after racing, it’s a long way to Hawaii.

Launching Information - Santa Cruz has a ramp for one at a time launching and for those brave enough a hoist. As there is very little wind actually in the harbor both are pretty easy to do.

Useful Links:

Notice of Race
Registration
Registered Teams

Wick'fid Regatta - Craig Thompson

12 boats descended on the West Passage of the Narragansett Bay for the 2011 Wickford Regatta. While the forecast was dismal, 7 races were completed for the series over 2 days of racing.

Saturday was sunny and hot. RI had been covered in fog for nearly a week, and a light northeasterly breeze was blowing as teams left the beach. The noon start time was very civilized as teams from out of town had plenty of time to rig their boats and make it to the race course. The breeze gradually died and the RC attempted a race, only to abandon half way up the beat. We sat for about 30 minutes before the classic Narragansett seabreeze filled from the SSW. Within 10 minues of the fill, the breeze was a steady 14 knots as the RC reset the race course.

3 races were sailed in the seabreeze. Doug McKeige sailing with Ted Ferrarone and Simon Gerson sailing with Parker Shinn were clearly the pace setters in this condition. Ned Turney sailing with Craig Thompson were nipping at their heels at times, but did not have the pace to break the top 2. Russell/Kivney, Marini/Defosse, Danzinger /Ehrhardt all showed good speed at times in Saturday's Races.

The plethora of regatta volunteers put on a great dinner on Saturday night. There was as much food and beer as you could dream of, and the temperature dropped off quite a bit. Most of the regatta's younger contingent made it to The Ravers concert in Newport, and the 11AM start on Sunday made it possible to close the bar and still get enough sleep to function.

Sunday's racing placed as much emphasis on tactics as it did boatspeed/handling. Ned Turney's patience and good decision making on the upwind legs led his team to add only 6 points over the day's 4 races. A true testament to Waterat craftsmanship, USA 7346 turned 30 years old this weekend and is still on pace with the newer boats. A very strong Sunday performance was turned in by Francis Murphy and Jon Wenderoth. The team showed a huge improvement from Day 1 and also over the course of the day. They won the last race of the regatta and accumulated the second fewest points for the day. Gerson/Shinn were able to hang on by a narrow margin to win the regatta. Turney/Thompson took second, and McKeige/Ferrarone rounded out the top 3.

Overall, the 2011 Wickford Regatta was a great success thanks to all the regatta volunteers, Regatta Chair and PRO Skip Whyte, and all 12 teams who turned up to race. This regatta is an excellent way to open the summer sailing season, so be sure to mark your calendar for next year's event. Narragansett bay is truly a magical place to sail, especially if you get the seabreeze.

Editor's note - All photos are courtesy of Danielle Lawhorne Photography - Full Gallery

Results

San Diego NOOD - Channing Hamlet

With the worlds conflict ... five local boats made it out to sail the San Diego NOOD regatta this year. Congrats to Keith Davids for a string of bullets and to Gary for a strong showing to take second place.

The two Lindsays in the Fleet (Mine and Fever Pitch) battled for third place and finished the event with one point separating us. Here is what I remember:

Saturday: We had typical South Bay conditions with plenty of blue sky and moderate to light breezes. I was sailing with a very inexperienced crew so I tried to start conservatively and position myself to have conservative boat handling. I do remember having a bit if a duel with Fever on one of the downwind legs and ultimately getting rolled in the hope we could make it up on the next upwind leg.

Sunday: We had unusual San Diego conditions with wind out of the south and I think up to 20 knots or more. While this is unusual for San Diego, it does seem like the NOOD regatta in March typically delivers at least one day with good breeze.

Jake had excellent upwind speed in his older boat. We managed to capsize with the kite up. Somehow I got separated from the boat and the kite stayed airborne ... with the boat drifting away way faster than I could swim. Good times. The kite ultimately collapsed and I got back to the boat to right it and keep going. I've been sailing 505s for about 7 years now and I thought I had seen everything from a capsize standpoint ... apparently not.

