Top sailors poised to contest Elliott 5.9 National Championship
by Gareth Howard and Kristine Horne 16 May 2021 05:34 BST
R&R leads Smack and Slam Dunk at 2020 Nationals © Elliott 5.9 Class Owners Association
With 16 entries from the Far North to the South Island confirmed, the upcoming Elliott 5.9 National
Championships in Whitianga are set to be a fierce-as-ever challenge of one-design yacht racing.
Hosted by the Mercury Bay Boating Club from 20-22 May, the event features a mix of sailors new
and well-seasoned, all pushing to knock six-time running National Champions on board Rough &
Reddy off the top spot.
A number of highly regarded crews have recently entered the class with clear intentions of trying to
wrestle the trophy from Craig Satterthwaite and his crew (Routh & Reddy) who have been
gatekeepers of the ‘best in NZ’ title since 2015.
North Sails have assembled some of their best one-design sailors including Derek Scott, Ben Costello
and Richard Bicknell to sail Retro, while former OK Dinghy World Champion Matt Stechman has
joined forces with Sam Edwards and Keith Hogan to sail SMAK. Last year with a different crew on
board, SMAK finished on equal points with the eventual National Championship winner and lost
only on the count-back system of breaking a tie.
Slam Dunk, sailed by Class President Stu Clarke with Stu Molloy and Cam Horne are also expected at
the front of the fleet, based on their continued improvement in recent seasons and the history of the
crew having won several championships in the past.
With a number of new owners attending their first Elliott 5.9 Nationals, the rookie title is clearly up
for grabs between Ewok, Icebreaker, and the recently renamed Reverlly (formally Wai Kat a Moo
Cow). Also relatively new to the fleet is the young gun crew on Tekno who will fancy their chances in
the 40 stone trophy, awarded to the best-placed boat with the total crew weight under 40 stone
(255kg).
With a growing number of females now competing among the fleet, the class is pleased to welcome
back previous owner Carla Bennett, who will be sailing on the Wellington-based Bob.
As proven by Zoot Allures 3 rd place finish at the recent Rotoiti Traveller Series regatta, consistency
through the regatta will be the most important element to work up the leaderboard. The Napier,
Nelson and Northland boats will have been watching class stalwart Dave Cochrane’s approach to
sailing smart in this one-design fleet, proving that any one of the 16 entrants are in with a title shot
for this tightly contested event.
Mercury Bay Boating Club has organised a great onshore program and with a number of supporters
also traveling to Whitianga to join the crews. This contest is shaping up to be hotly contested on the
water and a friendly social atmosphere off the water.
Follow results and pictures online www.facebook.com/elliott5.9 and for more information on the
Elliott 5.9 Class Association visit www.e59.org.nz
A full list of previous National Champions can be found online here.
About The Elliott 5.9
The Elliott 5.9 emerged in the early 1980s 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 become 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 a 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.