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The Nautilus Braids Elliott 5.9 Southern Circuit final regatta takes place this weekend as part of the Tasman Bay Cruising Club's Nelson regatta.
This highly anticipated three-day event kicks off with an invitational race on Friday, followed by round-the-buoy racing on Saturday and Sunday. The weather forecast aligns with the ongoing "summer not summer" theme, predicting cloudy, light to moderate conditions for the first two days, with an increase in wind expected on Sunday.
Racing in the one-design Elliott 5.9 Southern fleet is expected to be as competitive as ever. Four boats will travel from Christchurch to join local Elliott 5.9 stalwart Mark Howard on Eagle. Shane Smith on Boat One aims to maintain his stellar form from the series and the South Island championships. Meanwhile, Andrew McFarlane, class sponsor and skipper of Retro, returns as a strong contender, continuing his steady improvement. Garry Dixon (Erotic) and Glen Hoban-Watson (Chop) complete the fleet and will look to build on their gains from earlier regattas.
This final regatta in the series also serves as an excellent warm-up for the nationals, to be held in Napier from 3 to 5 April 2025. The nationals will bring together the North and South Island fleets, with over 20 Elliott 5.9s expected on the start line. Following a closely contested North Island Traveller Series and the steady rise of the South Island fleet, this is shaping up to be one of New Zealand’s most competitive one-design class nationals.
