Exceptional racing at the 60th Rolex Big Boat Series
by Michelle Slade 15 Sep 17:12 PDT
September 11-15, 2024
60th Rolex Big Boat Series © ROLEX/Daniel Forster
Breeze-on conditions showcased the skills and strategies of the podium winners.
As expected, San Francisco Bay delivered its most challenging conditions for sailors at the 60th Rolex Big Boat Series held at St. Francis Yacht Club. A consistent 15-20 knots during Thursday’s first race increased through Sunday, providing pure excitement and some incidents for the 70 competing boats. The demanding windward-leeward courses led to numerous tacking battles from the eastern part of the Bay to outside the Golden Gate Bridge, presenting several chances to change the leaderboard during downwinds to the finish line before spectators at St. Francis Yacht Club. Sailors experienced what they aimed for: world-class racing in a premier setting. Chris Perkins, the 2024 Commodore of St. Francis Yacht Club and an eight-time victor, remarked that this embodies what the Rolex Big Boat Series represents.
“We’re incredibly thrilled with how this week unfolded. The weather was outstanding, and we enjoyed three excellent days, culminating in a very windy fourth and final day. I’m relieved they only had one race today!” he stated. “Long courses and strong winds are the essence of this event, and the clubhouse has been packed with spectators watching the races. It’s been a remarkable regatta and a success on many fronts.”
“One special aspect of the last 60 years of this event is that it has drawn famous yachts from around the world. We experience cycles where 70-footers like Merlin compete as a group, then see 50-footers, and this year brought a range of boats racing under the ORC rating system, a new approach for our race management, leading us to anticipate fleet growth.”
Check all results here.
In the competitive 30-boat J/105 class, Ryan Simmons and his long-time crew on Blackhawk claimed a Rolex watch alongside his sixth RBBS victory and fourth as skipper, with an impressive 11-point lead over second place NeNe, helmed by Tim Russell. Rolf Kaiser and Justin Oberbauer, owners of Donkey Jack, secured third place.
“While there wasn’t a standout moment, we had excellent starts and, for the most part, were headed in the right direction, which worked well for us,” said Simmons. “Conditions were precisely what you’d expect for the Big Boat Series—high teens to low twenties with ebb chop. Despite winning by a solid margin, it doesn’t diminish the fierce competition in this fleet. On Thursday, we had a thrilling photo finish with Randy Hecht and his team on Niuhi, and a memorable gybing duel with Tim Russell on NeNe on Friday. The racing was intense and incredibly enjoyable. We’ve had a fantastic regatta.”
“We were going over 20 knots as we approached the finish on Saturday. It was exhilarating. This boat is exceptional for the Bay.” — Drew Freides, Pacific Yankee
The second Rolex timepiece was awarded to Drew Freides racing his Cape 31 Pacific Yankee in the ORC B division, achieving six victories over seven races. Chris Sheehan’s Warrior Won Cape 31 placed second, and Peter Wagner on his J/111 Skeleton Key came in third. This marked his first time competing in RBBS with his own boat, although he had participated in the series many times before, experiencing classic San Francisco Bay conditions.
“The Cape 31 is truly an incredible boat. We were hitting over 20 knots as we closed in on the finish on Saturday. It was wild. It’s a splendid boat for the Bay. The competition was tough, regardless of our winning margin. Both Cape 31 vessels were skillfully raced. We’ve been in a competitive battle with Warrior Won all summer along the East Coast. M2 is well sailed, and Skeleton Key, with Peter Wagner and his team, does an outstanding job.”
In ORC A, the racing concluded dramatically with a mere two-point difference between the victor Lucky Duck, Dave MacEwen’s Rogers 46, and Vasara, the custom RP56 owned by Sameer Gandhi and Carlos Badell. Chip Merlin’s Custom Bill Lee 68, Merlin, secured third.
“Our boat was meticulously prepared for this regatta. We have an exemplary crew that has sailed over 3,000 miles together this year, ensuring we have extensive experience managing the boat in high winds,” said MacEwen.
In ORC C, Zach Berkowitz’s J/100 Feather clinched victory with a robust 13.5-point margin over Bachannal, a J/133 owned by Ron Epstein. Barry Lewis, racing his J/120 Chance, finished third.
“I’m quite pleased with our performance,” said Berkowitz. “I invested considerable effort into the boat this year. We shortened the rudder by four inches, acquired a new jib, added more rake to the mast, and increased the boat’s weight. It all proved beneficial, and the boat is fast.”
Berkowitz continued, “The new mark set boats utilized for this event are fantastic. They are precise, the starting line is excellent, and there are no delays—it’s revolutionizing race management.”
Felix Weidling, Race Director of St. Francis Yacht Club, participating in his second RBBS event, acknowledged the exceptional teamwork by the club’s leadership and over 50 volunteers on the Race Committee.
“Coordinating three separate race courses simultaneously always poses challenges in managing start times, courses, and finishes for spectators,” stated Weidling. “We incorporated competitor feedback from this year’s event, which led to the use of a mark set boat in a new position where a traditional mark couldn’t be held. Consequently, sailors can expect improved courses and even more impressive sailing conditions here on the Bay in the future.”
In the J/88 class, Mark Howe’s Split Water claimed first place, finishing a solid five points ahead of Tom Thayer and Robert Milligan’s Speedwell. Third place went to Brice Dunwoodie’s Ravenette.
“The combination of shorter windward/leeward races in the morning with Bay tours in the afternoon demands all aspects of tactics, boat handling, sail handling, and, most importantly, endurance,” said Howe. “Crisis management has been critical; no boat has navigated without incidents, but maintaining composure and focus is crucial to overcoming challenges. I’m extremely proud of my crew; they’ve demonstrated dedication with enthusiasm and maintained flexibility and focus even when things became chaotic.”
Mark Chaffey and Heidi Hall’s Loca Motion dominated the Express 37 fleet with seven victories over seven races, finishing 15 points ahead of Bartz Schneider’s Expeditious. Robert Lugliani’s Phat Jack placed third. Chaffey has raced in RBBS 12 times and has reached the podium twice. He expressed delight over this regatta’s results.
“Once again, Big Boat delivers. We started from the bottom in 2007 and have been steadily improving!” exclaimed Chaffey. “I appreciate the quality of racing at this event. The Race Committee designs very challenging courses. They’re lengthy, and the racing is tough. This is a very demanding series, which we enjoy.”
View all photos here.
Trophies & Rolex watches
J/105
As the largest one-design fleet this year, the J/105s vied for StFYC’s Commodore’s Cup as well as a Rolex watch.
1 — Blackhawk, Ryan Simmons
2 — Ne*Ne, Tim Russell
3 — Donkey Jack, Rolf Kaiser + Justin Oberbauer
J/88
The Richard Rheem Perpetual Trophy, named for a long-time StFYC member and skipper of Morning Star—the yacht that proudly broke the Transpac course record in both 1949 and 1953—was awarded to the J/88 class winner. The PCYA Jesse L. Carr Perpetual Captain and Crew Trophy also went to the top J/88 finisher.
1 — Split Water, Mark Howe
2 — Speedwell, Tom Thayer + Robert Milligan
3 — Ravenette, Brice Dunwoodie
EXPRESS 37
The Express 37s competed for the Keefe-Kilborn Perpetual Trophy, established in 1976 in memory of late StFYC members Harold Keefe and Ray Kilborn.
1 — Loca Motion, Mark Chaffey + Heidi Hall
2 — Expeditious, Bartz Schneider
3 — Phat Jack, Robert Lugliani
ORC A
The St. Francis Perpetual Trophy, which was anonymously donated to StFYC in 1966 to promote competition among large offshore racing yachts, was awarded to the ORC A fleet winner.
1 — Lucky Duck, Dave MacEwen
2 — Vasara, Sameer Gandhi + Carlos Badell
3 — Merlin, Chip Merlin
ORC B
The ORC B division raced for a Rolex watch and the City of San Francisco Perpetual Trophy, contested since 1968 and featuring one of the original spades from the Golden Gate Bridge’s opening.
1 — Pacific Yankee, Drew Freides
2 — Warrior Won, Chris Sheehan
3 — Skeleton Key, Peter Wagner
ORC C
The Atlantic Perpetual Trophy, showcasing a ship’s bell from the 1905 Transatlantic-record-setting schooner Atlantic, was awarded to the ORC C fleet winner.
1 — Feather, Zach Berkowitz
2 — Bacchanal, Ronald Epstein
3 — Chance, Barry Lewis
Classics
The Classics competed for the Classic Cup Perpetual Trophy.
1 — Mayan, Beau + Stacey Vrolyk
2 — Hurrica V, Mark Sanders
Additional Awards
The first place winner in each ORC division also earned the ORC West Coast Championship.
The Storm Trysail Team Trophy was awarded to the top-scoring three-boat team, consisting of one boat from an ORC class, one from a one-design class, and one from any other class. This year’s winners, “Team Hooligans,” included Pacific Yankee, Niuhi, and Skeleton Key.
The 61st Rolex Big Boat Series is scheduled for September 10-14, 2025 — start making plans to join us at St. Francis Yacht Club.
For further information, please visit rolexbigboatseries.com.
