2024 505 World Championship at Varberg, Sweden

Peter Nicholas and Luke Payne (AUS) win the 505 World Championship 2024 at Varberg, Sweden © International 505 Class Association

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.

The highly competitive fleet included nine previous World Champions, amateur and professional, young and old and many National Champions from around the World. The racing was held on the waters of the Baltic, North West of the hosting Varberg's Segelsällskap.

As usual, before the World Championships, the Pre Worlds and in this case the Open Nordic Championship was held over 2 days. The event is always a warm up for the visiting boats and a chance for the Race Team to hone their skills. Light winds were the norm for the Pre Worlds, generally from the Southwest, with long, warm sunny days.

One team was clearly head and shoulders above everyone else in these conditions, the German team of Jan Philip Hofmann and Felix Brockerhoff ran away with the event, counting all firsts, dropping a 2nd in the last race. A very impressive achievement in super tough conditions. Taking second behind them was the Australian father and son team of Malkolm and Angus Higgins. Sailing super consistently they dropped a 4th place. Rounding out the podium were US team Mike Holt and Rob Woelfel.

Pre Worlds Results

The practice over and the measurement done, it was now down to the main event for all the teams. Day one was not looking promising, light winds, warm sunshine were the forecast and so it proved. The first race getting away in very light and shifty conditions. First at the windward mark and pulling away from the fleet in their very first World Championship race were the Swedish team of Peter Bökmark and Martin Persson. Behind them Pre Worlds winners, Jan Philip Hofmann and Felix Brockerhoff pulled through to take 2nd and Swiss husband and wife team of Caroline and Philip Jacot took 3rd. Meanwhile many of the pre regatta favourites were racking up some big scores.

The second race of the day got away in slightly more, albeit very light and shifty conditions. Making the most of them this time was the GBR/USA combo of Nathan Batchelor and Eric Anderson, essentially leading from start to finish, with the German team of Jan Philip Hofmann and Felix Brockerhoff scoring another 2nd to have the overall lead. Following the racing the club supplied hungry and thirsty sailors with food and beer and the now traditional debrief of the winners was held. Attending a 5o5 World Championship, renown for 'there being no secrets' is a unique opportunity for newer teams to learn from the very best. The post race debriefs are very popular and allow for sharing of set up, boat handling and tactics.

Day 2 and we were greeted with even less wind and wisely the AP flag. Sadly the wind never built to a reachable level and the day was spent waiting and looking around the dinghy park to see what was making the fast boats go so fast!

By Day 3 the weather had shifted to cooler conditions and finally some wind. The fleet set out into a decent Southerly, running around the 12-16 knot range. Race started with a 2 lap windward leeward course with a long 1.5 mile beat. The change of conditions significantly shuffled the pack and brought new teams to the fore. Leading at the top mark was the Australian team of Peter Nicholas and Luke Payne. They were being chased hard by Mike Holt and Rob Woelfel from the US and GBR team, Ian Pinnell and Charles Dwyer. These 3 extended from the fleet and finished in that order.

Race 4 started in similar conditions and the Aussies Peter Nicholas and Luke Payne again led at the first mark, this time chased by Howie Hamlin and Andy Zinn from the US and again Mike Holt and Rob Woelfel. The three had a race long battle and entered the final mark all overlapped, with the Aussies coming out on top, just, from Mike Holt and Rob Woelfel and then Hamlin and Zinn. A couple of second separating all three.

For the third race of the day and the 5th of the event the wind had dropped slightly to the 10-12 knot range. This time Hamlin and Zinn were in charge at the top mark with French team of Philippe Boat and Marcin Carnot close behind. With the wind starting to trend right the race opened up but Hamlin and Zinn held off the hard chasing Holt and Woelfel to win. Holt and Woelfel took second and a 3rd US team, Mike Martin and Adam Lowry from the USA took 3rd.

With 5 races down and a first discard in place the leaderboard had shuffled some. Peter Nicholas and Luke Payne had jumped to the top, Jan-Phillip Hofmann and Felix Brockerhoff had slipped to 2nd and following good day, Howard Hamlin and Andy Zinn had moved up to 3rd. Several other teams had also jumped up the leaderboard and were looking forward to getting to nine races and drop 2.

Sadly though the weather had other ideas and with a day lost to no wind already, two more days were lost when the breeze became more than the race team were prepared to send the fleet out in and, in somewhat anticlimactic scenes, the winners of the 2024 505 World Championships were the Australian team of Peter Nicholas and Luke Payne. Their consistent performance over the 5 races certainly merited the win, as had their consistent performances over the last 15 years in the class. Their win was the first for an Australian team in 22 years, oddly the same year that their boat was built, making the win by far the oldest winning boat of a 505 World Championships. Pete and Luke, despite campaigning regularly in the 5o5, are both professionals sailors. Luke Payne's comment at the presentation that racing the 5o5 and the skills acquired, has been the cornerstone of their ability to race professionally at the top, including Americas Cup and Sail GP, is a testament to the success of the Class which this year had its 70th anniversary.

Worlds Results

Next up, the World Championship in Adelaide, Australia in January 2025. Boats are available so if you want some of the best dinghy racing in one of the best and most reliable venues check out the web site at www.int505.org/2025-505-world-championships-adelaideantle-australia