5o5 Flashback: A moment in history - 1966 - Sir James Hardy
by Pip Pearson 23 Oct 2024 09:50 BST
The 1966 5o5 World Championships in Adelaide, South Australia © International 5o5 Sailing
With the 5o5 World Championship coming up in Adelaide, Australia, this historic sailing flashback is a glimpse into the early days of what has become perhaps the world's most successful sailing dinghy.
The 1966 5o5 World Championships in Adelaide, South Australia, was particularly significant for Australian yachting - it was the first time a World Championship had ever been held in the Southern Hemisphere for any International Yacht Racing Class. A momentous occasion for Adelaide and for Australia!
There were a total of 68 entries from 17 countries.
The event was held in the waters off the Brighton & Seacliff Yacht Club, immediately in front of the Hardy Family Home and in the waters that Jim had sailed for years in his youth & early senior years... the waters which he knew like the "back of his hand".
Jim sailed the event in the local Adelaide designed and manufactured 5o5 Binks K model.
It was this event that catapulted Jim Hardy (later Sir James Hardy) into the spotlight of Australian yachting "hierarchy".
After an exciting series of races, the top four placings and the winner would be decided by the result of the last race.
In spectacular fashion, after getting a very bad start and rounding the first mark in 22nd place, in a display of grit and determination typical of Jim, he and crew Max Whitnall fought on through the fleet to cross the finish line in second, which was the position he needed to win the event and become the first Australian to win a 5o5 World Championship in the Southern Hemisphere.
It is no surprise that Jim's 5o5 was named "Black Bottle" - after one of Hardy Wines' leading brands, a definite winner from the "get go".
Jim, at the time was living in Sydney where he was the Senior Marketing Manager for Hardy Wines and was the head of the family company in Sydney.
The publicity resulting from this win attracted the attention of the upper echelons of Australian Yachting, and it was this and the resulting profile that paved the way for Jim's entry into the international spotlight. His America's Cup, Admiral's Cup and Olympic history in Australian Yachting is legendary - and although Sir James, also referred to very fondly as "Gentleman Jim", is no longer with us, his legend and his legacy lives on.
We are thrilled to name the 2025 International 5o5s Pre Worlds Regatta in honour of Sir James Hardy.
Find out more about the 2025 5o5 World Championship in Adelaide here.