International 505

Description

The International 505 (often just called the “Five-O” or “505”) is a 5.05 m (16 ft 6 in) ultra-high-performance, double-handed trapeze dinghy designed in 1954 by Frenchman John Westell as a lightweight, planing development class that would be fast, affordable, and exciting for skilled amateur sailors—rapidly evolving into one of the most technically demanding and fastest non-skiff dinghies ever created. With a narrow 1.88 m beam, minimum hull weight of just 127.4 lb. (57.8 kg), twin trapezes, massive 28.9 m² (311 ft²) of downwind sail via a 15.5 m² asymmetric spinnaker on a long retractable pole, and a fully battened mainsail that can be raked and bent dramatically, the 505 is capable of sustained speeds over 20 knots downwind and planing upwind in 12–15 knots—routinely outrunning modern 49ers in heavy air. Though it began as a true development class (allowing almost unlimited hull shape and rig experimentation), rule changes in the 1990s froze the basic hull form while still permitting cutting-edge foils, spars, and control systems, keeping the boat at the absolute leading edge of dinghy technology. More than 9,300 boats have been built by dozens of professional and amateur builders worldwide (notably Kirby Marine, Rondar, Duvoisin, and Lindsay), with huge fleets in North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan; the class remains fiercely competitive at world-championship level, yet a good second-hand 505 can still be bought for $4,000–$10,000. Universally regarded as the ultimate test of all-round sailing skill—demanding perfect balance, fearless crew work, and constant trimming—the 505 has produced generations of Olympic medalists and professional sailors while staying true to its 1950s motto: “The ultimate for the amateur… and the amateur only.”