VM-81 ur teknisk synvinkel

De flesta b�ttillverkarna var representerade under detta VM. Fr�n Europa: Parker, Rondar, Fountaine-Pajot, Galetti och tyska tr�b�tar. Tv� japanska bes�ttningar deltog. B�da hade japanska G&H Marine-b�tar. Fulla av kolfiber och mycket styva. Kolfibern hade japanerna f�tt av en kolfibertillverkare. Annars var japanernas b�tar fulla av sn�ren och mycket r�riga inuti. Peter Colclough's (VM 5:a) Parker-special hade tv�rbalk av tr� ist�llet f�r aluminium och centerbordsl�dan var l�gre i akterkant f�r att minska vikten och ge mer plats �t rorsman i slagen. Cololough anv�nde Proctor's nya Epsilon-profil, som �r styvare i sidled �n D-masten, och lika styv fram�t-bak�t. Epsilon och D v�ger ungef�r lika mycket. Samtliga australiensare seglade australiensiska Kyrwood. Mycket h�rda och l�tta skrov. En b�t v�gde 6 kg f�r lite innan VM. 

3 australiensare anv�nde hydraulik till vanten f�r att justera riggsp�nningen (bild). Tv� olika fabrikat anv�ndes. Mycket dyrt, ca 2 500 kr f�r komplett system. En hydraulcylinder reglerade varje vant. Varje "vantcylinder" var ansluten med en slang till var sin huvudcylinder. De tv� huvudcylindrarna satt parallellt under mastfoten (se bild) och reglerades med en tamp av rorsman. Amerikanarna seglade Lindsay, Hamlin eller Tuttle (Waterat) b�tar. Lindsay och Hamlin har lagt av att tillverka 505, d�rf�r att b�tarna har blivit s� dyra. Vanguard kanske skall k�pa Hamlin's formar och ta upp tillverkningen igen. Hamlinb�tarna �r helt av plast, mycket styva och p�minner om Kyrwood i sittbrunnen.

Larry Tuttle (VM 6:a) har jobbat hos Lindsay och hans Waterat �r mycket lik Lindsay. Mycket snyggt arbete. En speciell grej p� Tuttle-b�tarna var ett fr�st sp�r vertikalt i centerbordal�dan, som g�r att centerbordet kan hissas rakt upp f�r att minska ytan p� kryss i h�rdvind. Tuttle och Bixby anv�nde master gjorda enbart av epoxi-kolfiber. Mycket l�tta. En hel del amerikaner anv�nde justerbara spridare fr�n Buzz Ballenger i San Diego, Kalifornien. Spridarbeslaget g�r att spridarna kan justeras med vajrar som dras ner i masten. Beslaget �r 75 dollar dyrt. 

Segel: Bixby, som jobbar p� Hood's utvecklingsavdelning, k�rde naturligtvis med Hood och anv�nde en Kevlar-Mylarfock i ett par k�r. Kevlar-Mylarduk anv�nds normalt bara p� stora b�tar och kostar 4 g�nger s� mycket som konventionell duk. Benjamin provade massor med segel innan k�ren, Sobstad, �ven Mylar, men anv�nde aldrig Mylar under VM-seglingarna. Colclough anv�nde Musto, Mylarstor i n�got k�r. Amerikanarna anv�nde Hood, Pattison, Lindsay-spinnakrar, Horizon, Sobstad och North segel.

-Bo Ferm

SM NM EM VM Rapporter genom tiderna

1981 505 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SAN FRANCISCO
(Retyped from DINGHY AND BOARDSAILING, December 1981)

Ethan Bixby the 1981 505 World Champion used a carbon fibre mast which was very small in section. There were structural problems using a carbon fibre mast. On more than one evening he was seen refixing his hounds pin which had acted like a cheese cutter. Notice the extra sidewall packing to hold the mast stiff at deck level. The packing pieces are removed when using a metal mast.
Fore and aft bend is controlled by a strut pulled downwards by a rope purchase. The holes in the track allow the strut to be fixed in one place to produced pre-bent mast.

Ethan Bixby was crewed by ex Finn Gold Cup winner, Cam Lewis. Cam had this neat pole end fitting specially made for the championships and allows the spinnaker guy to release automatically as the spinnaker boom is lowered at the beginning of a gybe.

A number of American boats were using adjustable spreaders, which could be altered from inside the boat whilst under way. This system used a large spreader bracket and the inboard end was held by a wire led round a turning block, through the mast to an adjustment at the base of the mast.

Bixby's opposition came from the 1980 world champions Benjamin and Edmundson. Instead of swinging spreaders Benjamin prefers to move the shroud position at deck level and his shrouds are mounted on Harken travellers which slide fore and aft.
Benjamin's consistency was not good enough to win the title and he had to contend with second place 2 points behind Ethan Bixby. Third in the championship and winner of the first two races was the Danish pair of Schonherr and Kaempe. Their two firsts and a third in the first three races made them look hot favourites but a mediocre end to the week put paid to their title hopes.

The Australians Bruniges and Hale took fourth place. Their Australian Kyrwood, hull sported hydraulic shrouds which were very neat and easy to adjust. Bruniges was also one of the few boats to use a traveller and it is most noticeable how far outboard he sheets his jib.

The British National Champion Peter Colclough finished fifth overall and tried to restore some British pride by winning the last race. Fifteen British boats made the long journey and they found the competition exceptionally hot especially from the Americans.

Equipment Used

1. Bixby/Lewis, Lindsay, Carbon, Hood
2. Benjamin/Edmundson, Lindsay, Proctor 'D', Sobstad
3. Schonherr/Kaempe, Parker. Proctor 'D', No1/Speed
4. Bruniges/Hale, Kyrwood, (Australian), Horizon
5. Colclough/Barnes, Parker, Proctor Epsilon, Musto

• 505 Technology at around 1981

• From the Experts by Steve Benjamin 

• Interview of Steve Benjamin by Bill Masterman

• Steve Benjamin Video Interview at the Worlds in Cork 1982