505 Worlds in Fremantle, Australia 2002 - Part One

Class president Ali Meller looks back at the 2002 Grolsch International 505 World Championship
Part Two of this video can be viewed from here
   • 505 Worlds in Fremantle, Australia 2002 - ...  

The 505 class chose to go to Fremantle, Western Australia for the 2002 World Championship expecting the Fremantle Doctor to deliver a windy series. While the Fremantle Doctor was a no-show except for the first race of each of the pre-worlds and worlds series, conditions were still very good with all worlds races but one in trapezing conditions, and most in planing upwind and wire-running downwind conditions. Wind ranged from fairly steady westerlies, to very shifty and puff easterlies. The shallow water over much of the racing area meant that the fleet dealt with a short steep chop rather than long ocean swells. The sailing area and the adjacent beaches were gorgeous. This was the first 505 world championship held with the new long luff spinnaker which is hoisted higher on the mast. The result of the change to the long luff spinnaker and a 505 worlds course that emphasizes downwind legs more, is that 505 racing has become more skiff-like, with teams going down the runs at hot angles with the crew on the wire and the pole on the forestay, searching for puffs, and gybing on the shifts. However knowing when to wire run and when to sail low or even dead downwind was key in conditions that frequently crossed the windspeed-and-wave boundary that favoured one over the other. The Australian Nationals/pre-worlds and World Championship fleets were impressive in numbers and in depth, with 102 teams being scored in the Australian Nationals/pre-worlds and 98 scored in the World Championship. Apart from a number of top 505 sailors who -- choosing to not sail other classes -- are virtually unknown outside of 505s, there were a number of well-known top competitors including:

•Two time 505 world champion Chris Nicholson, racing 505s again with his brother Darren. Chris has also had a rather good run in some skiff classes including winning something like 3 49er world championships and two 18 footer Grand Prix championships.

•Past 505 World Champion (he also won a silver medal in the 49ers in Sydney) Ian Barker, racing with Danny Cripps.

•Five time 505 world champion Krister Bergstrom with long time crew Thomas Moss.

•Multi-class world champion (but not 505s as yet) and multi-time 505 UK National Champion Ian Pinnell, racing again with Steve Hunt.

•Simon Payne racing with 1995 505 World Champion Bill "Billy Boy" Masterman.

•Past 505 World Champions Howard Hamlin/Mike Martin, who are also two of the three man team that won the Australian 18 footer Worlds -- the JJ Giltinan.

•Other strong "Team Tuesday" teams who practice every Tuesday afternoon with Hamlin/Martin are here too; Andy Beekman/Ben Benjamin (2nd at the 1999 Worlds) and Danny Thompson/Andy Zinn.