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.