Issue date
After finishing a close second in the previous regatta, Mike Sanderson with his FMJ Racing crew of Matthew Steven and Ash Hammond (Auckland) ran away with their first title in the 2013 Elliott 5.9 Traveller Series - finishing a comfortable first overall in Stratis Icebreaker with four race wins from six heats.
Another great fleet contested the event, highly competitive despite a couple of late withdrawals. The conditions on Bream Bay were tricky, with little wind on Saturday and a patchy breeze eventually filling in on Sunday.
Shapeshifter sailed by Nick Bastow, James Glidden and Matthew Stuart from Auckland were the next most consistent crew behind Icebreaker, stringing together a run of top 3 placings to comfortably take second overall.
Third was Animal Crackers, another top Auckland boat which was second in the 2013 Nationals. With usual owner/driver Chris Maddock overseas, Crackers was sailed by Josh Tucker and his crew of Damon Jolliffe and Jonty Cullinane Despite an OCS in Race 6, Animal Crackers finished a solid third overall, ahead of Zoot Allures (Dave Cochran, Onerahi)
Other top boats were buried in the middle of the fast improving pack, including former class champions Voodoo fifth, Brzo sixth and Slam Dunk seventh. This really demonstrates the continuing raising of the standard at each event as the fleet grows.
Icebreaker leads the 2013 Traveler Series after two events, with Voodoo and Brzo second and third overall.
The E5.9 Association wishes to acknowledge the generous support of our various class sponsors including major Marsden Cove 2013 event sponsor Doyle Sails and Gareth Cooke from Subzero Images who spent Sunday on the water with the fleet.
The E5.9 Traveler Series rolls on, and keeps growing
The next event on the series is the Auckland Champs, to be sailed in conjunction with the RAYC's Sail Akarana Series in September. The Class Association is already predicting a record fleet with several more new crews committing to joining the sixteen boats already contesting the 2013 Traveler Series.
The Elliott 5.9 Class Association President, Nathan Williams (Brzo), is delighted about the current surge of interest in the class and growth in fleet numbers; 'A core group of our owners have worked hard to rebuild our numbers over the past few years. We knew we had a great boat to sail and a great group of sailors - it was just a case of letting more people know. We've made some small refinements to the class restrictions which have worked out well. The standard at the front of the fleet is world class and the level of social activity is always an attraction.'
2013 Traveler Series Dates ... Here are the dates for the remaining regattas:
- Auckland Champs, RAYC - 14/15 September
- Gulf Harbour - 19/20 October
- Sandspit - 23/24 November
- The 2014 Nationals have been scheduled for late in 2014, and will follow the 2014 Traveler Series