Seeing a pretty good rain squall on the horizon a few of us decided to pack it in and skip the second race of the day ... which I think turned out to be a wise (dry) choice. When we saw Fever head in, we knew we had our standing tied up and decided to follow suit ... after-all we live in San Diego and could melt in those conditions.

We shared a course with the I-14 fleet which is always interesting when the breeze is up. It can make for some interesting downwind decisions given the different jibing angles. They were absolutely flying at times downwind.

The race committee and several support boats were able to shoot video and do a replay in the club-house. There was some great video of the Flying Tiger leeward mark roundings (who we also shared the course with) with some very nice wipe-outs. One boat was laid on its side for a couple minutes and managed to get tangled up with the committee boat ... really fun to watch from the comfort of the bar at the end of the day.

Editor's note - All photos are courtesy of Amie Huebner

Results

ABYC Memorial Day Regatta - Aaron Ross

Eight 505 teams from San Francisco to San Diego turned up for the 2011 Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Memorial Day Regatta. The weather was beautiful with sunny skies and great breeze. There were also two Lindsays and two ladies, so the fleet looked good as well.

Race 1

Wind low teens. No Hubert, AJ or Jake

Howard Hamlin and Andy Zinn and Ryan Cox helming for Mike Martin break away from the fleet, with the former taking the win. Aaron Ross and Rob Waterman battle it out for third with Stine Cacavaas and Bill McKinney. After the first gybe Rob discovers his auto ratchet is rigged backwards. It was a painful port gybe wire running, Rob doing his best to hold the sheet and Aaron doing his best to steer to the kite. The flat water made it somewhat manageable. Approaching the leeward gate, a request from the Crew’s Union to re-lead the spin sheet was overridden by the slave driver holding the tiller, and the second run was equally painful. Antoine Laussu and Jake Wes finished fifth.

Race 2

Saw the same breakaway up front with the same outcome. Hubert Guy and Frederic Courouble make it out to the course and join the 3 way battle for third. After the first lap, Aaron and Rob get the course wrong and head for the finish, letting Hubert and Frederic get to the right and hold on for third.

Race 3

Same breakaway up front but with a bit more breeze, the places swap. After two trips to West Marine, AJ Crane and Ted Conrads get one of their two boats put back together after the container trip home from Australia. They hold third place until a swim at the gybe on the second run. They recovered quickly, but found themselves on a 3 sail reach over standing the leeward mark with the wind now into the high teens. Aaron with proper size Rob made short work of AJ and soon to be knick named Pinner Ted.

Jake Muhleman and Reeve Dunne made it out and took advantage of Hubert’s close encounter of the Laser kind to finish fifth.

Race 4

Saw the same break away and same result up front as the previous race. At the leeward gate, AJ and Ted douse early, allowing Aaron and Rob to close the gap and round just behind with speed. Not knowing the course was only one lap, AJ can’t figure out why Aaron stays on her weather hip in bad air, until he tacks for the finish, slightly over stood. Aaron and Rob steal another race from AJ and Ted.

The day ends with the top 2 tied with 6 points each, and Aaron and Rob in a comfortable third with others having each missed at least one race. The forecast was for big breeze on Sunday. The morning started with a solid 20-25, but dropped to the high teens by the time we launched. The race committee set the course close to the outer breakwater and even set a reach mark, presumably to keep the fleet in one area for the safety boats.

Race 5

The race starts with wind pretty far to the right in the mid teens and rapidly drops to maybe 5 knots. Howard and Andy and Mike with Don Smith bang the right and come out ahead. Rob and Aaron and AJ and Ted work the middle, with Pinner Ted occasionally getting on the trapeze and earning his new name. The breeze came back up to the mid teens for the 2 sail reach to the reach mark. Mike tested out his new America’s Cup match racing knowledge and forced Howard into a penalty. Andy was heard later saying to Howard “I told you so.” AJ and Pinner Ted take advantage of the less than proper amount of breeze and pull away from Aaron and Rob. The next leg was a gusty and too tight 3 sail reach, and AJ can’t hold it down with Pinner Ted. They go for a swim, and Aaron and Rob steal a third race from the sub-300 pound team.

