Ten Elliott 5.9's to sail first event in South Island Southern Circuit at Naval Point this weekend

Elliott 5.9s sailing in the 2022 South Island Southern Circuit © Elliott 5.9 Assoc

After another very successful Harken Traveller Series, which was won by the very impressive Shapeshifter, the Elliott 5.9 class focus now turns to the South Island.

The South Island Southern Circuit kicks off next weekend on 25th November with Naval Point Yacht Club hosting the Elliott 5.9 fleet. With potentially 10 boats expected, this will be a great start to the series.

There have been a few boat changes in the lead up to this series. Erotic has moved south from Wellington. Erotic will be sailed by Gary Dickson. Retro has also been sold and will now be sailed by well known Canterbury yachtsman Andrew McFarlane.

Before selling Retro, Carla Bennett sailed her last regatta in Retro at the Aviemore Classic. To again show how well the great little 5.9 performs, Team Retro, as they are known, competed in the NZ Trailer Yacht Nationals where they finished 1st on line and 2nd on corrected in their division. A great all round performance by the crew and boat alike.

Elliott 5.9s sailing in the 2022 South Island Southern Circuit - photo © Elliott 5.9 Assoc

Despite the changes in the South Island fleet, last season's Southern Circuit champion Shane Smith, on Boat 1, will be hoping to maintain his position at the head of the fleet. However, he will see some stiff competition from the growing fleet.

Mark Howard on Eagle, from Nelson, will be back alongside Seamus Tredinnic in Magpie and Glen Hoban-Watson in Chop. Retro (Andrew McFarlane), Spurt (Tom Hayes), Tight fit (John Shaw) all make up a strong contingent from the Canterbury region.

Rapido is also expected to be there but are currently working on replacing their rudder that was damaged while at the New Zealand trailer yacht nationals at Lake Aviemore. Andrew Millar, with Reheat, will hopefully also make the trip up from Timaru.

The fleet are looking forward to the great close racing and the social aspect that the Elliott 5.9 class is famous for.

The second regatta of the Southern Circuit, which is also the South Island Champs, will be held in Nelson at the Tasman Bay Cruising Club on January 20th - 21st. The final of the Southern Circuit series will be held in Picton at Queen Charlotte Yacht club March 9th - 10th.

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

Previous results can be found here elliott59.weebly.com/results.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.