Please select your home edition
Edition
X-Yachts Leaderboard 2024 1

The search for Mad Max... Now extends beyond the Thunderdrome!

by Dougal Henshall 6 Jan 2018 04:35 PST
The 505 © Dan Phelps / US 505 Association

If there is one true 'sea story' still waiting to be told, then it has to be the narrative that goes back some 65 years to the birth of the 505 and then comes forward in time, charting the progress of this amazing and truly world beating dinghy.

With detailed research and a lengthy list of interviews, some of them with sailors who were actually present at the time, the book of the 505 is now taking shape and what a tale it has to tell. Those who think they know the story of how the Anglo-French 505 came into being will have to think again, for there is a lot more to the story that has been previously understood.

Crucially, this is not a one-dimensional story of yet another British innovation, but is more akin to a highly detailed analysis of how international competition went global in those halcyon days of the 'golden era' of our sport; this will be the story of an International Class, told internationally. However, there are some issues, as currently the book is very 'bow heavy' in that the opening chapters, 1952 – 1960 take up almost one third of the book to date. Yet this is probably the last chance for this detail to be collected and even now, many of the trails are cold, as key players in the story are sadly no longer with us.

One such stumped line of research is vital to the correct telling of the birth of the 505, as it involves the man who was the patron of the Coronet, the boat that would ultimately become the 505. Yet the story of Max Johnson is lost in time. We know who he was, his birth, marriage and death and a bit about his sailing, but nothing in any detail. Max was though the funding behind the whole project, though he may well have had his own agenda for this.

Max had been born in Birmingham in April 1912 and had been in the Navy and travelled to the US, before ending up living near to Chichester. Max was an International 14 sailor at Itchenor and was well known to other 14 sailors of the time, amongst these was John Westell. Max clearly believed and trusted John's obvious eye for a quick boat, as he commissioned him to design Coronet for the IYRU Performance Dinghy Trials and the rest, as they say, is history!

We also know that Max was something of a visionary regarding the development of GRP/glass fibre as he was involved in the development of the very earliest 'plastic' car bodies for the young Colin Chapman and his innovative Lotus racing cars. Max was also involved in the early production of GRP dinghies and he is pictured below taking his family for a row in what would then have been a novel development. Sadly, Max would die at the early age of 55 in July 1967 – and at that point, the trail does indeed go cold.

The hope is that there is still someone out there, who might remember Max, or Max and John and what they were doing in these extra-ordinary days that would do so much to define the very nature of performance sailing. Do YOU have any recollections of Max at Itchenor, or anywhere else, back in the day when maybe glass fibre was a poor alternative to wood? If you do have any stories regarding this crucial part of the story, the Project Office for 'Simply the Best; The story of the 505' would love to hear from you. Please email in the first instance to .

In the meantime, work on completing not only the chapters telling the story of these formative years, but on how the boat became simply the best dinghy, sat at the pinnacle of the international dinghy scene, will continue.

Many thanks and a Happy New Year to all,

Dougal/Simply the Best/2018

Related Articles

The power of tech
What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? Posted on 2 Jul
Some thoughts on provisioning for distance sailing
A new perspective on provisioning and time spent at sea One of the great joys of distance racing unfurls the moment that the dock lines are untied. Suddenly, the myriad packing lists that inevitably define most trip-planning efforts become about as relevant as a tax return from eight years ago. Posted on 1 Jul
Bill Guilfoyle on the 2025 Transpacific Yacht Race
Bill Guilfoyle discusses the 2025 Transpacific Yacht Race When it comes to offshore sailing in the United States, the biennial Transpacific Yacht Race reigns supreme for its distance and promise of off-the-breeze sailing angles. Posted on 1 Jul
Jazz Turner completes Project FEAR
Drama right to the end in her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles Jazz Turner has completed Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin 27 yacht. A flotilla of supporters met her in Seaford Bay, which grew and grew the closer they came to Brighton Marina. Posted on 1 Jul
One thing. One big, very fast boat
One thing that opened the door, another made us enquire some more - 50 knots! Yes. It was one thing that opened the door, as it were. One thing that piqued the curiosity enough to go, ‘I'll take a look at that!' One thing that when you're trying to crack in excess of 50 knots... Posted on 30 Jun
A brief history of marine instrument networks
Hugh Agnew has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge One man who has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge, is Hugh Agnew, the Cambridge-educated mathematician who is one of the founders of A+T Instruments in Lymington, so I spoke to him to find out more... Posted on 25 Jun
Harald Findlay on the 2025 Edgartown Race Weekend
A Q&A with Harald Findlay on the 2025 Edgartown Race Weekend When it comes to racing sailboats on the East Coast of the United States in the summer months, few places are as classic as the waters surrounding Martha's Vineyard's northwestern flank. Posted on 18 Jun
Sailing and the summer solstice
Celebrating sailing and the longest day of the year If you love long evenings and early mornings, this is one of the best times of the whole year, as the summer solstice (Friday, June 20) and the entire rich expanse of summer are about to burst into bloom. Posted on 17 Jun
Video Review: The Amazing Cure 55
Composite Construction meets Cruising Convenience It was two years ago at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show that I talked to Dave Biggar about his ideas and plans for the Cure 55. At the 2025 show I got to step on board the yacht and see how his ideas became reality. Posted on 17 Jun
The Big Bash
Every summer the tournament rolls into town. A short format of the game. Fun and excitement abound. Every summer the tournament rolls into town. Local and international players. A short format of the game, run over a relatively compact six-week season. Posted on 15 Jun
Lloyd Stevenson - AC ETNZ 1456x180px BOTTOMSelden 2020 - FOOTERSea Sure 2025