At the 2008 505 North American Championships. Photo courtesy Pacific Fog.
The International 505, which is 505 centimeters in length (16 ft. 6 in.), is a two-person dinghy designed in the 1950s by John Westell. The high-performance boat features a conventional spinnaker and planes easily. With a large sail area, it requires considerable physical strength: the crew is on a trapeze while the driver hikes out. (See also International 420 and Flying Dutchman.) The 505 is raced around the world, with several builders and over 8900 boats as of 2007. The class association rules control the 505's hull shape and sail plan, but the spars, foils, and rigging are open, allowing a variety of possible layout combinations. The strongest fleets in the U.S. are on the West Coast. The 505 is an International Sailing Federation (ISAF) International Centreboard Class Association. For more information, read the 505 Wikipedia article.