A hundred days till the start of the 505 World Championships in Gdynia!

  • 2018-04-06
It’s only a hundred days to go till the most important regatta for the 505 competitors in the season of 2018! On the 18th, July exactly, the waters of the Bay of Gdańsk will welcome the best sailors of this fantastic class. Till today, more than 40 teams from 12 countries have signed up. Ultimately, we are expecting to reach more than 100 yachts total.

Among the admitted competitors, it is worth mentioning the former world champion, Ian Pinnel (GBR 9190),the present champions, Mike Holt and Rob Woelfel (USA 9072), as well as all the well-known veterans of 505 sailing family. It is the Polish Yachting Association together with the Polish 505 Class Association, representing the International 505 Class Association, that organise the Regatta. Anyone who possesses a 505 yacht may take part. All you need to do is visit our website: www.505worlds2018.com and sign in! The full entry list can be found here.

What awaits the signed-up competitors?

The measurements and weighing of the yachts have been planned for the 18th and 19th of July. Each of the boats shall go through a detailed inspection held by an international team of measures. It is not only a custom and formality, it is also about being sure that the rivalry follows the the fair play and class rules. On the 20th, the Pre-Worlds will take place. These short, one-day regattas are a warm-up and an opportunity to test the equipment and the waters. Such recognizable Races require a grand race committee. The Pre-Worlds give them a chance to get to know each other in order to have a unified team of people responsible for the organisation of the championships on the water. The 21st of July is the last the day for the final measurements of the boats. The 22nd, July, marks the beginning of the World Championship races that will last till the 27th, July. During the races, each day will mean two races. The 25th, July, is to be a lay day - a break for the competitors. Poland is well known for it's hospitality. Shortly we will publish a detailed list of on-sore activities during the regatta and the lay-day. 

The characteristic element of the regattas as renowned as the European or World Championships is the gate start. It means that the team appointed by the Committee (a pathfinder), on a given signal, begins to sail the port tack and this way open the so-called gate. The remaining boats need to sail the starboard tack behind the stern of the pathfinder starting the race. This allows for the start of the whole fleet together avoiding any false starts.

This hundred days means the Polish thing

The next hundred days will be extremely demanding for the Polish competitors. Many of them will soon start trainings, on the Gdańska Bay waters too. This year’s first races - The Polish Cup take place in Gdynia, 19th-20th, July. It will be an excellent possibility to try out the Championships’ waters, especially for the newcomers that have joined the 505 class last winter. The second regattas are planned for June, 16th-17th, in a spot well-known to us, namely Krynica Morska

The Classics’ at World Championships in Gdynia

For those who own the older yachts, there has been a separate classification prepared during the Worlds. The participation within the classical 505 yacht classification is available for all participants whose yachts meet the requirements named in the Appendix A of the Notice of Race.

We’d like to invite you the follow the 505 Worlds online, be it our website: www. 505worlds2018.com or the Facebook fanpage: www.facebook.com/505worlds2018/