Testing for 505 World Championship 2017

Top 505 competitors from Australia, Germany, Denmark, Canada, Ireland, and the USA tested the 2017 505 World Championship venue when they gathered September 16-18 for the 2016 505 East Coast Championship in Annapolis, Maryland.

Among the international field was 2-time World Champion Jan Saugmann (DEN) and 2016 Australian 505 Champion Michael Quirk who were joined from California by past World Champion and multi-time North American Champion Howard Hamlin sailing with World Champion Jeff Nelson and 2-time World Champions Mike Holt and Carl Smit.

505s were loaned for the event so the visiting sailors could race. With 34 teams racing and so many top international competitors having flown in, this was one of the most competitive 505 East Coast Championships ever.

The Chesapeake Bay delivered a challenging mix of light air, chop, and shifty and puffy conditions that mixed up the results of every race, and prevented organizers from running the full schedule of nine races. The breeze built for the 8th and last race, allowing crews to stretch their legs on the trapeze, and teams to “wire run” sailing hot angles downwind while planning fast.

Local knowledge may have been a factor – proving that racing at this venue in advance of the World Championship was an excellent idea – with several local sailors showing up at the top of the results.

Chris Behm (Hampton VA) drove for Regatta Co-Chairman Jesse Falsone (Annapolis, MD), and the team eked out a one point win over the 2015 World Championship team of Mike Holt (San Francisco, CA) and Carl Smit (Annapolis, MD). Jan Saugmann (Denmark) and Drew Buttner (Westwood, MA) were a few points back in 3rd. Howard Hamlin (Long Beach, CA) and Jeff Nelson (Newport Beach, CA) were 4th. Michael Quirk (Australia) and Curtis Hartmann (Kensington, MD) finished 5th. Several other Chesapeake Bay 505 sailors were in the next ten positions.

Event details – Scoreboard – Photos

 
Background: The 5O5 is a double-handed sailboat that incorporates a light weight, high performance hull design with a powerful sail plan and one trapeze. The boat is unique in that it has outstanding performance in all conditions. In light air it is quick and responsive, and in breeze it just goes faster. Planing begins in 9 knots of wind, and the 505 planes upwind and down in anything over 12 knots. 505s are raced in over 16 countries on five continents.

International 505 Class website: www.int505.org
US 505 Class website: http://www.usa505.org/
2017 505 World Championship website: http://505worlds2017.com/#welcome
2017 505 World Championship FB page: https://www.facebook.com/events/254370871584065/

Source: 505 Class