FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2004

Contact Sue Athmann at [email protected]

American Teams Take Top Four Positions At LightSurf 2004 505 World Championships

Santa Cruz Yacht Club (August 20, 2004) - With the title of World Champions in the hands of Morgan Larson/Trevor Baylis, who sat out the day, 98 teams left the Santa Cruz Harbor under uneven gray skies to determine who would receive the remaining trophies. One point separated the American teams of Mike Martin/Jeff Nelson and Howard Hamlin/Peter Alarie for second and third place.

Once again, the sailors waited in anticipation as the committee put up the "AP" flag signaling a postponement of the only race of the day. Just as the sequence started the rabbit was fouled, forcing a restart. The windward mark boat registered 8 knots as the gate opened a second time and in a slow low swell the fleet headed to the right or middle. Rounding the buoy, the greater part headed out left with only a couple dozen going inside. No clear advantage was seen.

At the leeward gate, somewhat wider than yesterday's impossibly narrow slot, most of the fleet rounded quietly towards the beach (right) but stayed near the middle, working their way up the weather leg now shortened by a quarter mile. The following reach/reach legs took the 505'ers out into the larger swells of the left hand side of the course, parading in a loose almost downwind run, jibing, then tightening to a hard reach heading to the gate.

The third beat was into chop and slightly higher pressure with the boats spreading out across the course. Final downwind run was a jibe-set for the majority, hanging out inside, dumping the chute and heading upwind on the last weather leg and to the finish. The first boat crossing the line was the French-German team of Phillippe Boite/Rainer Goerge, in second from Denmark, Per Larsen/Uffe Andersen. Representing Great Britain for third was Ian Pinnell/Steve Hunt followed by the Germans Christian Kellner/Martin Schoeler, 4th. The US team of Howard Hamlin/Peter Alarie finished 5th giving them the contested 2nd place in overall points.

The final standings are: first place from the United States, Morgan Larson/Trevor Baylis with 10 points, also from the U.S. and in second, Howard Hamlin/Peter Alarie with 31 points. Third place went to Mike Martin/Jeff Nelson (U.S.) with 35 points, and in 4th was Dan Thompson/Andy Zinn (U.S.) with 40 points.

For further information on the International 505 dinghy and class association, please see the International 505 web site at: https://www.int505.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2004

For further information contact Sue Athmann at [email protected]

Morgan Larson/Trevor Baylis Clinch LightSurf 2004 International 505 World Championship,
Carol/Carl Buchan Win The Day

Santa Cruz Yacht Club (August 19, 2004) - The parade of 102 505s out through Santa Cruz's narrow channel began at noon for races 5 and 6 of the LightSurf 2004 International 505 World Championships. The teams drifted through a few fingers of breeze on to the mirror that was the racecourse, to wait under postponement until the committee registered five knots at the windward mark boat. The breeze was lighter in the starting area, and the light breeze, together with an outgoing current, had more than one team scrambling to get back behind the pathfinder's course. There were numerous 720's being turned.

The first beat of race 5 was a solid line of sail as the fleet was indecisive about whether there was an advantage outside. More than halfway up only a few souls gambled to the right or left, but the majority stuck to climbing the ladder up the middle. Around the weather mark they sailed, hanging left following a light wind line downwind as the ceiling descended and darkened, effectively choking off the possibility of the breeze building. With the light wind at the leeward gate, the collapsing rainbow of cloth was only slightly more colorful than the language.

The leaders rounded the leeward gate marks and fought there way through wind shadows of the trailing boats coming down under spinnaker to the windward mark on the second beat of the windward/leeward-twice-around course. Two-thirds of the competing boats jibe-set upon rounding the windward mark tetrahedron for the second time.

Skipper Carol Buchan of the United States with husband crew Carl Buchan took first place. Carol is possibly the first female skipper ever to win a race in a 505 World Championships. She was followed by U.S. sailors Tyler Moore/Steven Sparkman. Morgan Larson and Trevor Baylis were 3rd, and the team of Jeff Miller and John Bell 4th. Mike Martin/Jeff Nelson were back in 19th, giving Larson/Baylis a significant advantage overall going into race 6.

