We are expecting 13-15 yachts, arriving at the Whitianga Marina on trailers. Skippers and crew hail from a variety of clubs including Royal NZ Yacht Squadron, Napier, Opua and Torbay.
Each yacht has three crew plus shore support, so a good number of out-of-town guests will be in Mercury Bay.
Volunteers from Mercury Bay Boating Club (MBBC) will make up the race management team: principal race officer, mark boat crew, shore crew on water safety. Junior sailors will be assisting senior club members, a great learning experience.
These yachts are engineless and hence must be towed from the marina to the racecourse in the bay. MBBC volunteers will conduct these towing ops.
The racecourse will be determined based on conditions. These yachts sail what is called a “windward-leeward” course, where yachts must first sail directly upwind to a top mark (tacking all the way) and then run downwind with spinnakers to a bottom gate, before heading upwind again.
A social is to be held on Saturday night at Grace O’Malley’s.
Despite having no clubhouse out of which to operate, the MBBC continues to sponsor events that highlight the sport of sailing and benefit the community.
We appreciate the support of our community very much and I know you will welcome the crew and friends of the Regatta.
Two full days of racing, aiming for a total of 12 races.
Come and enjoy the races on Saturday.
Description of Elliot 5.9 class
The Elliott 5.9 is sailed by a crew of three and is celebrated for its responsiveness and outstanding value. It 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 become the boat of choice for top club training schemes and a breeding ground for NZ’s America’s Cup, Ocean Race and Olympic champions.
