505 UK National Championships 2025 at Weymouth & Portland Sailing Academy

Michael Sims and Carl Gibbon, overall winners - 505 UK National Championships at Weymouth © Dougal Henshall

It is incredible to think that it is just three short years (a mere blip in a class with such a legacy as that enjoyed by the 5o5 fleet) since the Class last gathered at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy. Yet in that three-year period so much has changed, ashore, in the way the Academy is being run in a more club like, welcoming manner and out afloat, in the way new partnerships have blossomed, always with an eye turned towards success.

Three years on and there was another big change, as back then the Nationals had been dogged by dawn to dusk sunshine but hardly a breath of wind, conditions that keep the fleet ashore for ages drinking cold beers and even when the boats did get afloat, it was for races held inside the Harbour in breezes that never topped 8kt. From the first forecasts more than a fortnight out, it was clear that 2025 would be at the other end of the scale and the Met Office team had got this one spot on as the Thursday dawned to a brisk SW breeze.

These are very much the prevailing conditions as Weymouth, which can give rise to a little bit of false confidence, with the spinnaker run from the Academy slip down to the gap in the Harbour Wall being brisk and exciting, but manageable. Then there's another half mile to get to the top of the course, where conditions are still fun and benign. Get further on across the bay to where the Committee Boat was stationed for the start and thing were very different, as the sea state was now steep and challenging whilst the wind had developed a malicious bite. None of this seemed to worry the visiting US teams, who sail in conditions easily as tough as this every Tuesday afternoon.

If there was a surprise (though not to those who know) it was that the veteran Howie Hamlin and crew Andy Zinn who powered around at the head of the fleet to take both bullets. Another of the visiting foreign boats would also find the conditions reminded the helm of home as Australian Michael Quirk, crewed by Tim Needham would be the only other boat to score two podium places on the day. Others had a less encouraging, with one well known multi-world championship winning helm finding himself in rather than on the water, but he can be forgiven as it was one of those sorts of days.

The top of the fleet at the 5o5 Nationals was full of championship winning talent, yet Howie Hamlin showed how sailing can be remarkably non-ageist by rolling back the years, even on the most physically demanding of opening days out on Weymouth Bay - 505 UK National Championships at Weymouth - photo © Dougal Henshall

Day 2 wasn't quite as windy but was still windy enough to have rigs fully raked aft with gusts that were into the upper mid-20 kt territory. After posting his note of intent with a second place in Race 2, Michael Sims and Carl Gibbon (Carsington and Burton SCs) now posted an incredible 2,1,1 scoreline, the only boat to get all podium places on the day. Michael Quirk nearly did so with a 1,2,4 while Howie and Andy stayed in the hunt with a pair of 3s and a 4th place.

This left the event finely balanced between the three front runners going in to the Saturday, when another three races were scheduled. This time the issue wouldn't be about the wind strength, which was officially still brisk, but the visibility which never got above 'poor'. Most radio comms between the Committee Boat and windward mark boat focus on the wind strength and direction, but now it was far more a case of "can you see me Moriarty" as ever thicker banks of sea mist rolled in across the bay.

Michael and Carl looked to be putting a stranglehold on the event when they took Race 6, their third win in a row with Howie scoring another second place. The leaders then suffered an uncharacteristic stumble with a 12th place, whilst the American pair capitalised on the moment to take the win.

Normal service was restored in Race 8 as Michale and Carl took their fourth victory but the winners for the day would Howie and Andy who in scoring a pair of seconds and a win would draw level on points with the British leaders. Equally consistent on this difficult day would be Nathan Batchelor/Sam Pascoe and Mike Holt/Reeve Dunn who tried to close the gap to third placed Michale Quirk &Tim Needham, so everything would be 'up for grabs' on the final day.

Mention should also be made of the two boats competing in the classic division, where one time crew Phil Brown (who??) and Dawn Brown, sailing in one of the boats that had brought Phil and Peter Colclough so many fantastic results battled around in conditions that were far from favourable to them. The other classic boat was one that had its own great story to tell, having been purchased just a couple of weeks earlier for the exorbitant sum of £150. No matter, it was out there in the Bay and sailing, which has to be something of a record in terms of 'amount of bangs for your buck'!

In conditions that were far from favourable to them, Phil and Dawn Brown stuck to the task of being the best of the 'older' boats. Phil's return to the fleet is a big plus point for the 5o5 Class as it highlights that there's a place for both the boats and the sailors of yesteryear, with the same amount of fun to be had at any point in the fleet! - 505 UK National Championships at Weymouth - photo © Dougal Henshall

It also managed to deliver one of the scares of the weekend, when the rudder came off (not for the first time). Helm Charlie Thorne, another sailor that lives the line of 'once a FiveO sailor, always a FiveO sailor' swam around to the transom to reattach the blade, only for the boat to 'turtle' on top of him, trapping his body against the transom bar. It was a decidedly sticky moment until a bit of brute force from crew and RIB team pulled him free, thankfully the boat at least was okay!

Sadly, after three full days of classic 5o5 sailing in breeze, with all of the top places still up for grabs, Sunday dawned to a dreary, misty morning with near zero wind. Bringing the media boat around from Weymouth was interesting as although there was very little wind in the Harbour there was even less out in the bay.

The Supernova fleet wisely decided to pull the plug early, their event already had a clear winner but with so much at stake the pressure was on to get at least one more race in.

It wasn't to be, the day was binned leaving Michael Sims and Carl Gibbon level with points with Howie Hamlin and Andy Zinn but ahead in the standings on countback. Third place would go to Michael Quirk, with Nathan Batchelor and Sam Pascoe fourth. Congratulations also go to Phil and Dawn Brown for showing what can be done in an older boat as they took the Classic prize.

Whilst the 5o5 scene, which is heavily targeted towards the International events, rolls on with Kiel Week to come (plus a Europeans late in the year in Spain) the domestic focus now has to be on next year, when the National Championships will be the warm up event for the following Worlds. Already boats are being snapped up and new partnerships formed, as this will be one of those bucket list 'must do' events.

The leading group romp away from the spreader mark, heading away towards a misty Jurassic Coast. But the camera does lie as the fore shortening caused by a long lens masks the fact that Michael Sims and Carl Gibbon were already comfortably ahead, fully powered up by able to sink lower than the chasing group - photo © Dougal Henshall

Main Division Results:
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Classic Division Results: