Big Boat Series Preview

(San Francisco, CA)- If it’s the third week of September, it must be that time of year for the bucket-list worthy, most famous, Rolex Big Boat Series sailing on San Francisco Bay from September 12th to 16th!  Will it “blow dogs off chains” or will it be a benign cruise around the Bay?! Whatever the case, the St Francis YC’s PRO and RC teams will ensure the big fleet will have a most excellent time racing on the Berkeley Circle in the east Bay as well as offer epic battles up and down the amazing San Francisco waterfront, as teams try to buck the powerful tides rolling in and out of the Bay at speeds up to 5 kts!

Not surprisingly, the J/105s have by far the largest fleet in the regatta, with twenty-eight boats the J/105 Fleet #1 has become the veritable “backbone” of the regatta, without which there may not be a Rolex Big Boat Series! All of the top teams will be prepared to do battle along the spectacular San Francisco city waterfront in the afternoon races and down in the Berkeley Circle for their morning races.  The teams that should feature at the top of the leaderboard include Doug Bailey’s AKULA, Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault’s ARBITRAGE, Ryan Simmons BLACKHAWK, Rolf Kaiser & Shannon Ryan’s DONKEY JACK, Phi Laby’s GODOT, Chris & Phil Perkins’ GOOD TIMIN, Adam Spiegel’s JAM SESSION, Ian Charles’ MAVERICK, Jeff Litfin’s MOJO, and Tim Russell’s NE*NE.

Sporting their biggest attendance yet in the RBBS are the J/88s on San Francisco Bay.  Eight teams will be competing for class honors on the same race tracks as the J/105 fleet. Fresh off his 4th place at the J/80 North Americans on Buzzards Bay is Gary Panariello, sailing his COURAGEOUS with a crew of local hotshots that have won their class before at RBBS.  Challenging them will be crews like Aya Yamanouchi’s BENNY, Marc McMorris’ M-SQUARED, Steve Gordon’s INCONCEIVABLE, and Paul Recktenwald’s LAZY DAWG.

In the ORR handicap world, J/crews will be sailing in two classes.  In ORR B are a trio of J/111s and a trio of J/125s, should be a fascinating dogfight between those teams on handicap time! The J/111s include Dick Swanson’s BAD DOG, Dorian McKelvy’s MADMEN, and Nesrin Basoz’s SWIFT NESS.  The J/125s have Richard Ferris’ AUGUST ICE, Viggo Torbensen’s TIMESHAVER, and Zach Anderson’s VELVET HAMMER.  At the end of the day, the Las Vegas odds in this class favor a J/111 or J/125 to win class, if not a complete class sweep, such is the talent in this offshore fleet!

The ORR C class includes a trio of J/120s, most of whom have won their one-design class in the past.  Those teams are Barry Lewis’ CHANCE, Steve Madeira’s MISTER MAGOO, and David Halliwill’s PEREGRINE. Despite sailing on ORR handicap, do not be surprised this trio of J/120s sweep their class.
Sailing photo credits- ROLEX/ Daniel Forster. For more Rolex Big Boat Series sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.


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