(San Francisco, CA)- Seventy-nine teams gathered on San Francisco Bay to
sail the 55th edition of the St. Francis Yacht Club’s annual Rolex Big
Boat Series from September 11th to 15th. The regatta format is unique in
that it offers enormous challenges to the most experienced skippers,
tacticians, and crews. Their is a premium on getting good starts,
divining the swift moving currents, and executing perfectly on teamwork
to get into and out of the corners of the random leg race courses; the
StFYC PRO has over forty-three courses to choose from depending on
breeze direction and strength and factoring in the current that can
often hit 5.0 kts in some places in the Bay! This year, the contingent
of J/Teams virtually took over the Rolex Big Boat Series, with five
boats sailing ORR Division and fleets of J/70s (14), J/88s (6), and
J/105s (23) sailing one-design courses in the morning
(windward-leewards), and the random leg course in the afternoon to
finish off the fable finish line off the StFYC Race Deck! That was a
total of forty-eight J/Teams, about 61.0% of the total fleet!
The 2019 edition posed a few new challenges for the sailors this year as
the first two days were warm and light, while the second half of the
regatta on Saturday and Sunday provided classic SF Bay conditions- the
famously epic, “fresh to frightening”, “blowing dogs off chains”, 18 to
30 kts of cold Pacific Ocean breezes from the west underneath the
majestic Golden Gate Bridge. Here are the daily reports on what went
down over the four days and some of the carnage some unfortunate J/teams
endures in the big breeze.
Day 1- Dawn Glass-out to Afternoon Cruise Around
If nature abhors a vacuum, sailors have detested windless conditions
since the days of ancient mariners. Historically, there is little reason
to sing the lack-of-wind blues, given the Bay’s notorious reputation
for delivering breeze-on racing. Unfortunately, for these same sailors,
Thursday delivered one of the Bay’s rare, windless mornings forcing the
StFYC’s Race Committee to make the difficult decision to downshift from
the day’s two planned races to a single afternoon race, allowing the
slowly building sea breeze to develop and overcome the unseasonably warm
onshore temperatures enshrouding the city.
“The forecast is uncharacteristically light this week because of the
nice weather,” said Graham Biehl, the StFYC’s Race Director, who
explained that, typically speaking, high temperatures in the city equate
to light airs on the Bay. “So, we have plans to run shorter races. It’s
the reason that we have so many courses to choose from,” he said,
adding that he and his team have 43 racecourse permutations available.
“We don’t like to shorten courses— this is tricky for the racers, So,
we choose courses that are on the shorter side.”
While the AP flag flew for several (atypical) hours from the RC boat,
all competitors and organizers understood that the pain was ephemeral.
“Compared to a lot of other places that lose days to too little wind,
too much wind or lightning storms, we have it really good on the Bay,”
said Susan Ruhne, Regatta Chair for the 55th edition of the Rolex Big
Boat Series. “But I always tell people that days like this are a really
good test of a crew’s ability to shift into action when the wind fills
in. Good boats are able to just go into race mode so that when the wind
fills in, it’s game on.”
That is exactly what happened at approximately 1400 hours, local time,
when the call was made to send the eight fleets out for a single race,
which started in light airs developed into great racing late afternoon.
Once the sea breeze finally arrived, the Race Committee selected courses
that were heavy on tactical challenges but relatively shy on miles.
This smart move ensured great racing on an afternoon when the ebbing
tide opposed the westerly breeze, making for sluggish upwind and
downwind legs.
“We always say that, while we can’t control the weather, we can deliver
world-class race course management,” said Ruhne. “Today was a great
example of this. We didn’t like skipping the day’s first race, but it
was worth it to ensure fair and even racing across the Bay.”
Winning the first J/70 race was Peter Cameron’s KANGAROO JOCKEY,
followed by Chris Kostanecki’s JENNIFER and John Brigden/ Chris Snow’s
COOL STORY BRO. In the J/88s, Jim Hopps’ WHITE SHADOW started off
strongly with a bullet, with David Britt’s SPLIT WATER and Steven
Gordon’s INCONCEIVABLE rounding out the top three. In the heated J/105
battles, it was Tim Russell’s super J/105 NE*NE winning the light airs
race over Ryan Simmon’s BLACKHAWK and Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault’s
ARBITRAGE (the recent winners of the J/105 North Americans). In ORR C
Class, David Halliwill’s J/120 PEREGRINE took the win, followed by
fellow J/120 CHANCE (Barry Lewis) taking the deuce.
Day 2- More Chesapeake Bay-like weather- hot and flat!
Generally speaking, Fridays that fall on the 13th don’t enjoy a strong
reputation for events unfurling smoothly, and when it coincides with
hot, onshore temperatures in San Francisco, the situation on the Bay can
become light, patchy, or even downright breathless. Such was the case
today for the crews on Friday morning. The morning dawned bright, blue
and warm, with barely a cat’s paw aggravating the Bay. While this
certainly wasn’t the lucky start that many competitors were hoping for
at a regatta that does not drop races, the day’s silver lining was a
weather forecast that promised breeze by mid-afternoon. The AP flag
remained hoisted with sailors idling ashore until 1400 hours when enough
sea breeze arrived to allow the race committee to score a single race.
