The Mediterrean Shipping Company 2000 International 505 World Championship

Twelve North American teams -- ten from the USA -- shipped their 505s to far away Durban, Republic of South Africa, for the 2000 Mediterranean Shipping Company International 505 World Championship. The event was held at the Point Yacht Club in Durban, and sailed off of the PYC beach site, in the Indian Ocean, November 12th through the 24th.

The 505 class and event organizers had invited the Flying Dutchman class to have their worlds there at the same time, the first time the 505s have "shared" a world championship. The 21 Flying Dutchman and 61 505s from 11 countries, raced at the same time, on separate courses. Both classes planned a three-day pre-world championship, followed by a seven race, eight-day world championship, with a make up day in case it was not possible to race on a scheduled race day.

A Day of Sailing No-one Will Forget

As competitors arrived on the 9th- 11th, they found a warm, sunny climate with a fabulous beach and great waves and ocean swells for practicing, or just swimming and body surfing; "another shit day in Africa", as the locals like to say. The view of the ocean from the Point Yacht Club beach site was mesmerizing; we got to see quite a bit of the Indian Ocean, both in nice sunny easy moments, and in moments when the power of the sea was incredible. Swimming and body surfing was great when it was not too windy. I wore a wetsuit the first day we sailed for practice, and never put it on again. Even the windiest, wildest days were so warm I was sailing in a Lycra suit and hiking pants.

On the morning of the 12th conditions were similar as the two fleets launched and sailed out to their courses for pre-worlds race one. The wind died, forcing a postponement, and then quickly filled in. Race one started in about 20 knots; the breeze continued to build and built steadily throughout the race. By the time the middle of the fleet completed the ten mile "old Olympic" course it was blowing over 35 knots. Only two FDs and 20 505s finished the race, as most chose to retire and head for the beach rather than risk damaging equipment before the world championship. Regardless of whether your retired or not, the 505 course was well to the North and offshore, leaving 505 sailors with a five mile beat back to the launching beach in wind that reached a steady 42 knots with puffs to 50, and incredible Indian Ocean swells and waves. Most teams were able to get back to shore. However, a number had to be rescued, a number multiple of masts were broken, and three boats had to be abandoned completely. . If someone had asked me beforehand if it was were possible to sail 505 in 42-50 knots, I would have said 'no', but the majority of the fleet proved it was doable possible.

Bruce Edwards and Dave Shelton of California won the race, with several other California US teams doing very well.

The next two days of pre-worlds racing didn't happen as with offshore winds of over 35 knots and very large seas, the RC cancelled racing. This was a very useful break for those who needed to repair boats or and sails, or rig new spars.

The Main Event

Race one of the worlds had wonderful conditions -- 10-20 knots and waves and swells -- and was won by defending 505 world champion Howard Hamlin of California, sailing with Peter Alarie of Rhode Island. They won the race on the last tack to the finish. They had a nice lead early in the race but four four-time International 505 world champion Krister Bergstrom, sailing with Thomas Moss, both of Sweden, ground them down on the later beats, and then passed them on the last beat. After several tacking duels, Bergstrom/Moss still led narrowly, but in the last series of tacks Hamlin/Alarie regained the lead and shot for the line, winning by a boatlength

The strong offshore winds returned the next morning, and the competitors spent the next four days ashore waiting for reasonable sailing conditions. The RC would check on conditions and would report winds in excess of 30 or 40 knots, with breaking seas. The wind was offshore, so anyone with a breakdown would be drifting out to sea. Competitors would show up at the club in the morning, check the weather, look at the waves, check the forecast on the web -- how can we have so many lows lined up like this -- shake their heads, and then wait for the RC to abandon for the day.

Eventually the wind abated and we sailed two races in light to medium conditions and large swells and waves. Mike Martin, the 1999 505 World Champion crew, and Steve Bourdow, past FD World Champion crew, all american, FD medalist, etc., both from California won both, to take the overall lead from Hamlin/Alarie, with Bergstrom/ Moss in third. All three teams were within one point, with 49er silver medalist Ian Barker, sailing with long time 505 crew Daniel Cripps, not far behind them in fourth.

The next day was windier, in the 16-24 knot range again with great waves and swells, and Krister Bergstrom/Thomas Moss demonstrated clearly superior upwind speed to control both races from the start, around the course to the finish line. Martin/Bourdow went 4,3, Hamlin/Martin were 5,4, Barker/Cripps 2,6, while Ian Pinnell/Nick Powell had the second best day with a 3,2. This put Bergstrom/Moss in the lead, though with one race to go Mike Martin/Steve Bourdow could still catch them.

The expected final race showdown never happened, as conditions were once again too extreme to launch and sail, and racing was cancelled, leaving us with a five race series. This gave the 2000 International 505 World Championship title to Krister Bergstrom and Thomas Moss. With finishes of 2, 4, 2, 1, 1, they threw out a 4th! This is the fifth 505 World Championship for Bergstrom, he also won in 1987, '88, '89 (three in a row) and again in 1991. He is the only five time International 505 World Champion. Martin/Bourdow were 2nd, Hamlin/Alarie 3rd, Brits Barker/Cripps 4th and Pinnell/Powell 5th, Andy Beeckman/Ben Benjamin of California 6th, Edwards/Shelton of Santa Cruz 7th, another British team, Payne/Masterman 8th, a Danish team, Saugmann/Ramsbaek 9th and another British team Holt/Godfrey 10th.

Bergstrom and Moss have been racing together for six years and have narrowly missed out on several world championships in that time, finishing second by about a point in 1995, and leading going into the last race in '96. For much of that time they were working hard at development and tuning and it finally paid off for them. They were using a home made centerboard with a much lower area and smaller chord than anyone else. Perhaps the most amazing aspect is that Bergstrom and Moss have been doing this by themselves; they have no local tuning partners, but can only test speed when someone travels so that two boats sail together. In contrast, the second, third, sixth and thirteenth place finishers were all members of "Team Tuesday" the Long Beach California group that train together every Tuesday evening.

- Ali Meller