FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 13, 2000

Pre-worlds Carnage at 505 Worlds

First day report from Durban.... opinions and observations from TEAM SPOT, USA 8643

Monday Nov 13, 2000 1645 hrs local time durban, south africa.

things started off 12 -15 kts dropped to near zero and then piped up again to 18-20 for the start of practice race #1. We were a bit slow out of the box - but gradualy our upwind speed improved. We gradually ground back from a mid-fleet first wx leg to 6th or 7th - too much spray to tell. Raked to about 25-3 and dropped to 25-0 by the finish with a ram setting of 5 then 6 on the Howie scale. We eased vang a bit to twist off and depower towards the end of the race. I thought we were maintaining or closing on the group of leaders. Dave and Bruce won after Martin crashed, exchanging a large initial lead for a boat full of water. Reports of Martin's transom 4 ft out of the water with day light under the rudder adn the bow buried in a knarly wave...the waves were pretty big - big enough to hide a 505 in - we did it twice - 12 in of water over the foredeck and tanks - but team spot didn't swim at all. Yousah.

The flatening reef (we just installed one on 8643) is like cheating - its almost impossible to capsize the boat with the boom that hi. we were so far gone over 5 times I had dropped the main sheet and tiller and was headed for the board - aad then the boat righted itself and I grabbed the stick and we kept going.

Wind built to well over 30 kts for the sail home - raked as far as it would go, leads way aft, board half way up - still had to blow the jib to keep from getting knocked over. We sailed with the 3dL main ragged most of the time. It seemed to hold up fine - but we put on around 100,000 miles in one afternoon sail.

At the end of the day the carnage was enormous: broken masts, ripped sails, John Fry got a huge cut on his forehead which may need stitches. Ian Pinnell I think broke a mast. John Wyles broke a boom. Martin and Beckman shreded both sails. Sean Gregory's tiller broke on the run. Dave and Bruce ripped their main right after finishing. Ali Meller has a hole in his boat big enough to put a toaster oven thru it. Latest report is that he has no idea how it happened. Our compass snapped after falling off a wave and ended up rolling around in the bilge. Pip Pearson was held up at knifepoint - lost everything but his virginity. Better luck next time. We sailed over some large marine animal on the last wwd leg - around 4 ft long, grey, it kicked the board up half and dumped Jesse in the drink. Its good to be the driver...

Its so windy right now the trailer I'm sitting is shaking.... great fun in the sun.

Barney Harris, USA 8643 TEAM SPOT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 2000

505 Pre-World Championship Report

505 and FD Fleets Survive Extreme Indian Ocean Conditions

Durban South Africa. - There is no racing today, day two of the pre-worlds, due to winds of 35-45 knots.

Yesterday, the first day of pre-worlds racing, was an incredible day... the race started in about 18-20 knots, and it just built from there, reaching well over 35 before the finish. Both the closer FD course and the further 505 course were well downwind of the launching area, so competitors faced a long sail upwind in the extreme wind and sea conditions after racing. A number of teams retired during the race and sailed in. Only two of the 21 Flying Dutchman that started the race, finished, while only about 18 of the 58 505 starters finished.

Whether they finished the race or not, most competitors had a long sail back to the launching beach, while the wind increased to over 40 knots; the RC reported steady 42 and puffs to 50.

A majority of teams were able to get back to the launching beach on their own; a credit to the seamanship of the competitors. There are many new stories to tell of incredible puffs, huge waves, boats getting airborne off wave tops and more.

Two competitors who returned early were watching the rest of the fleet struggle in and reported that defending World Champion driver Howie Hamlin, racing at this Worlds with Peter Alarie, launched off a wave while beating upwind. The wind caught the bow and lifted it such that the hull got to near vertical. Howie and Peter fell off the back and the boat capsized. An English team returned to the beach with jib torn leech to luff, and the mainsail held together by only the leech line. With no jib drawing and rather less than 1/3 of the main drawing, the crew was flat out on the wire, the skiper was fully hiked, and the boat was planing -- smoking -- upwind.

An FD and a damaged 505 that was taking on water were forced to sail over the Durban shark nets and head for the swimming beaches and the breaking surf.
The FD suffered slight mast damage, the 505 was OK. Both boats were trailered to the club.

Others were not as lucky. Up to 17 masts were broken between the 505 and FD fleets and two boats were abandoned and had to be left to drift.

After several hours of rescue work, all competitors were accounted for. One needed stiches to close a gash near his eye, and everyone has their share of bruises, but there were no serious injuries.

The wind is still blowing very hard today, similar to the extremes of yesterday, so there is no racing. In the dinghy park new masts are being rigged, boats are being repaired, and competitors are preparing to race tomorrow, if conditions allow.

Ali Meller, VP International 505 Class Yacht Racing Association

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 16, 2000

505 Pre-World Championship Final Report

High Winds Prevent Racing for the Third (Final) Day

Racing was abandoned for the third and final scheduled day of 505 and Flying Dutchman pre-worlds racing. Both fleets launched and sailed to their courses in 8-12 knot conditions, but the breeze built quickly to 25 knots and the RC,
mindful of the forecast for even stronger winds, sent both fleets back to shore prior to starting a sequence.

The beat back to the launching beach was spectacular, with most 505s informally racing back. With masts raked most of the way back, and the boats depowered for the conditions, the 505s were trying to fly as they flew over the Indian Ocean waves - we had the entire centerboard out of the water on one wave.

All teams returned to shore without incident, and competitors watched from the beach and the bar as the breeze built during the afternoon, probably reaching something well over 30 knots. It was quite a view with whitecaps everywhere and this from an upwind perspective; it would have been quite something on the water.

Yesterday evening the opening ceremonies for the 505 and FD World Championships were held, with assistance from a South African Navy band, a choir and a group of Zulu dancers. The US West Coast team of Bruce Edwards/Dave Shelton were presented with the pre-worlds trophy based on their win in the one race held.

There is no racing scheduled for today; those 505s and FDs that had not yet completed event measurement and registration are doing so. Competitors are making final preparations for the World Championship. Race 1 is at 11:50 local time, tommorrow, the 17th of November.

Ali Meller, VP International 505 Class Yacht Racing Association

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 21, 2000

International 505 World Championship Racing Cancelled for Day 5

Incredible as it seems, racing could not take place today, due to the wind and see conditions. This is the fourth day in a row we could not race, and leaves both the 505s and the FDs with only one race completed for their world championships. If we include the pre-worlds, we've only been able to race two days out of the eight scheduled days of racing, so far.

We can expect to double up races Wednesday and Thursday -- assuming we can race -- in order to get a good series in.

Ali Meller, VP International 505 Class Yacht Racing Association