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R+R were knocked off their perch in the fourth round of the Elliott 5.9 Traveller Series at Bucklands Beach recently, with the Revelry crew pipping the series leaders.
Beno Costello, Richard Bicknell and Zib Campbell sailing Revelry took out the regatta but came under considerable pressure from an R+R combination vastly different from the one that had won two of the first three rounds and established a healthy overall lead in the series.
Chris Maddock, who is normally bowman on R+R, took over the helming duties in the absence of Craig Satterthwaite and finished strongly, winning both race eight and race nine to close the gap to two points. However, race 10 couldn't get under way in time, meaning Revelry took overall honours from R+R, with Slam Dunk third.
Revelry won the opening two races on the Saturday to quickly establish themselves as the boat to beat.
The Saturday started in moderate conditions with occasional squalls providing stronger gusts. The squalls became more persistent as the day progressed, with the breeze eventually approaching 28 knots.
While these conditions are tiring for the crew, the Elliott 5.9 responds well and there were great rides heading downwind under spinnaker.
Photos: Lissa Photography.
Revelry also won the opening race on day two to establish a handy buffer before R+R came home strongly.
The conditions had moderated to 10-15 knots for the Sunday, but some some stronger and quite shifty squalls hit the race course as the day progressed, leading to a number of postponements. Nine of the 10 scheduled races over the weekend were eventually contested.
While Revelry and R+R were asserting themselves at the top of the fleet, they did not have it all their own way. Racing throughout the rest of the fleet was again tight and this was the second regatta in a row with five different race winners.
Competitive starting was a feature of much of the racing with a number of recalls and a few disqualifications impacting overall results. The significant shifts on the Sunday also highlighted the need for good course management and tactics.
Bucklands Beach Yacht Club provided an ideal venue for the Elliott 5.9 fleet and played host to a meal and test match rugby on the Saturday night. The race committee also did a great job getting nine races away in what was at times challenging and varied conditions.
With a fleet of 15 for this regatta and 20 boats in the overall Traveller Series, it's clear the Elliott 5.9 is in a healthy position. It's hoped the final round of the series can take place at Sandspit on September 25-26.
Full results are available here and pictures here.
See here for more information on the Elliott 5.9 Class Association.
