(San Francisco, CA)- One hundred and sixty-five years after a flood of
fortune seekers headed to San Francisco in search of riches during the
Gold Rush of 1849, a new generation of prospectors will be panning for
treasure during the 50th anniversary "Golden Jubilee" edition of the
Rolex Big Boat Series (RBBS) scheduled for September 11-14 at the St.
Francis Yacht Club. 
Founded
in 1964, the inaugural regatta attracted nine yachts. The popularity
of the event saw a gradual expansion through the years to the current
six divisions, with accompanying perpetual trophies, two with historical
significance: the City of San Francisco Trophy, which was established
in 1968, is one of the two golden spades used to break ground for the
Golden Gate Bridge in 1933; while the Atlantic Perpetual Trophy,
established in 1978, features the ship’s bell of the 1905 TransAtlantic
Ocean record holder Atlantic. For the current wave of forty-niners (aka
gold seekers), the six coveted trophies – which are awarded based on
fleet participation – accompany a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner
timepiece presented to the winning skippers.
That
the Rolex Big Boat Series has kept pace with the evolution of the sport
is evident by its enduring appeal to both professional and Corinthian
competitors. Breaking its tradition of including only boats 35’ and
larger has recently allowed classes such as the J/70 and Melges 24 to
follow Performance Multihulls in being added to the mix of ORR, HPR and
One Design classes racing.Rolex Big Boat Series Event Chair Pat Nolan is expecting a strong turnout by the J/70 class (expected to be about 25 boats) as the popularity of that class continues to grow. “That class (J/70) has taken off tremendously,” said Nolan. “Our event will be the West Coast alternative to the J/70 Worlds in Newport, which will be taking place concurrently. We also expect the J/120s will be back, while the J/111s should have about 10 boats on the starting line. The biggest challenge with over 100 boats racing is managing them effectively to provide the best racing. Last year, three courses kept everyone out of each other’s way, and having the finish off the club makes for a great spectacle.”
After many years as a sponsor of the St. Francis Big Boat Series, Rolex became title sponsor of the event in 2005. The event has continued to grow in stature, and now sailors from around the world come to the Rolex Big Boat Series expecting some of the best racing offered in the U.S., if not the world. Sailing photo credits- Rolex/ Daniel Forster. For more Rolex Big Boat Series sailing information
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