The Burnsco Elliott 5.9 Traveller Series returned to the historic waters of the Bay of Islands over the weekend of 12–13 September for Round 4, hosted by the ever-hospitable Russell Boating Club. With overall series honors on the line and tight points across the leaderboard, the penultimate round delivered everything the class is known for: exhilarating one-design racing, tactical duels, and fantastic camaraderie off the water.
Launching out of Opua and heading across to the race area off Russell, the 11-boat fleet was greeted by a fresh, rising breeze on Saturday. Three hard-fought races were completed in strong conditions before gusts pushing well past 30 knots prompted the Race Officer to call a sensible end to the day’s action.
The wild Saturday conditions provided plenty of high-adrenaline drama and high-speed action, with heavy gusts claiming their fair share of victims. Wiping out under kite was a real risk with crews aboard Slam Dunk and Zoot Allures,among others, with stories to swap back at the club.
Tactically, the race course presented a classic Bay of Islands puzzle. A strong tide at the top mark caught out several crews, leading to a few costly mark hits. While working the left-hand side offered relief from the current, it forced boats close to the headland, exposing them to more unpredictable gusts and wind shifts off the nearby headland.
Despite the testing conditions, every crew came ashore with big grins after an epic day on the water. The racing at the head of the fleet was exceptionally tight between Shapeshifter and Revelry. The pair traded blows around the track all day, with Shapeshifter taking wins in Race 1 and Race 3, but only after Revelry let a solid lead evaporate on the final leg of Race 3 due to spinnaker issues, while Revelry took out Race 2. Bloodline also made an early statement on Day 1, snaring a 2nd in Race 1 and a 3rd in Race 3 to stay right in the mix. At the end of Day 1, Shapeshifter held a narrow edge at the top of the leaderboard.
Off the water, the fleet made the most of the northern hospitality. Friday night kicked off with a relaxed social gathering at the Russell Boating Club, setting a great tone for the weekend. On Saturday evening, crews gathered at the Nauti Penguin to recount the day’s high-speed action, catch up over a few quiet drinks, and cheer on the Warriors.
Sunday brought more settled conditions—a solid 15-knot breeze with puffy gusts and shifts that kept everyone on their toes. Five races were completed in quick succession, providing plenty of opportunities for moves up and down the fleet.
Shapeshifter put on a masterclass in the shifted breeze, leveraging standout boat speed and consistently finding clear air to dictate terms across the fleet. Winning three of Sunday’s five races (and finishing 2nd in another), Shapeshifter sealed the Round 4 victory with an impressive 9-point total after drops. Revelry took victory in Race 4 to lock down 2nd overall (15 pts), while Reggae Shark claimed Race 6 to secure 3rd overall (25 pts).
Behind the top three, the battle for 4th through 6th was decided by single points. Slam Dunk put together a blistering Sunday run (3-4-4-7-4) to snatch 4th place overall on 31 points. Zoot Allures showed incredible consistency, posting five top-5 finishes on Sunday to finish just one point back in 5th (32 pts). Bloodline was right in the podium conversation after another 2nd place in Race 5, but a tough final race dropped them to 6th overall on 34 points.
Further down the fleet, Class Act produced a great second day. After a tough Day 1, they had to sit out with rig issues, they found their groove on Sunday, climbing from 10th up to a 4th-place finish in Race 7 to finish 9th overall, just a single point behind Nyx.
With four of the five rounds now completed and 33 races on the board, the overall Burnsco Elliott 5.9 Traveller Series points table is poised for a thrilling showdown.
In the title race, Revelry holds onto the top spot on 95.5 net points, but Reggae Shark sits just 15.5 points adrift in 2nd (111 pts). Both teams will be leaving nothing to chance at the final regatta.
In the battle for 3rd, Bloodline holds 3rd overall on 132 points, but Zoot Allures (135 pts) is now trailing by a mere 3 points. Dirty Circus (146 pts) and Slam Dunk (146.5 pts) remain well within striking distance of the final podium spot.
Meanwhile, the battle for the Most Improved Ranking Trophy is deadlocked, with Revelry, Reggae Shark, and Bloodline all tied on +3 ranking points heading into the grand finale.
All eyes now turn to Sandspit on 17–18 October for the final round of the series, where the 2026 Traveller Series Champions and Trophy winners will be crowned.
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 https://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.
