Hi Everyone,

I have read the varying comments with deep interest over the last couple of weeks and have agreed with almost everyhting that everyone has said on the topic from both sides of the discussion. There have been some very sound and astute comments and a couple of you have made some very logical reasons why we should consider change, with the future sailors in mind.

I won't detail specifically whose comments I appreciated, you've all read them and each of you would react and respond to each in a different way.

After absorbing all this healthy discussion (and it is healthy discussion � it shows collectively we are a concerned, thinking group) I was about to sum up with my thoughts and when I "logged on" I noticed that dear old Ali (bless his heart ) had pretty much taken my thoughts completely and expressed in probably better words than I could muster, how I feel on the topic.

To put it as clearly and as bluntly as I can, let me say that while I am President, the class will not be under going any radical change of design rules that is going to obsolete the majority of the fleet around the world. We should stop allowing ourselves to be intimidated by the plethora of "radicals" that are out there all competing for same "niche" market. I beleive "they" have a long way to go to catch up with the proven track record of our class.

Several comments have been made with reference to the I14. And I think it was a current I14 sailor that stated that the new I14 came at the cost of obsoleting all the previous designs. And you know, this might sound a stupid remark, but I like the way a 505 looks. It's a delight to see it rigged in the boat park. It's downright sexy to see it turned on its side or upside down when you are polishing it.

I've been "drooling" over the look of a 505 hull for over 35 years and the excitement has still not diminished. ( I can't say the same about my wife! {Shit!- I might live to regret that remark!!}) And I still feel proud to own such a good looking vessel. (Could you really imagine owning an I14? They would have to be one of the ugliest bloody boats I've ever seen.) However, to each his own, and I'm not about "knocking" other classes.

We need to remember the light in which the class is held by many of the top yachtsman in the world at any time in the last 35 years. In any given era in that past time frame and up to today, take a look at the most prominent names in sailing and be amazed at how many of them have come through the 505 class and believe the high regard in which they hold this class as the premier racing dinghy.

I'm not even going to attempt to list them, they are too many - but I assure you they are there and almost without exception they freely confess to regretting having left the class and openly agree that we enjoy the best truly international competition.

Whilst we must not be "ostriches" and become stagnant and let a changing world pass us by, we must also be equally careful not to "throw out the baby with the bath water". The 505 was conceived as a development class and the "development" aspect has allowed the class to evolve into the pretty sophisticated boat that it now is. Just ask Marcel Buffet if the boat he sails today isn't a good bit different to the one he sailed in the 1950's.!!!

For those of you who didn't attend the Worlds in Denmark and have not seen the minutes of the A.G.M. Be informed that the class is looking to change our spinaker size in an attempt to make or downwind legs faster and more tactical. Basically the concept is to make the present 5 metre luff length a 6 meter luff length. To raise the spinnaker halyard 500mm and lower the pole fitting approx.500mm to acommodate the increase size. This would need to be done in conjunction with a revision of courses to provide for the larger spinnaker. Demonstrations and a report will be made at the Hyannis Worlds.

If this change does prove to be worthwhile and accepted, there will be no obsolesence of boats. Changing a couple of fittings on the mast is no big deal and we all buy a new spinnaker, if not every year, certainly every second year anyway. So the cost of making the change is negligible.

So be assured that the International Executive is not about to bring about any change which will obsolete your boat and we are not a bunch of purist "old boys" who want consider change. I liked very much the comment of "Simonlsmith - 2/3/98" . Recognising the needs of tomorrow's sailor is something we need to acknowlegde.

Paul Elvstrom has lectured me at length on this topic. Depite his 70 years, Paul is still a very keen mind and progressive thinker. He and I have discussed a scenario which I think would see the class grow for another 50 years. But I'm not prepared to disclose those thoughts on this medium without first discussing it with the rest of the International Executive.

One final comment on the topic. At the end of the day, it is all about COMPETITIVE RACING. Good competitive racing is what sailors crave. That is why the Laser in still so popular, and the Snipe and many other "old" classes. I really don't believe, as a class, we have a boat problem. I believe we have a promotion problem. You don't get long term sailors from color brochures and fancy Ads. You get them by taking for a ride and blowing their minds. Holger Jess has grown the German fleet by getting kids, at the right time of their career, into a 505 for a sail and getting them hooked. We must all focus at local club level, of targeting the juniors and intermediate sailors and giving them a demo ride.

Long emails are a pain! This is enough!!

Good Sailing,

Pip Pearson
International President

P.S. When I first saw all this discussion on the net again about rule changes etc. I said to myself: -"Hello it must be winter time again in the Northern hemisphere. It's too cold to sail and the boys are as frustrated as all hell and want to change the world via the Internet."