Burnsco Elliott 5.9 Traveller Series #1: Six different winners across the 10-race series

Elliott 5.9 Traveller Series #1 - Lake Rotiti - May 2-3, 2026 © Elliott 5.9 Assoc

The Burnsco Elliott 5.9 Traveller Series #1 at Lake Rotoiti turned on a tactical showcase over the weekend of May 2-3, providing an intense freshwater battle for the opening round of the series.

Despite initial forecasts of light conditions and concerns over how much racing would be possible, the lake delivered. While the breeze shut down during Race 2 on Saturday, it returned enough to complete five races on day one. Sunday offered slightly more pressure before fading in the early afternoon, allowing Adrian and his race team to successfully get all 10 races away—a fantastic effort from the BOPTYS officials.

The regatta was defined by its incredible depth, with six different winners across the 10-race series. Dirty Circus emerged as the early pace-setters, showing great form to hold the lead at the end of day one. When they came out and won the first race of day two, they looked poised to take a stranglehold on the contest. However, the technical nature of lake racing eventually took its toll, and they were unable to secure the results needed in the final races to hold off the charging pack, ultimately finishing fourth overall. Nevertheless, they will be pleased with their performance in these testing conditions and have high hopes for success in the upcoming regattas.

Revelry was always in the hunt, lurking just behind the leaders on day one. They found another gear on Sunday, putting together a strong final day to wrestle the title away from Dirty Circus. Led by the experienced trio of Becs Costello, her husband Ben Costello, and Richard (Bicky) Bicknell, Revelry showed that clinical consistency is the key to winning on the lake. This was another impressive performance following their second-place finish at the highly competitive Nationals. This time, the win was achieved with a slightly different crew configuration with Zib Campbell sitting out this regatta and assisting on one of the support craft, allowing Becs to enjoy success in her maiden Elliott 5.9 event.

Bloodline secured second place overall, though it was a rollercoaster weekend for them. After carrying some high scores, they balanced the scales with two race wins on day one and three solid podium finishes on day two. This was just enough to hold off a fast-finishing Reggae Shark. Skippered by Michelle Bain in a highly anticipated comeback regatta, Reggae Shark proved they haven't lost a step. Their third-place finish was well-deserved and signals that they will be a major force throughout the rest of the series.

While they didn’t quite reach the podium, the youth boat NYX, led by Ollie Davidson, sent a clear message to the fleet. With a race win, a second, and five fourth-place finishes, they proved they are a legitimate threat for the future. Zoot Allures rounded out the top five, once again proving their expertise in lake conditions, while Slam Dunk, Class Act, and Razorback all had moments of brilliance in what was one of the most competitive mid-fleet battles in recent memory.

The Elliott 5.9 one-design racing continues to produce amazing, top-level sailing. The class continues to attract high-caliber sailors and is particularly pleased to see the strong performance of female skippers and crew, alongside the ongoing progress of the youth teams involved.

The social side of the Elliott 5.9 class remains as strong as ever. The fleet enjoyed a great burgers and beers evening at the Okere Falls Store on Friday night, providing the perfect buildup to the racing. To wrap things up, the Bay of Plenty crew put on a bonus sausage sizzle for the Sunday prizegiving—a great finish to another awesome contest. The fleet now looks forward to the next stop of the Burnsco Traveller Series at Marsden Cove in June. If the parity seen at Rotoiti is any indication, the 2026 title is anyone's for the taking.

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.