A Message from "Pip" Pearson, President of the International 505 Class Yacht Racing Association

Hi Guys,

Just an introductory message to say that the dynamic Ali Meller's influence has reached across to Australia and motivated me to spend a couple of grand, get a new computer and get on the net.

I'm really impressed with the enormous capacity this means of communication has and the interchange of information that is already flowing from this source.

For those of you who have never heard of me (most of you I'm sure) I started sailing 505's in Australia in 1960-1 and apart from a couple of years mistakenly sailing other classes (an F.D.) I've been sailing 5 oh's ever since.

What a wonderful way to spend your life. At 52 I'm still on the trapeze as a crew and had a flashing moment of glory at the recent 1996 Townsville World Series when we arrived at the first mark in the first heat equal first with my good friend Jeff Miller from California. That's about where it ended though, I think the excitement was too much and the old fella couldn't keep up the demand for the adrenalin to maintain that sort of postion for the rest of the race or the regatta and we finished 22 overall.

If any of you have any particular question about what was happening in the class back in the 60's and the 70's and the 80's, I was there through most of it so I may be able to help you. I spent 4 years back in the late sixties and early seventies sailing with Dennis Surtees out of Palo Alto in California, so I have a grasp of the history of the American scene.

However, I don't want to dwell on the past, but merely to reflect on what has been a great success story for many years. John Westell's design has outlived almost all the others from his era. The challenge now is to move ahead to greater things and it is our immediate goal to attend the Lake Garda I.Y.R.U. trials with a top team and show the world how a forty year old design can out perform the "crash and burn" designs of the late 90's around a race course. We are hoping to put on a good show and ultimately gain Olympic selection for the year 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Keep spreading the word about our great boat.

Cheers,

"Pip" Pearson