Elliott 5.9: Big fleet contests a close and intense Elliott 5.9's at Whitianga
by Gareth Howard - Elliott 5.9 Association 29 Jun 2022 21:36 NZST
29 June 2022
Tight at the bottom mark Elliott 5.9 North Island Championships - Traveller Trophy #3 - Whitianga, June 2022 © E5.9 Association
Shapeshifter won a close and intense Elliott 5.9 North Island Championship (Traveller Series #3).
Hosted by the Mercury Bay Boating Club at Whitianga, Shapeshifter (Brett Elliott, Nick Bastow, Matthew Stuart) put on a masterclass in the light and changeable breeze to pick up four wins out of the six races completed.
However, second place was not so clear cut with four boats tying on 20 points and a countback required to separate them. It was always going to be a close run thing with multiple national champions R+R, current North Island Champs Reverly, Slam Dunk and Nevis second and fourth respectively at the recent Nation Champs in the mix
Eventually, Revelry (Beno Costello, Richard Bicknell, Zib Campbell) took out second palace, Slam Dunk third, R+R fourth and Nevis fifth with Zoot Allures only two points further back in sixth.
The first day produced overcast showery weather with light winds including some significant wind shifts. With the forecast breeze never arriving, the race committee did well to get two races away. Shapeshifer managed to score good wins in both races with all other boats having mixed results.
While there was a bit more sun for the second day, the breeze was still light and variable. When Shapeshifter won the first race of the day, they were going to be hard to beat from here. The race committee were able to fit in three more races to make a total of six for the regatta. While Shapeshifter were pushed back to a fifth and sixth, no other boats had the required consistency to challenge them at the top of the leaderboard.
A huge thanks goes to Phillip Hart and Jonathan Kilne and their helpers for again hosting the Elliott 5.9s at Whitianga. Not only did they get us on the water for some good racing but ensured we had a good social time watching the rugby at Smittys or soaking in the Lost Spring hot pools.
The 17 entries at Whitianga are probably a recent record for the Elliott 5.9 Traveller Series and the class is now the largest one design fleet outside of the dinghy classes. With similar entries expected for Traveller Series #4 at Bucklands Beach in August, and with more tight racing, it is hard to pick who will take out the Bucklands Beach title.
Full results available online elliott59.weebly.com/results.html and pictures online www.facebook.com/elliott5.9
For more information on the Elliott 5.9 Class Association visit www.e59.org.nz
A full list of previous Champions can be found online here https://elliott59.weebly.com/champions.html
About The Elliott 5.9
The Elliott 5.9 emerged in the early 1980’s as a high performing trailer yacht and continues to deliver competitive one design racing in a welcoming fleet of world-class sailors and novices alike. The boats started a revolution with their well-balanced and cost effective design, and quickly became the boat of choice for top club training schemes and a breeding ground for NZ’s America’s Cup, Ocean Race and Olympic champions.
Sailed by a crew of three, the Elliott 5.9 remains a low maintenance sailboat with an efficient single spreader fractional rig, a well-balanced sail plan and practical deck layout. Whether sailing among mixed trailer yachts, sport boat fleets or in a one design setting, the 5.9 is celebrated for its responsiveness and outstanding value.