Please select your home edition
Edition
Henri-Lloyd - For the Obsessed

2023 Ronstan 505 Australian Championship at Darling Point Sailing Squadron - Overall

by Jordan Spencer 29 Jan 2023 04:02 GMT 22-28 January 2023
Winners Chris and Thor - 2023 Ronstan 505 Australian Championship © Jordan Spencer

The final day of the Ronstan 505 Australian Championships was more of the same, light gradient breezes, but this time just slightly more breeze than yesterday.

505's love a breeze. They plane upwind and down, and the fleet has worked out that in a 505, when you have your crew on the wire upwind, it is quicker to keep your crew on the wire and reach downwind rather than run. This means there are transitions when lighter crews are on the wire and planning and heavier crews are watching. The last days racing for the 505's was raced in exactly those conditions.

Racing started at 12.00pm on the last of a flood tide in a 6-8 knot Northerly. Most of the fleet elected to start late in the gate and the orthopaedic surgeons were happy as there were a lot of bent legs on the crews trapezing and their knees were suffering. Late on the beat there were a few shifts right, then left allowing a reshuffle, but there was a gaggle of boats at the front. The lead boats included Mal and Jack Higgins, Alexandra Alder and Marcus Cooper, and the Careys. Mal who normally sails with Camel, (Nick Johnson, 6'4 and 105kg) and flies upwind in big breezes was loving having Jack on the wire, (6'4" and 78kg) because they were flying up and downwind in the marginal breeze. Alexandra and Marcus were loving it too holding on to second until almost the end when Kev Cameron and Sam Heritage, who had been moving through the fleet all day made their pass.

For the overall, Paterson/Schoenhoff and Quirk/Brokerhoff finished 9th and 10th respectively focussed on each other rather than the fleet. For Paterson/Schoenhoff it was time to wear white, they could finally put away the bridesmaids' dresses. Ironically, for Quirk/Brokerhoff, they ended in a tie for second with Malcolm and Jack Higgins. The fast-finishing Higgins' team ending third overall after the countback.

It was a great regatta. A success thanks to the volunteer efforts of the members of the Darling Point Sailing Squadron, (the blue roof in Manly Harbour). A special mention to Lyn Hanlon, she is awesome. It was a grass roots effort and they are often the most fun events. The 505 sailors and their families from that club all put in a huge effort as well, the DPSS also won the teams trophy, (the fleet with the best result from their top three finishers). And a big congratulations to Jack Higgins, finishing third on his first go in a 505. Plus, congratulations to 15 year old Ashlie Duffield on a 5oh for the first time, on the wire!!

The next nationals are scheduled for Jervis Bay. The place is a paradise. Grab yourself a 505 now.

Thanks to all the sponsors - Ronstan, Doyle, Muir Marine, One Sails, Manly Boathouse, BAAHOUSE + BAASTUDIO Architects and GMD

Results can be found here.

Related Articles

A moment in history - 1966 - Sir James Hardy
5o5 Flashback to the first Worlds in the Southern Hemisphere With the 5o5 World Championship coming up in Adelaide, Australia, this historic sailing flashback is a glimpse into the early days of what has become perhaps the world's most successful sailing dinghy. Posted on 23 Oct
Ovington Multiclass Open at the WPNSA Preview
This is the final big multiclass event of 2024! Entries are now open for our multiclass event down at Weymouth, WPNSA on 5th / 6th October. This is the final big multiclass event of 2024 and features top coaches Adam Bowers and Sam Pascoe, who will host a racing de-brief on Saturday night. Posted on 20 Sep
505 Worlds at Varberg, Sweden
96 boats competed from 13 different countries and 4 continents The 2024 running of the 505 World Championships was held August 3rd through the 10th in Varberg, Sweden. 96 boats competed from 13 different countries and 4 continents. Posted on 18 Aug
505 Pre-Worlds at Varberg, Sweden
Emphatic win for Jan Phillip Hofmann and Felix Brockerhoff Five races were held in very challenging light and shifty conditions. Big congratulations to Jan Phillip Hofmann and Felix Brockerhoff for their emphatic win. In what was a high scoring regatta for most, they won 4 out of 5 races and discarded a second. Posted on 4 Aug
Bill Barker is raising funds for Blood Cancer UK
Unexpected diagnosis of leukaemia for International Race Officer Bill Barker, a well-known, respected, and beloved member of the Marine Industry, received an unexpected terminal diagnosis of Acute Myelomonocytic Leukaemia at the end of May 2024. This devastating news has shocked his family, friends, and acquaintances. Posted on 17 Jul
Celebrating 40yrs of Newport Regatta
A premier East Coast Sailing event four decades after its launch This weekend marks the 40th Anniversary of the Newport Regatta at Sail Newport, featuring 147 boats and ten one-design racing classes. Posted on 11 Jul
505 UK Nationals at Rock
USA's Howie Hamlin and Andy Zinn beat the British fleet on their home waters Howie Hamlin and Andy Zinn of the USA bested a fleet of 25 teams representing five countries to claim the 2024 International 505 UK National and Open Championship title. The duo built upon their victory last month at the North Americans in Long Beach, CA. Posted on 11 Jun
505 Southerns at Hayling Island
Six very tight races in a light to moderate shifty breeze Eleven 505s joined the burgeoning Hayling 505 fleet for a weekend forecast to have glorious weather. The Southerns were part of a joint event with Fireballs, Contenders and Ospreys, making for a very busy start area. Posted on 14 May
505 class gathers for North American Championship
Competition will be fierce but fun, on Alamitos Bay Twenty seven teams from across the country will descend on Alamitos Bay Yacht Club for the 505 Class North American Championships this week. Posted on 13 May
100 Years of Jack Chippendale
One of the greats behind the golden era of the UK's domestic dinghy scene Regular readers will hopefully have enjoyed the recent 'Fine Lines' series of photos, times to coincide with the centenary of one of the greats behind the golden era of the UK's domestic dinghy scene, Jack Chippendale. Posted on 13 May