505 Australian Championship
The International 505 is a fast, technical two-person trapeze dinghy with a devoted following. Its Australian Championship draws the class's best sailors to a different club each year, from Sydney to Fremantle.
Photo: Port of San Diego, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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The 505 Australian Championship is the national title of one of the world's great performance dinghies — the International 505, a fast, technical two-person trapeze dinghy with a devoted following. Its championship travels the country, drawing the class's best crews to a different club each year, from Sydney to Fremantle.
What it is
The championship is a national one-design regatta that rotates between clubs, drawing deep fields of experienced dinghy sailors. Recent editions have been sailed at Fremantle in Western Australia, sometimes run jointly with other high-performance classes, reflecting the strength of the fleet across several states.
What is a 505?
The 505 is a 5.05-metre high-performance two-person racing dinghy, with a trapeze and a spinnaker, first designed in 1954. It is one of the most respected performance dinghies in the world — quick, powerful and demanding — and it rewards skilled, committed sailors working in close coordination. Seventy years on, its combination of speed and challenge keeps a devoted international following, and it sits at the sharp end of the range of sailboat types.
How to follow
Results and event information are published by the Australian 505 Association. For sailors drawn to fast, technical dinghy racing, the 505 is a benchmark class — and our guide to getting into sailing in Australia covers how to find your way into the sport, with the sailing terms glossary for the language of the racing.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the 505 Australian Championship?
- It is the national title of the International 505 class in Australia — a fast, technical two-person trapeze dinghy. The championship rotates between clubs each year and draws the class's best crews; recent editions have been held at venues including Fremantle, sometimes run jointly with other high-performance dinghy classes.
- What is an International 505?
- The 505 is a 5.05-metre high-performance two-person racing dinghy, with a trapeze and a spinnaker, first designed in 1954. It is one of the most respected performance dinghies in the world — quick, powerful and demanding — and has a long history and a devoted international following, including strong fleets in Australia.
- Where is the 505 Australian Championship held?
- It rotates between clubs around the country. Recent Australian championships have been sailed at Fremantle in Western Australia, among other venues, and the class has active fleets across several states. The travelling championship is part of what keeps the class connected nationally.
- Is the 505 hard to sail?
- The 505 is a demanding, high-performance boat — fast and powerful, sailed with a trapeze and spinnaker by a crew of two who must work in close coordination. That challenge is a big part of its appeal: it rewards skilled, committed sailors, which is why it has held a devoted following for seventy years.
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