Race 2 of the day (6th of the series) was a windward/leeward, triangle, windward/leeward course. The sequence started in 5 knots, and the fleet bunched up at the pin for the gate (gating early). During the rabbit's run there was huge port lift of nearly 30 degrees. The water upwind was choppy with occasional whitecaps and the briefest of sun breaks appeared as the leaders rounded and went to the left side of the course or down the middle. It was too light to wire-run effectively and those who went high on the first run lost ground to those who went low. The next beat saw the lead change hands as the wind went left.

The sailors came to the wing mark with a bit of a cross swell, on a very tight reach. The second reach was almost a run, as some teams gybed at the mark, while others continued on starboard.

At some stage on the last beat the wind clocked giving a major advantage to the left hand side. The subsequent rounding had half the fleet making huge gains and coming into the mark on port. The finish had Sandy Higgins /Paul Marsh of Australia 1st, Ian Pinnell/Steve Hunt of Great Britain 2nd, Americans Morgan Larson/Trevor Baylis 3rd, and the team of Carol and Carl Buchan, also Americans, 4th.

The standings as of the completion of race 6 are: 1st –Morgan Larson/Trevor Baylis (USA), clinching the world championship; 2nd– Mike Martin/Jeff Nelson (USA); 3rd– Howard Hamlin/Peter Alarie (USA), one point out of 2nd, and 4th– Dan Thompson/Andy Zinn (USA).

Complete daily results, photos and reports are available on this web site as well as the Santa Cruz Yacht Club site at www.scyc.org/505. Live video of each day's racing is also being webcast. See links on the above event web site.

For further information on the International 505 dinghy and class association, please see the International 505 web site at: https://www.int505.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2004

For further information contact Sue Athmann at [email protected]

Martin/Nelson Strike Back to Tie the Series

Santa Cruz Yacht Club - The competitors of the LightSurf 2004 International 505 World Championship left the beach today under a moderate marine layer. While they were ghosting over the oily swells to the mile buoy in Monterey Bay, the fog started to lift and a light northwesterly made its presence known. By the time the rabbit took off for the start of today's first race (race 3) 10 knots were being clocked at the weather mark with the promise of more.

After the recalled start attempts and gate start infringements/DSQs of two days ago, the fleet was cautious and well behaved for the start, with a large portion well below the rabbit. They then spread themselves evenly across the width of the course. Halfway up the fleet divided, with the majority heading right. The left sailed into the fog. At the mark whitecaps were developing and the fog was descending as the fleet rounded, with most but not all electing to jibe set.

On the second weather leg the fleet split again, but with a fog bank hanging out on the left hand side of the course, more were diving right into clear skies. The last beat had the masses going for the beach (right) in wind now at about 15 knots. Finishing downwind first was the team of Morgan Larson/Trevor Baylis (USA), followed by Mike Martin/Jeff Nelson (USA). Charles Walters and Dougal Cram of Great Britain were third, and the team of Ian Pinnell/Steve Hunt also of Great Britain was fourth.

The results of today's second race (number 4 of the series) are pending a protest decision. The 102 teams gated in 15 knots and selected right, or up the middle, towards building pressure at the weather mark. Martin/Nelson rounded near the front, with Larson/Baylis about 12th. Everyone set chutes for the first run, with places changing all the way to the leeward gate. The pressure was lighter at the leeward mark, and there were significant holes on the way up the next beat—though in typical Santa Cruz form the breeze was stronger at the weather mark. The first reach looked windy and tight, tempting many teams to two-sail high first, but the pressure had eased as the first half of the fleet gybed around the mark, with those teams that had gone too high wishing they had hoisted earlier. Some teams were airborne off waves on the first reach, while others swam. Teams doused either just before the mark, or soon after, as the second reach was initially too tight to carry, though part way down the reach the breeze had lightened enough that most re-hoisted spinnakers.

