505 (dinghy)
Class symbol
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| Crew | 2 (single trapeze) |
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| Draft | 1.45 m (4 ft 9 in) |
| Hull weight | 127.4 kg (281 lb) |
| LOA | 5.05 m (16.6 ft) |
| Beam | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) |
| Spinnaker area | 27 m2 (290 sq ft) |
| Upwind Sail Area | 16.26 m2 (175.0 sq ft) |
| D-PN | 79.8 |
| RYA PN | 902 |
| PHRF | 149.4 |
The International 505 is a one-design high-performance two-person monohull planing centreboard dinghy, with spinnaker, using a trapeze for the crew. While it is a high-performance boat and demanding in a blow, the 505 is an extraordinarily well-handling craft and is easier to control than many smaller trapeze boats.
The genesis of the class was in 1953 with the creation of the 18-foot 'Coronet' dinghy designed by John Westell. This sailboat competed in the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU) selection trials at La Baule, France, in 1953 for a new two-person performance dinghy for the Olympics. Although the Coronet lost Olympic selection to the Flying Dutchman (even though its performance was notably superior), in 1954 the Caneton Association of France asked Westell to modify his Coronet design to create for them a 5-meter performance dinghy that would be suitable to their needs. Westell settled on a measured length 5.05 m to allow for boat-building tolerances of the day, and the resulting craft become known as the 505. The class achieved international status with the IYRU in 1955.
The 505 is a very popular international class and is raced actively in 18 countries around the world, with the largest numbers in Germany, the US, UK and Australia. World championships are held every year at locations around the world, alternating between Europe, North America and Southern Hemisphere countries, and consistently attract over 100 boats to the start line. At the 2005 World Championships held in Warnemünde, Germany there were 171 boats. The 505 may also be sailed in a mixed fleet using the Portsmouth Yardstick handicap scheme. Its Portsmouth number (administered in the UK) is 902 and its D-PN (administered in the USA) is 79.8 .
There are not many fleets in the conventional sense of boats parked side-by-side at a club and regular attendance at series-type 'club racing' is not typical for this class. The ease of trailering and storage of the boat coupled with its complexity, which makes it both engaging to tinker with and somewhat risky to leave untended in a parking lot, has led to many owners keeping their boats at home. Fleets are essentially collectives of sailors that keep in touch and train together at a convenient facility for the regional 505 event calendar, which may include perennial fixtures as well as regional, national or world championship regattas. Europe in particular has a well-attended calendar of events that attracts sailors from all over the continent because of the ease of travel and excellent venues (Hyeres, Lake Garda, Kiel, etc.).
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Wikipedia