Race 6

The wind is back to the high teens with some gusts that might have topped 20 knots. With the cold wind, cold water, fatigue and long waits between starts, the race was a blur. The race committee sent us to the shorter weather leg, and the race was a 20 minute triangle windward leeward sprint. Mike and Don won the race, and the tie breaker for the regatta win.

Results

505 Barnegat Bay Championship

Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club, Beach Haven, NJ - June 11/12

Event website - http://web.me.com/barclay8/Regatta/Home.html

Housing available - please pre-register to secure housing!

**Event held in conjunction with Laser District 10 Championship

Great shore town setting - restaurants, bars, nightlife all within blocks of club

On the water photo/video by the great Richard McOrmond - http://www.legendaryphotos.net/

Little Egg Harbor is one of best small boat racing venues in the country - reliable, steady thermal breezes, moderate current, no motor boat traffic….

Keeping it in the Family - Dan Esdorn

As a starving college kid getting into the 505, one of my first tasks was finding an appropriate partner to campaign the boat with. After much deliberation I made a somewhat unorthodox decision to pitch my old man, a lifelong leadmine sailor, on the idea of giving the 5o5 a whirl together. Lucky for me, he jumped on the opportunity, most likely because it would give him the opportunity to break the elusive “double digit barrier” that often eluded him in keelboats. Three months later, we were road-tripping out to Cincinnati to pick up our ride: USA 8011, a PVC foam-core Waterat with the most horrific beige and banana-yellow two-tone 80’s color scheme known to man. We christened it the Ugly Duckling, and our unlikely 5o5 campaign was born.

With our boat prepped for our first regatta, the 2006 ECC’s, we went out on the water with (we thought) reasonable expectations: get the boat around the racecourse, and have fun. Those hopes and dreams were quickly dashed in our first race, as we proceeded to run over our spin retrieval line 3 times, snapped the jib halyard, and capsized twice. Holy crap, I thought. Not only am I terrible at this, but I have a 50-year old man crewing for me who might be just as bad as I am! This was going to be a rough season…

Fathers and sons don’t often have discussions about addressing their shortcomings with one another, so one of our largest problems starting off in the boat was recovering and learning from our innumerable mistakes. With the help of some of our fellow Fleet 9ers, we went back to the basics of learning to communicate effectively out on the water and ashore after the ECC's. Though the swimming sessions and breakages continued, the exhilaration of sailing the boat kept us in the game. Hair-on-fire downwind rides, catching boats in the odd well-executed maneuver, and laughing about our spectacular capsizes made the tense moments much more bearable.

Over the course of our early practice sessions, I came to see that the 5-0 also presented some great opportunities for our team. My dad had zero time on the wire, but was an engineer by training and was great at making our old stallion work like new again. I had been sailing dinghies for the past 12 years, but struggled with tuning and optimizing such a complex boat. In retrospect, the 5o5 was the ideal platform for us to apply our unique individual skills. I don’t think there is a more forgiving boat out there to learn on while still being so much fun to sail.

After four years of slogging it up the learning curve, Team Ugly Duckling (now with a new, more photogenic ride) decided to campaign at the Denmark Worlds last year. The highlight of that regatta for our team was undoubtedly the extremely breezy first day (even Mike Holt admitted he could feel a gust or two out there). Over half the fleet retired for one or both of the races, but we were one of the lucky few that made it through. I’ll never forget weaving through the graveyard of boats downhill, both my Dad and I holding on for dear life, and whooping and hollering the whole way. Moments like those made the hard work, time, and frustration all worth it, and made me glad I had decided to keep our program in the family.

I’d encourage every 5o5er out there to take a family member – a husband, wife, son, daughter, cousin – out for a ride or two in the boat. You might just end up sailing with a future national or world champion; see Carol and Carl Buchan’s track record for a taste of the possibilities. Even if that doesn’t turn out to be the case, I can list a few reasons why this is a great idea:

• Time: Everyone out there wishes they had more time to spend with their family. We’re all pressed for free time in this day and age, with jobs, travel, kids, and a myriad of other responsibilities already making it hard enough to carve out time to get out on the water. Why not kill two birds with one stone?