The third beat also had some big holes in it, though once again the breeze generally built on the way to the weather mark. One final run, and a beat to the finish (course 2), and when the dust had settled it was Mike Martin/Jeff Nelson 1st, Dan Thompson/Andy Zinn 2nd, and Morgan Larson/Trevor Baylis up to 3rd, with local team Mike Holt/Carl Smit 4th.

This leaves the series tied between Larson/Baylis and Martin/Nelson. They have identical 1,1,2,3 scores. Howard Hamlin/Peter Alarie are 3rd overall with Thompson/Zinn 4th overall.

Complete daily results, photos and reports will be available on this web site. Live video of each day's racing is also being webcast.

For further information on the International 505 dinghy and class association, please see the International 505 web site at: https://www.int505.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 17, 2004

For further information contact Sue Athmann at [email protected]

Lay Day

Santa Cruz Yacht Club - Today at the LightSurf 2004 International 505 World Championships the sailors have a day off. Although it's a lay day, the boat park is still alive with activities—teams are hastily finishing repairs that occurred during the opening day blow; others are busy with minor tweaking; and numerous discussions are taking place about yesterday's decision regarding the tagging of the gate boat at the start of the race by a couple of boats.

With the abandonment of yesterday's race due to extremely light easterly winds, it leaves the series two races short, thus reducing the given two throw outs to one. During the crunch at the one true start attempt, two contenders for the championship were forced into the "rabbit." International 505 class rules, as clarified at the skippers meeting, say that the "mounting" of the rabbit or the gate boat at anytime during the start is an instant disqualification. Redress can be requested, but the Jury must be shown conclusively that the incident was truly beyond the sailor's control.

In light winds it is the general rule that you go to left here at Santa Cruz. A third or more of the fleet thus bunched up near the committee boat for an early gate and, with the reduced maneuverability, boats were over early or unable to dodge the boat as the start began. The end result is that two boats will not be allowed to start the first of tomorrow's two races.

With the idea of bringing the Championships to the 505-world audience, the committee has provided real-time, live streaming video online. This off-the-shelf technology is being provided by Jack McDonald and Stagecoach Wireless's Beat Neaf. It is available during racing slated to start daily at 12:45 p.m. PST. Please check the Streaming Video link to view the action live this coming Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

While watching the racing, look for the youth infusion in to the 505 class. The youngest this year is 15 with more than one team having skipper and crew younger than the legal drinking age in most states. Find the boat named "The Carter Administration" and boat 7095. These teams are being encouraged and guided by veterans in the park. 6230 is the oldest boat in the fleet at this world championships. The European Union united under sail number 8802 with Philippe Boite (France) and Rainer Goerge (Germany). Also from Germany is the all-women team of Melanie Oestergaard (skipper) and Angela Stenger (crew) in 8751, a green hull named "Le Vengeur Emeraude" (Green Avenger). There are women skippering in 7094 (Jennifer Lawson, USA), 8081 (Carisa Harris, USA), 8696 (Debbie Ashby, Canada), 8792 (Carol Buchan, USA), and 8821(Katherine Long, USA). The fleet contains Olympic Medallists, America's Cup veterans as well as many national and world champions from other classes.

If you happened to have been watching on Monday, you might have seen hull 8554 take off from the top of a wave to land on 8722 in the trough during a jibe. A German team ended that day with an interesting dog-leg to the right in their mast. At least one capsize is contributed to pintle or gudgeon failure, and multiple crews went swimming in the blast at the weather mark or in the holes mid-course. Who knows what the rest of the week will bring forward.

Check back again for complete daily results, undated photos and reports.
For further information on the International 505 dinghy and class association, please see the International 505 web site at: https://www.int505.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2004

For further information contact Sue Athmann at [email protected]

Day Two

Santa Cruz Yacht Club - Today was day two of the LightSurf 2004 International 505 World Championships. With hope of typical Santa Cruz conditions - waves and wind - the fleet of 102 boats launched. The group milled around the starting area waiting for the pressure to build.

