Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo M50

'Simply the Best' - the history of the 5o5 class by Dougal Henshall

by Mark Jardine 27 Feb 2023 07:24 AEDT 26 February 2023
'Simply the Best' - the history of the 505 class by Dougal Henshall © Mark Jardine

For many years now the story of one of the sport's most iconic dinghies, the 5o5, has been shrouded in something of a mystery. Where did that wonderful reverse flared hull shape come from, because back at the start of the 1950s there was nothing else like it.

There was talk that it was another designer, Austin Farrar, who was a long-term close friend of John Westell, who went on to produce the flared International 14 Thunderbolt that many saw as the precursor to the 5o5. But who had the idea first, where did the idea come from, and how - and why did, a plan to build such a revolutionary hull shape become a iconic reality that would take the dinghy scene by storm.

After all, these were the years when performance dinghy sailing was just starting to gain a foothold as an almost distinct genre apart from the mainstream side of the sport, so there was little in the way of a roadmap for the game changing designers, led by Holt, Proctor and Westell to draw on for inspiration. Moreover, none of them thought that they were designing boats that would become enduring icons that would still be with us 70 years later, so until now the records of what actually happened have been sketchy. But in what eventually became an 8-year project (badly delayed by the pandemic) author Dougal Henshall, who has previously written the definitive works on the International Contender and Merlin Rocket, has sought out the sailors who were there and could answer the questions that until now have been matters of conjecture. Having laid the foundation to the 5o5 story by documenting those early years, the book then advances forward in time, picking up on the many innovations that first found their place in the FiveO fleet. The narrative would not be complete without the roll-call of incredible topflight sailors who raced the boats, despite only an elite select few managing to add their names to some of the most sought-after prizes in the sport, the 5o5 World Championship.

It is only right that such a big story should, in the end, be told in a big book, one that weighs in at more than 2kg and contains not that far short of a quarter of a million words, spread across 400 plus pages, along with both black & white and full colour prints (when colour sailing pictures became available). The glossy, hard-back book has been arranged to read like a story that will immerse the reader into not only the history of one of our greatest boats, but of the social and technological changes in dinghy sailing over the last 70 years.

Order you copy via Simply The Best - Troubador Book Publishing or email

Related Articles

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
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
The oldest video footage of Kiel Week
A look back into our video archive at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s In our series of articles looking back in time through our video archive, we visit Germany. Kiel Week is been a crucial event on the world circuit, and here we look back at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s. Posted on 15 Jun
Nick Olson on PredictWind's newest features
Nick Olson discusses PredictWind's newest features PredictWind has long been a leader in presenting high-quality marine forecasts. Nick Olson discusses the company's newest features. Posted on 12 Jun
The X-Yachts Gold Cup Experience
A celebration of sailing, of X-Yachts and, most importantly of all, people Having just returned from Haderslev, Denmark - which is the home of X-Yachts and played host to the X-Yachts Gold Cup 2025 - I was left wondering if this was a racing event, a rally or a social celebration amongst close friends. Posted on 10 Jun
Video Interview: Onboard the Excess 14
At the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show 2025 Excess have moved forward their designs with the Excess 13 and 14 cruising catamarans, so seeing the Excess 14 was high on the priority list, as well as talking to some exceptional high performance sailors on board to learn their thoughts. Posted on 3 Jun
Getting excited for the Van Isle 360
Quoting a famous line from Pink Floyd's "Time" As I pack for the first half of the 2025 Van Isle 360 International Yacht Race, I find myself thinking about the last time I did this race, a certain Pink Floyd song, and the great adventuring, sailing and time with friends that awaits. Posted on 3 Jun
The call of the mighty
See the words Admiral's Cup and you immediately think approachable, real, hardcore action See the words Admiral's Cup and you immediately think approachable, real, hardcore action, braving the elements, and glory for the victorious. As an Australian, you have King Louie (the late Lou Abrahams), and the late Sir Jim Hardy as the poster boys. Posted on 1 Jun
Rooster 2025North Sails Loft 57 PodcastHyde Sails 2024 - One Design