• Become a better sailor: Teaching my dad how to crew in a trapeze dinghy challenged me to take on much broader responsibility for our team’s development. At the same time, sailing with him did a lot for my own interpersonal communication, team building, and project management skills that translated into a better ability to sail with other crews.

• Deeper relationships: While many join the 5o5 class purely based on the fact that it is an awesome boat to sail, they stay with it because of the great people in our class. Sailing with family members brings dynamism to our class both on and off the water, and also provides a great way to get to know your family members in a new light.

• Fun: Sharing the great moments we have out on the water with family members just makes sailing the 5o5 a hell of a lot more fun, and helps you keep perspective when the going gets tough.

Whether you decide to sail together in a boat, or ultimately end up going head to head, keeping it in the family is a great way to bring new members into the class, and enjoy your time out on the water in a new way.

2011 Worlds: A Memorable Experience - Jeff Miller

“It’s never like this…”


We arrived at Hamilton Island to find the expected tropical climate, but the fresh breeze was blowing out of a non-typical northwest direction. “This is very rare, but soon it will change,” the locals promised. “Just wait; when the wind blows out of the southeast, there are no islands to block the waves. You’ll have some fun then!” As we unpacked and set up our boats, we looked out over the water and thought this little island paradise will be a great place to hold a world championship. As long as we pile on the sunblock, drink enough water, and jump into the pool every five minutes, the heat and humidity won’t be a problem.

Wild parrots come by to welcome us.

Hamilton Island is a fantastic community, with all levels of accommodation, stores, restaurants, etc. Wild parrots are everywhere. Most of us were issued electric golf carts for transportation (note: if we all drive electric cars in the future, the world will be much quieter!) The locals were prepared for us, SAP brought their incredible special events team, and registration and measurement was organized and efficient.

Each day, the northeast wind would fill in lighter and later. “It’s never like this; just wait till it blows from the other direction.” We sailed the first two pre-worlds races in beautiful 10-15 kts., but the next day things began to change, as predicted. The southeasterly filled in, and although we started in a pleasant 8 kts., the wind was sporadic and unsettled. Eventually the wind shut off altogether, and we headed in, confident that the two-hour time limit could not be met. But the race committee fooled us and finished boats at the bottom mark with one lap to go. Oh well, these are practice races, so who cares? A new weather system was approaching, so conditions were likely to change. With two days off before the real racing, we had time to finalize things as well as take a cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef. Dead calm at the reef; perfect for snorkeling, but what about the seabreeze we were promised, and what about all this overcast?

Conrads/Haines chase Hamlin/Zinn. ©Christophe Favreau

The beautiful weather wouldn’t last. ©Christophe Favreau

First day of racing

Well, the wind did turn around and blow from the southeast; 15-20 kts. with big waves. The locals weren’t kidding; when the wind fills from that direction it’s an exciting place! With the breeze up, we decided to start early. Best to get going and avoid problems up the line. Big mistake. We got a continuous lift and before we could get back to the right side we found ourselves back in the 50s. We made some gains, but each place would be hard fought, and so we finished 31st. Not a good way to start off the series. The next race we tried to start late to take advantage of the current on the right, as did most of the fleet. The gate was open for three minutes, and nobody started within the first minute. I set up to start a bit too high, and killed my speed rounding the gate boat such that we were hosed immediately. No problem, just tack and take some transoms to the other side, right? Only there were so many boats wanting to start late that when the gate boat stopped at three minutes there were 30-40 boats that hadn’t started yet, so there was a wall of starboard tackers that couldn’t be crossed. So we had to tack underneath them all and wait for our chance to clear our air. Needless to say, it was another sad performance as we scraped together a 34th. Meanwhile, current world champions Wolfgang Hunger and Julien Kleiner showed they weren’t just light air specialists by taking two bullets, while Mike Holt and Carl Smit were locked in a 3-way tie for second with hotshots Ted Conrads and Brian Haines from San Francisco and veterans Sandy Higgins and Paul Marsh from Adelaide.