After a short delay the gun went off and the fleet jockeyed for position to the gate fairly early. As the wind died back a number of boats headed over the line early, resulting in a general recall. There was another short delay, and the course was reset for the ultra light easterly that showed up to torture the sailors. Eventually, racing for the day was abandoned at 3:00 p.m.

Today's race attempt will not be made up tomorrow, which is a lay day, but it's possible that the races could be held Friday, which only has one race scheduled. The results remain unchanged as of yesterday, with the Americans holding the top seven positions:

1. Morgan Larson / Trevor Baylis

2. Mike Martin / Jeff Nelson

3. Howard Hamlin / Peter Alarie

4. Mike Holt / Carl Smit

5. Dan Thompson / Andy Zinn

6. Andy Beeckman / Ben Glass

7. Bruce Edwards / Dave Shelton

For further information on the International 505 dinghy and class association, please see the International 505 web site at: https://www.int505.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2004

For further information contact Sue Athmann at [email protected]

Day One

Santa Cruz Yacht Club - The LightSurf 2004 International 505 World Championship got the gun today with the running of the first two races of the nine-race series. A total of 102 boats took to the water in brilliant California weather. Challenging wind and water conditions faced the sailors from seven countries, but only five teams had to retire due to damage.

Local Santa Cruz sailor, Morgan Larson, with crew, Trevor Baylis, crossed the line first in Race 1 followed by Howard Hamlin and Peter Alarie. Mike Martin with crew, Jeff Nelson, finished 3rd with Mike Holt and Carl Smit in 4th.

Race 2 saw Martin/Nelson lead across the line with Larson/Baylis second, Andy Beeckman, crew Ben Glass third and Hamlin/Alarie right behind.

The usual morning fog wasn't in residence, so the worry was that an easterly flow would develop. Instead, the deepening thermal trough over the interior of California allowed the northwest winds to reach over 20 knots at the weather mark by the start of Race 1. More than one team succumbed to the unpredictable holes at mid-course, resulting in multiple capsizes. Most sailors welcomed the lighter breeze and smoother water to leeward.

Racing resumes Monday at 1300, with two races scheduled.

Complete daily results, photos and reports will be available on this web site.

For further information on the International 505 dinghy and class association, please see the International 505 web site at: https://www.int505.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2004

NAs concluded

The North Americans are now in the history books. Here are some of the facts:

Three of the six containers arrived on time. One Australian container arrived at 10:15 p.m. Tuesday night just seconds before the unloading crane was planning to leave. There was a lot of successful, last minute pleading to get the big box placed on the ground. The last two British containers arrived Wednesday afternoon, and the 505s were unloaded even before the crane arrived to get the containers off the trailers. The boats were able to get a little sailing in Wednesday before making the final races on Thursday.

The weather on Tuesday, the first day of racing, was very typical for Santa Cruz. Westerly winds of 18 to 25 knots pushed the boats around the course at pretty good speeds. Three teams showed the rest of the boats the way, with Larson/Baylis (3,1), Holt/Smit (2,2) and Martin/Nelson (1,3) ending the day tied at the top of the standings. The real results were one broken mast, two broken rudders and one broken nose.

Wednesday was a different story. High temperatures inland drew the fog in deep, drastically dropping wind speeds. The race committee gave the competitors three windward leeward courses. Larson/Baylis continued their winning ways with a 1,1,3.

Thursday saw the fleet get shuffled. More high temperatures inland sent the wind more to the south and delayed the start by 30 minutes. Pace setters Edwards and Shelton got stuck heading to the right side of the course in the first race, giving them little chance to go to the favored left side. The team of Hamlin/Alarie won the first race of the day followed by the German team of Findel and Tellen. The final race saw more wind shift to the south, with Chappell and Gill wining the light wind test.

The final standing posted Larson/Baylis on top with 12 points, Martin/Nelson second with 23, and Hamlin/Alarie third with 25. Carisa Harris was the top female sailor skippering her boat to 13th overall.

Stay tuned for the Worlds!

Bob Simpkins
Organizing Chairman