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

2011 North American Championship

The homepage for the 2011 505 North American Championship is up!

We are incredibly excited to be hosting such a prestigious event at American Yacht Club, and are already hard at work to make this one to remember. Registration for the event is open and accepting entries, so please sign-up and let us know you will be coming! Make sure to bookmark this page and stay tuned for further details about the event over the course of the following weeks.

Looking forward to seeing you all in October!

Doug McKeige

John Wyles

Event Chairmen

Double Poles on the Cheap – Henry Amthor

I have two el-cheapo double pole systems. The first one is rigged with aluminum poles and the second one is with carbon poles. I rigged both systems by re-using aluminum booms.

The aluminum pole version is rigged with a swivel block simply tied to the single pole Spiro. I used this type of arrangement at the Adelaide Worlds on Earl Alexander's boat and it worked fine despite the high load on the cleat. One disadvantage is that you do lose a little effective pole length on the starboard side.

The carbon pole system uses Holger Jess tapered poles attached to another aluminum boom with the new Double Spinno from Warwick in South Africa. I believe Waterat makes a less expensive version as well. All you need to do with your boom is run a new shock cord 4x through the boom and exit aft via a through deck block. The poles were a little short so I made longer end fittings with Delrin stock from McMaster-Carr.

One issue we have been having with the Bixby lazy guy system is ring twist. To get past this we have changed our lazy guys to a stiffer line, Aricom-T. We have also flipped the poles around so the tapered end is inboard to cut down on pole bend on windy days

Mea Culpa – Double Poles – JB Turney

This article must begin with a confession: I was once decidedly opposed to double poles.

I recall a rather broad discussion of the topic at the Midwinters in February 2010 with passionate opinions on both sides of the debate. Spinnaker pole systems were on everyone’s mind as Ethan Bixby’s Waterat had appeared at the regatta with a five foot bow sprit for an asymmetric spinnaker. Ethan had built the sprit after sailing the 2009 Worlds with double poles; it must be noted that the 2009 Worlds featured broad based acceptance and use of double poles. These new approaches to the 505’s downwind sail plan certainly had everyone thinking.

The traditional side of the argument, on which I found myself, called for a rule change to clarify that the 505 should be sailed with only one spinnaker pole. As I can recall, this argument was based primarily upon three reasons: cost, complexity, boat handling. We argued that the allowance of double poles necessitates higher costs for class participants. Not only would one need to purchase a second pole, but a new mast fitting and hardware for the launcher lines. In terms of complexity we argued that double poles simply represented more to break and tangle. Further, that rigging the system introduced yet another complex step to fitting out a 505. Lastly, and I believe correctly, we argued that using a single pole is a skill. It takes practice to successfully gybe a single pole in 25kts of wind. Why would the people who have honed the needed skills want to level the playing field?

The catalyst for my conversion from non-believer to double pole advocate came that same February weekend. On the last day of the regatta, Russell Miller and I attempted to match Henry Amthor and Dustin Romey in a gybe. Using their double poles, Henry and Dustin gained at least five boat lengths through the maneuver and easily passed us; my eyes had been opened. In further discussions with users of the system and now in my own experience sailing Craig's boat, gybing with double poles is simply faster in all conditions.

With respect to the three notable objections voiced at the Midwinters, I offer the following rebuttal: the advantages of the system outweigh the objections entirely. I believe it was current Class President Drew Buttner that attempted to debunk the cost concerns. Drew constructed a good argument that I will attempt to relate. At the time, I simply was unwilling to accept any additional expense; I was blinded by the recent costs of refitting my aged Waterat. While it is true that changing an existing one pole boat to the new system involves additional cost, the additional cost to a new boat is minimal. I believe now that in either case it is money well spent. There are several options to examine when implementing the system. A major contributing factor to the cost of the system is the chosen mast fitting. Options range from the South African made Double Spinno, the Waterat made cheek block fitting, to whatever homemade solution you might come up with. I chose to go with the South African fitting made by Warwick Ham. The mast fitting and associated pole end fittings cost me a little under $350 dollars with shipping. For the sake of comparison, APS sells the Proctor pole launcher for a single pole for $369. I have already saved some money! Carbon Waterat poles are available for $185.

Obviously with this system you have to buy two poles, two launcher cleats, two launcher lines and more boom fittings. Say this additional hardware costs $400; that would be an increase of 1.6% over the cost of a $25,000 new boat. It is difficult to argue that an increase in the total cost of 1.6% is going to dissuade someone from buying the boat, particularly given the improvement in performance the upgrade provides. As far as complexity, yes the system is more complex than a single pole. Fortunately for us late comers, much of the pioneering development work has been done. There is plenty of rigging know-how on the system available on the internet. The segue from rigging complexity to sailing skill is natural as the system makes gybing the boat far less complex than with a single pole. I believe that the benefits of gybing with double poles outweigh all noted and potential drawbacks of the upgrade.

The boat is simply faster with double poles, it is more fun to sail, it is easier to sail, and it is safer to sail. Gybes in light and heavy air are faster meaning more time spent sailing full speed; this opens up additional tactical options. The boat spends less time out of racing trim and is therefore less likely to capsize in big breeze. This also makes it easier to gybe away from a dangerous crossing situation since the gybe is less likely to result in a capsize. The pole is easier to launch as it is not carrying the load of the guy until it is nearly fully extended. Lastly, the system makes it easier to sail competitively with less practice time. While this may render the art of a single pole gybe on the Berkeley Circle to the dustbin of history, it makes the boat easier to introduce to newcomers broadening the appeal of the class.

I would like to personally thank the pioneers for their trailblazing efforts. Double poles are a true improvement on an already great boat. Consider me a convert.

From the President

American Section,

2011 is here and I am looking forward to another great year for the American Section. There are many promising events scheduled this season highlighted by the North American Championship in fall on the waters of Long Island Sound. This event is not one to be missed. In addition, the East Coast Championship and the Pacific Coast Championship are scheduled to be held in two of the most renowned sailing venues in the country, Buzzards Bay and Monterey Bay respectfully.

I am excited about the different opportunities this season for all of our members. Whether you are looking for world class competition at our major championships, learning how to make the boat go fast at many scheduled training events, or enjoying the camaraderie of a group of individuals that share a passion for the water, 2011 has it all.

The past few years, the other dedicated officers and myself have been working to improve the transparency and value of our organization to all our members. We have tried to coordinate the scheduling of events, promote open and structured training sessions, improve our relationship with US Sailing, and formalize guidelines for USSF grants.

More work is to be done however and in 2011 my goals are to finish reshaping the American Section web site and to improve the value of our class to those that focus solely on local sailing.

Of course I also plan on spending as much time as I can on the water enjoying all that the 505 has to offer. I hope to see everyone at some point and wish all the best of luck and a lot of fun.

Enjoy 2011!!

Drew

Wrighteous - Carolina YC 505 Regatta

Regatta winners Ethan Bixby and Drew Buttner get some air.

Read the complete report here: Fleet 13 Regatta Report