Jeff Miller and Mike Smith start race #1. ©Christophe Favreau

Mike Martin and Geoff Ewenson ©Christophe Favreau

Mike Martin and Geoff Ewenson—front of the pack in race #2. ©Christophe Favreau

Day 2: Cancelled!

The wind was up early, and the seas were even bigger than the day before. So big that the race officials decided that it was too dangerous to send us out. So they postponed the race for a few hours until it was decided to cancel for the day. Wind was gusting to 35 knots, and seas were over six feet. I was actually a bit relieved, because these are the kind of condition that break boats and people as well.

Day 3: Cancelled again!

They had us prepare for a 10am start, hoping the conditions would be favorable, but it was not to be. Once again 30 kt. winds with 10 ft. seas and heavy rain squalls meant we would sit on the beach. As the day progressed things got worse, and the changing tide meant current would be running against the wind creating even bigger waves. The rain poured down in the way the tropics are famous for, and all we could do was shake our heads in amazement. “It’s never like this!” we heard, over and over. Still, the officials were confident that more races would be held; we could race on the scheduled layday. But all we could do at that point was wait for Mother Nature to give us a break.

Day 4: The storm continues!

Once again the weather kept us on shore. With winds above 30 kts. and dangerously large waves, the race committee was forced to cancel for the third day. The torrential rain squalls caused us to huddle under the tents, and most of us were wondering what to do with ourselves since outdoor activities were all but out of the question. Mike Martin and Geoff Ewenson went out for a demonstration sail that morning, and concluded conditions were survivable but not suitable for racing. Three days cancelled? “It’s never like this!”

Mike and Geoff video

Day 5: We need to get some races in!

The racing got going again after the storms backed off a bit. With only periodic rain squalls, we left the beach and encountered 15-20 kt. winds and big seas. The first race saw most of the fleet favoring the left side of the course after the start, opposite to four days earlier, presumably because the tide had changed by then. But tide was not as big a factor as the shifts, and Higgins/Marsh figured that out to lead at the first mark with Hamlin/Zinn close behind. By the bottom mark Hamlin/Zinn had worked into the lead, Hunger/Kleiner had moved to third with Holt/Smit fourth. By now the fleet had figured out to play the shifts in the middle of the course, as Higgins/Marsh moved back to 1st at the top mark, Hamlin/Zinn were 4th, Holt/Smit in 5th, and Hunger/Kleiner 7th. The situation didn’t change much until the final beat, when the fleet split and places changed several times. Holt Smit came out on top, rounding first and holding on during the final run to take the bullet, with Hunger/Kleiner 3rd. Mike and I found ourselves in the middle of the pack again, scoring another 31st.

The next race seemed like a replay; the wind seemed a little stronger, and the waves weren’t getting any smaller. Higgins/Marsh rounded 1st, never losing that position, Hamlin/Zinn 2nd, Conrads/Haines 3rd. By the bottom mark 2nd and 3rd had switched, and Holt/Smit had moved from 7th to 4th. Aside from Higgins/Marsh, the top five switched around throughout the race, when on the final run Conrads/Haines pulled off the big gainer, moving from 5th to 2nd, while Hamlin/Zinn dropped from 2nd to 4th.

After four races, the scoring system allows everybody to discard their worst race, which didn’t help us much as we ended up sitting in 31st. Holt/Smit put together scores of 1,3 to keep them in second place behind Hunger/Kleiner, who now needed that throwout, having turned in scores of 3,15. Close behind were Higgins/Marsh with 5,1 and Conrads/Haines holding on to 4th with a 10,2 for the day.

