Big Boat Series goes for 60th on the Bay

The 60th edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series has attracted 70 entrants for the 60th edition on September 12-15 in San Francisco, CA. With racing on the iconic San Francisco Bay, fleets of one design classes and ORC divisions will compete for Rolex watches and perpetual trophies at St. Francis Yacht Club.

“The event is such an important part of the StFYC’s history and a favorite for so many sailors and spectators to experience,” says Susan Ruhne, who chairs the regatta and is the 2024 Rear Commodore of St. Francis Yacht Club. “There is nothing like watching the fleets on three race courses duke it out on San Francisco Bay, including the classic downwind run from the Golden Gate Bridge back to the club.”

Perennial Rolex Big Boat winner in the J/105 class, Ryan Simmons and his Blackhawk team will face 29 teams to continue a strong record that includes winning in 2019, 2021 and 2023, and second in 2022

“We’re lucky, we have low turnover on our team—we’ve been sailing together a long time and it’s the big difference,” says Simmons. “Our competitive edge this year will be consistency.

“In the first two days of the regatta, you can’t lock in the win, but you can definitely take yourself out of contention, so sailing smart the first couple of days is key, but Saturday and Sunday are really where the championship will be won.”

Peter Wagner won last year’s ORC-C division on his J/111 Skeleton Key, leveraging his experience from racing in the event for almost 25 years.

“It’s always one of the highlights of our season and certainly the highlight of racing on San Francisco Bay,” says Wagner. “Some of the best, most reliable and most fun sailing conditions in the world are this time of year at this venue, the race management is second to none and the social side is always spectacular.”

Other boats returning to defend their 2023 titles include the J/88 Pelagia owned and skippered by Christos Karamanolis, Cape 31 M2 owned and skippered by Marc McMorris, and J/109 Reverie, owned and skippered by John Arens.

Event information – Race details – Facebook

TROPHIES & ROLEXES
At the Competitors’ Briefing on September 11, St. Francis Yacht Club announced which classes will be racing for the six perpetual trophies and two Rolex timepieces.

J/105
As the largest one-design fleet this year, the J/105s will compete for StFYC’s Commodore’s Cup. The top J/105 skipper will also receive a Rolex timepiece.

ORC-A
The St. Francis Perpetual Trophy, which was anonymously donated to StFYC in 1966 to encourage competition between large offshore racing yachts, will be presented to the winner of the ORC-A fleet.

ORC-B
The ORC-B division will be racing for the City of San Francisco Perpetual Trophy, which has been contested since 1968 and features one of the original spades from the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge. The winner of this division will also take home a coveted Rolex timepiece.

ORC-C
The Atlantic Perpetual Trophy, featuring a ship’s bell from the 1905 Transatlantic-record-breaking schooner Atlantic, will go to the winner of the ORC-C fleet.

EXPRESS 37
The Express 37s will race for the Keefe-Kilborn Perpetual Trophy, established in 1976 to honor the memory of late StFYC members Harold Keefe and Ray Kilborn,

J/88
The Richard Rheem Perpetual Trophy, named for longtime StFYC member and skipper of Morning Star—the yacht that proudly broke the Transpac course record in 1949 and 1953—will go to the winner of the J/88 class. The PCYA Jesse L. Carr Perpetual Captain and Crew Trophy will go to the winner of the top J/88 finisher.

CLASSICS
The Classics will compete for the Classic Cup Perpetual Trophy.

ADDITIONAL AWARDS
• All three ORC divisions will also be contesting the West Coast Championship.

• The Storm Trysail Team Trophy to the three-boat team who have entered and achieved the best score. The team must be comprised of one boat racing in an ORC class, one from a one-design class, and one from any other class.

Source: StFYC