Voodoo takes out 2013 E5.9 North Island Champs

by NZ Elliott 5.9 Class Assn Media on 3 Dec 2013
Voodoo (Simon Manning, Andy Robertson with Andrew Brown/Adrienne Rekke) won the 2013 North Island Champs hosted by Sandspit Yacht Club and sailed in the waters of Kawau Bay.

The entire weekend was sailed in fine weather and light shifty breezes and the fleet of 13 boats enjoyed close and challenging racing.

Voodoo had a great start the the regatta, winning three of for races on day 1. Ewok was next placed, a couple of points back. The rest of the boats were close together and top heat positions were shared among many of the boats.

The fleet enjoyed a fantastic party hosted by class president Nathan Williams and wife Gill (Brzo) at Omaha on the Saturday night, with the latest fleet innovation, a spit roast machine making it's inaugural appearance.

Flying 15 sailor Adrienne Rekke stepped in as bow on the Sunday when Andrew Brown was unavailable.

Second overall was Retro (Mike Sanderson/Will Tiller/) and third was Ewok (Craig Coulam, Codie Banks and Mark Puddick).


2014 Traveler Series goes to Sanderson

This was the final regatta in the 2013 Traveler Series.In finishing second at the final regatta, Mike Sanderson and his crew of Will Tiller and Harry Thurston took out the 2013 Traveler Series

Voodoo was second and Brzo third, Ewok fourth.

The series continues to flourish with a tried and true fomula appealing to more than 20 crews who contested at least part of the series in 2013.

Mike Sanderson commented 'just a great event, five to six regattas a year through the Autumn, Winter and Spring touring around the place with family and friends. Mix into that some of the most competitive one-design racing in the country. Great value for boats that still are modern and perform well!! If those things sound appealing to you then the Elliott 5.9 class is the place for you… '

Some of the memorable moments of the 2013 series were:

- The fleet tow out through the Whangarei Heads from Marsden Cove Marina to the open waters of Bream Bay. On a fine day it's just a stunning place to see and we do it every year.

- The new E5.9 spit roast machine designed built (and hopefully being refined) by KZ Marine and Rick Hackett (Crowded House). Rick relaunched his fully revamped boat for the event, with Richard Hulston and Keryn McMaster.

- The ultra competitive racing that saw 5 different winners of the 6 regattas in 2013: Retro, Icebreaker, Voodoo, The Blurr, Animal Crackers.

Mike Sanderson had the last word: 'I race yachts for a living, but I work on and race my Elliott 5.9 for the fun and personal satisfaction it brings…'


2014 Traveler Series

Planning has started for the 2014 series which will follow the now proven format, but with a couple of additional twists! The 2014 Nationals have been scheduled for late in 2014, and will follow the 2014 Traveler Series.

To kick off 2014 the Association is organising a fun and family friendly weekend at Kawau Island for 8-9 March - with some relaxed sailing and social events designed to appeal to all. The fleet will be supported by several 'motherships' although the more hardy souls may choose to relive past glories and sleep in their boats! New crews and interested sailors are welcome to join us.

The full schedule will be released shortly.


New E5.9 hulls underway

The NZ E5.9 Association recently announced a major new fleet development initiative - the series build of at least six new Elliott 5.9's. Retro is the first product of the project and will be followed by at least 5 more new boats.

This has been over a year in the planning and is being underwritten by several current owners and the Elliott 5.9 Class Association on a cost recovery basis.

The project is being undertaken in conjunction with, and is supported by, well known Auckland boatbuilder; Sea Craft/Haines Hunter.

Indicative pricing is $6,950+GST for a bonded hull, deck and hull liner, fitted with chainplates. All standard equipment to complete can be obtained through Association-approved suppliers and retail outlets. As an alternative there is a good supply of used equipment such as masts and sails.

Several hulls are sold, with the prospect of more than six being required. The latest deposit taken is for a Te Awamutu sailor.

Each hull will be fully compliant with the class rules, using the class association-owned moulds and construction guidelines.

Interested sailors can keep up with the project by 'Liking' the E5.9 Association Facebook Page. You can also subscribe to the E5.9 newsletter by sending a message via Facebook or the website contact pages.


The Elliott 5.9 and NZ E5.9 Class Association

Offering close racing and great social events built around a North Island weekend regatta circuit, the Elliott 5.9 class is the perfect three-person syndicate boat. The class is relatively low maintenance and is sailed by a crew of three. No rail meat - everyone has a job! There are active fleets in Opua, Whangarei, Auckland, Plimmerton, and New Plymouth with boats in other venues like Tauranga, Lyttleton, Nelson and Queenstown.

Plimmerton now boasts five boats and the fleet is look forward to a competitive season of club racing.

The E5.9 Class Association welcomes enquiries and will work with interested sailors and owners to get them into the fleet. Charter boats are occasionally available and there is a restricted supply of second hand boats for sale.

The Association has undertaken several new initiatives including rule changes designed to improve the competitiveness and longevity of the boats and the supply of standard components. It operates a Facebook page website that contains news, details of events, boats for sale and many photos including gear layout shots. A new website is under development and can be found here.

Boats for sale can be found via Trademe or by contacting the Class Association.