How the 505 Class Handles Change |
| 18 November, 2002
Many people following recent discussions on the 505world and 505usa lists about reducing the all up weight, allowing carbon fibre spars (again, they were legal until 1983) and introducing some sort of weight equalization system may wonder what the 505 class is up to, and may consider that the 505 class is a moving target. To put things in perspective, the 505 has never has been as one design as say a Laser. It has always allowed sails, spars and hulls from different manufacturers. Over the years there has been development in the class (you may notice that 505 8805 (built 2002) is built of different materials than 505 8 (built 1954), has different fittings, different sails, different spars, different foils, different control systems, etc. But what you might also notice is that the boats have a great deal in common. I raced 505 number 38 against a mixed fleet of very early and current, nearly new, 505s just a couple of months ago. 38 was not obviously slower than the new boats (I'm sure lined up evenly, without windshifts, the new boats would have had an advantage, but my point is that all the changes since 1954 have not made the boats THAT MUCH FASTER. Despite all this talk of change, the 505 has developed slowly to take advantage of newer and better materials and technologies. To my knowledge none of these technologies ever -- on their own -- won a world championship. None of the developments the 505 class has seen in nearly 50 years have made boats obsolete overnight. Last year's adoption of a higher spinnaker halyard hoist and an one meter longer luff spinnaker is most probably the most significant change ever made to the 505 class rules. 505 racers had been talking about that idea for at least ten years if not rather longer. So despite all the talk, the 505 class does not really change all that quickly, and boats continue to remain competitive for a very long time. That's actually one of the best changes we've seen in the class, boats have longer and longer competitive lifespans as the materials have gotten better. So if you are reading the e-mails, and wondering what the 505 class is up to, we are discussing and debating -- as we frequently do -- but I rather doubt we are going to turn the 505 into a full on development class, and obsolete a number of boats overnight. So don't worry about it. Measurement Rule changes are submitted by the International Rules Committee, the International Executive Committee or by National 505 Associations to the membership at Annual Meetings (all 505 class rules -- including the Constitution and Measurement Rules -- are on the web at https://www.int505.org/contents.htm). The membership present discusses them and votes on them, if they pass the vote at the Annual Meeting, they go to a postal ballot of all boat owning members of the 505 class around the world. So no changes happen without all boat owning members having a vote. The idea of reducing the all up weight of the boat has been discussed for many years; it has not happened. We have been talking about removing the ban on carbon fibre spars for some time, it has yet to happen.While what happens is ultimately up to the membership worldwide, the past nearly fifty years would suggest that the 505 class will continue to take advantage of new technologies, materials and ideas, but will not make changes that make many boats suddenly obsolete. Sincerely, Alexander A. Meller
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