Day 6: Two more races

With an early start, the race committee decided we could avoid the tidal current pushing against the wind and causing the big, steep waves. But the breeze was still up, and the periodic rain squalls continued. The first race saw a healthy 25 kts. and the big waves that characterize this venue. The day marked the return of the Fast Danes, Saugmann and Ramsbaek, who rounded the first mark 4th, then moved into 2nd behind Aussies Cameron and Mortensen, but dropping to 3rd behind Higgins/Marsh before turning in a spectacular last run where they gained a minute and a half to take the bullet. A minute and a half! Hunger/Kleiner, Holt/Smit, and Hamlin/Zinn all worked up through the fleet to take 4th, 6th, and 8th, respectively. We managed to finish 15th. By the start of the second race another rain squall materialized as the wind picked up to 30 kts. with gusts above 35, and waves as big as houses, making for one of the most epic races in world championship history. Holt/Smit were in their element; I’m pretty sure I heard them giggling as they rolled us not long after the start, and they left us all behind as they went on to win by more than two minutes. But that next boat was Hunger/Kleiner, who showed off their heavy air expertise as well, and that may have been the performance that won them the championship. All they needed to do now was stay close to Holtie in the final race. Hamlin/Zinn were a close 3rd, while the Fast Danes finished 4th. We had done a good job on the first upwind leg, rounding the first mark third and we held that position on the downwind leg. But the wind shifted a bit on the next upwind leg, and five boats moved past us. As the race progressed we maintained good speed, only to capsize on the final downwind leg, causing us to drop some more places before righting the boat. We finished with a mildly disappointing but respectable 15th. The good news is that our consistent finishes boosted us from 31st to 22nd place overall.

Day7: The final showdown

More windy and rainy conditions, with no end in sight. “We haven’t seen weather like this in 25 years!” “Why didn’t you guys hold this event in July?” While most of us were laughing at the absurdity of the situation, we couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for the organizers, who had worked so hard, only to have Mother Nature try to spoil it. But the air was warm, the water was warm, and by then we were used to it. We got out to the race course for another 10 am start, but just after the warning signal a wind squall hit, and postponement flag went up. Seemed like a good 35 kts. with building waves. We went into survival mode, but capsized anyway, and after a few turtles decided we didn’t need to be out there. We would use our discard here and end up with 23rd place overall. Another mistake, because the wind dropped to a manageable 25 kts. after about 30 minutes, when they started the race. There was a showdown developing; Hunger/Kleiner had to finish 10th or better, and stay within 3 places of Holt/Smit. And Higgins/Marsh could win if they won the race and Holt/Smit finished worse than 5th and Hunger/Kleiner finished worse than 9th. As the race unfolded, Hamlin/Zinn moved into the lead and were never threatened. Holt/Smit were sailing well with a solid 2nd, and Higgins/Marsh were back in 9th. But Hunger/Kleiner were holding onto a very safe 4th, so Holtie decided to take action on the last beat by turning around to plant a full facial on the four-time world champion, trying to drive him down in the fleet. The ensuing tacking duel up that last beat was working, as both boats slowed and the rest of the fleet started to catch up. But there weren’t enough boats and there wasn’t enough time, and Wolfgang Hunger won his fifth 505 world championship, and Mike Holt and Carl Smit once again came oh-so-close.

Overall, I have to say it was a memorable experience; despite the weather we had some great racing in exceptional conditions. And how many championships have we had where the weather didn’t exactly cooperate? Seems like most of them. And in the face of a difficult situation, the race officials always seemed to make the right call, balancing the conditions with safety considerations and the need to hold races worthy of a world championship. The organizers put together a spectacular event, the weather added an additional adrenaline-inducing factor (aren’t we all adrenaline junkies?) and the final awards banquet was as close to a Hollywood award show as you can get. I’m really glad I went.

Boats launch as another squall line approaches.

Mike and Carl pour it on. ©Christophe Favreau

A lifelong 505 sailor looks ahead – Ethan Bixby

Editor's note - Portions of Ethan's text were included in an article written by Mike Martin in the March 16th , 2011 Scuttlebutt that wondered if 505s would be the next class to convert to an A-sail.

