vähän laskutavasta riippuen five täyttää jonakin näistä lähivuosista 50 vuotta! Germaanit katsovat ensi vuoden MM-kisojen olevan 50-vuotisskabat.
Tässä Ali Mellerin katsaus luokan syntyyn:
Dear all:
It occurs to me that the 505 is 50 years old in 2004.
The following is from the last printed 505 class rules booklet:
The development of the Class began at the IYRU trials in 1953, held at La Baule to find the ”best possible two-man centerboarder”, an 18 footer ”Coronet” showed clearly superior to all her competitors.
That winter the Caneton Association, the most important small boat racing body in France, asked the designer of ”Coronet”, John Westall, if he could modify her to suit their needs. Reducing the overall length, lightening the hull and modifying it considerably, together with cutting the sail area to 14 sq. mtrs., produced a new design which retained the good features of the larger craft. By a remarkable far-sighted decision members of the Caneton Association, at their A.G.M. in Paris in January 1954, voted unanimously to adopt the new class. The Five-O-Five was born!
With strong organization already existing in France, the 505 started life on an International basis. The Class expanded rapidly and in November 1955 the IYRU accorded it official International status. Fleets developed in many parts of the world, most of these are still very active today, 18 Countries have active fleets.
Although any material and type of construction may be used, current boats are now using carbon fibre and epoxy resins. The hull shape is strictly controlled, with minimum weights both for the bare hull and the complete boat in sailing trim.
A great deal more information on the early years of the 505 and 505 class is available on the amazing ”Cinquo Retro Class” web site at:
http://asso.ffv.fr/cinquo/cinquoretro/sommaire.html
There are links to a number of articles about the history of the 505 at:
http://www.int505.org/histmain.htm
Thanks to Jean-Baptiste Dupont and the French 505 Class Association, I had the privilege of racing 505 number 38, with current 505 Class President Tom Bojland, at a Cinquo Retro Class event at the Cercle de la Voile de Paris in September of 2002. 505 number 38 was built in 1954, 50 years ago.
Happy Birthday to the 505, still the best two person high performance dinghy at fifty years of age!
Alexander ”Ali” Meller
505s 7200, 8776, 7080
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