I’ve been asked many times why I keep coming back to the 505. Well, it has been a tough year in terms of my 505 sailing as I haven’t sailed the 505 since last year’s midwinters! But Erik and I got out for a short sail on New Year’s Day, and it brought it all back so quickly. It’s the nicest sailing dinghy you will have the good fortune to sail!! Always fun - always challenging. It was way ahead of its time when introduced, and the rules have allowed it to evolve over the years to maintain its reputation as one of the finest designs. I know I don’t have to preach to the choir, but it’s the best!

However, looking forward I have other thoughts. When we were rigging up for our sail, the whole double pole business again struck me as a huge pile of stuff that is not helping the class in the long run. The class is doing great with the existing sailors, but we need to keep attracting newer and younger teams. Part of that is being able to control the costs, modernize the boat a little, and keep the boats as simple and affordable as we can, and still enjoy tinkering around. We all like tinkering to some degree, but the double pole system requires a lot of extra fiddle time – too much in my opinion. With this in mind I’d really like the class to consider converting over time to an asymmetric spinnaker and a retractable bow sprit. It might seem like a big change, but consider these points.

Conversion costs – would not be very different than switching to a double pole system. Ultimately I feel the bow sprits would have to be retractable. I know some classes carry fixed ones, but I think most would prefer a retractable style. Larry Tuttle figures that a retro fit conversion kit could be pretty easy, especially for a side launcher. Above deck systems and below deck systems could both work for conversions. Knowing all the bright and creative minds we have I am sure we could find a way to transition smoothly over time. This is not something to get hung up on, but a good challenge.

Simplicity – The pile of parts I took off my boat was shocking! The big parts include two poles, two shock cord retractor systems, a Spiro/Spinno mast part, two cleats, two topping lift systems, two downhaul systems, and two guy purchase systems. Suddenly I have a much cleaner boat!

Sailing – yes, it is all about the sailing! The boat tracks really well downwind in a big breeze, and the A-sail tends to lift the bow nicer. Jibing is very easy as the boatspeed seems to stay up better when the crew comes in off the wire, and you just turn the boat with no hesitation and the boom comes over with less load. The crew just eases into the jibe, and trims out the other side. Consequently, I felt more able to jibe any time needed, without worries of a swim. This is really important as more teams would have more fun racing in heavy air. This is an issue for many in the fleet that don’t have the time to sail as much as they’d like. It takes a lot of time to perfect the pole systems and get the practice in, and honestly most class members don’t have that time anymore. We all know that if there is a pause to wait for the pole to come off the mast or any delay that causes the boat to decelerate quickly, you might be headed for trouble.

The A-sail does make the runs more tactical, as you can really jibe on the shifts and puffs without hesitation and you lose less distance jibing. After the boom is across, the A-sail tack stays down and doesn’t tend to fill high, load up and heel the boat like the symmetrical sail sometime does. With the change to the 6 meter luff spinnakers, we really do sail skiff angles downwind. With the A-sail we felt that we pretty much sailed similar angles to the rest of the fleet. In light air there is plenty of separation between the jib and the A-sail, so all of the sails are more efficient. We did try the wing and wing thing which seemed fine, but not tested.

However, it is not all about relative speed. With similar area on the initial test, speeds were close with an advantage to the A-sail as the wind increased. That can all be adjusted with changes in area. But it is more about the nature of sailing the boat. I think the class needs to consider making the boat easier to sail, especially in heavy air and for newer teams, and keep it a bit simpler to enhance our ability to attract sailors and builders to the class. I have Larry’s bolt on bowsprit and the A-sail, so if someone would like to try it let me know.

Another simple rule change would be to standardize the mast step height so that all future boats would accept the same mast. It’s a small matter, but it would make it easier on the equipment side if things were more interchangeable. As high performance dinghy sailors, we all know the pressure on our free time to sail and work on the boats and of course money too. This might be a good time to look further forward and make some changes to ensure further growth of the class.

Ethan Bixby
USA 8715
North Sails
St. Petersburg, FL