“The high temperatures ashore make it difficult to run races,” said
Graham Biehl, StFYC’s Race Director, noting that today played out much
like the first day of racing at this high-level event, with a
single—albeit high-quality—race scored in all eight fleets. “But, the
good news is that Saturday and Sunday look to be typical San Francisco
Bay conditions.”
Competition was plenty stiff in ORR-B. “It’s a competitive fleet and the
boats are exciting, with sport boats and sport-boat-like boats, so it
attracts some great talent,” said Rich Jepsen, who is serving as vice
president of US Sailing and as tactician aboard Dick Swanson’s J/111 BAD
DOG (USA 103). “We’re an amateur crew, so we’ll be happy to stay in
contact with the best boats, such as another J/111 that we spar with-
SWIFT NESS.”
In ORR C Class, the J/120s continued to perform well, with Lewis’ CHANCE
and Halliwill’s PEREGRINE scoring a 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
The J/105 class was witnessing a strong leader emerging in the form of
Ryan Simmon’s BLACKHAWK, adding a 1st to their tally to lead with just 3
pts. However, behind them it was evolving into a dogfight between three
boats- Russell’s NE*NE, ARBITRAGE, and Jeff Litfin’s MOJO.
Day 3- Classic, Epic, Fresh to Frightening Winds… Finally!
After two days of light-air racing, Mother Nature finally flipped the
fun switch on day three, giving the big-air fanatics a huge dose of the
classic Bay breeze. After starting in a beautiful morning breeze from
the west of 10-12 kts, by the time the Race Committee’s finishing gun
fell silent, gusts of 25+ knots were reported by the Golden Gate Bridge.
“The breeze came back!” said Graham Biehl, StFYC’s Race Director, the
relief from the last two days of AP flags and wind holds visible on his
now-happy face. “Thankfully the forecast materialized and we got in two
races in a row.”
While breeze-on conditions are especially helpful to the heavily
ballasted Classics class and the larger ORR-A and ORR-B boats, the same
relief visible on Biehl’s face was evident on the expressions of J/70,
J/88 and J/105 sailors, all of whom were more than happy to abandon
their cerebral, light-air skills for the kind of heart-pounding,
adrenaline-filled downhill rides that draw these One Design teams to
this regatta, year-on-year.
“The Rolex Big Boat Series is a World Championship qualifier for the
2020 J/70 Worlds, and it’s good to see a big fleet,” said Biehl. The
winning Open and Corinthian J/70 teams will both receive berths to the
2020 J/70 Worlds (July 27-August 2, 2020), which is being hosted by the
California Yacht Club in Marina Del Rey, California. “We haven’t seen
much J/70 action on the Bay since the 2016 Worlds, which we hosted at
StFYC, so it’s good to see them lining up again.”
Christy Usher, co-owner and co-skipper of CHRISTINE ROBIN, explained
that while some J/70 teams competing have already qualified for the 2020
Worlds, their prize berths transfer to the next fastest finisher if an
already-qualified team wins top honors in either the Corinthian or Open
divisions. “No mercy is being shown out there,” said Usher, adding that
every J/70 team entered the regatta to win, plain and simple. “Everybody
wants to go to next year’s Worlds because it’s local—there’s no hassle
of traveling to Europe or the East Coast, so these berths are first and
foremost in everyone’s minds.”
Scott Sellers, one of three owners of 1FA (USA 534), which is one of
five Corinthian entries amongst the 14-strong J/70 fleet, re-emphasized
what makes late-summer sailing on the Bay so special. “Tight competition
and screaming spinnaker runs all over the Bay are the most memorable
parts of Big Boat Series,” said Sellers. Harrison Turner, another one of
1FA’s co-owners, agrees. “This venue is one of the most unique in the
world that always delivers high quality racing,” said Turner. “It takes a
lot of local knowledge to sail the Big Boat Series…it really places a
premium on doing your homework and drawing on previous BBS experiences.”
John Brigden’s COOL STORY BRO beat Usher’s CHRISTINE ROBIN and
Kostanecki’s JENNIFER across the line for the day’s first race. Brigden
had a repeat performance during the day’s second race, besting Cameron’s
KANGAROO JOCKEY, followed by CHRISTINE ROBIN. After a total of four
races, COOL STORY BRO tops the J/70 class leaderboard, followed by
CHRISTINE ROBIN and 1FA.
While the J/88 class isn’t wrestling for berths to their Worlds, they
are competing for top bragging rights in their second running as a
One-Design class at the West Coast’s most competitive regatta.
“We definitely feel the pressure, every other team has been working hard
to come get us,” said Gary Panariello, skipper of COURAGEOUS and the
2018 winner of a Rolex timepiece and the Richard Rheem Perpetual Trophy.
Still, experiencing pressure and having fun are by no means mutually exclusive entities.
“The best part of racing at the Rolex Big Boat Series is the wildly
varying conditions,” said Panariello. “Breeze on and more on, water
flowing in every direction, heavy metal (ships) moving down through the
middle of the race course and lots and lots of boats trying hard to get
to the same spot.” And then there’s the matter of managing sight lines
and real-time tactics while negotiating a six-strong fleet of identical
boats. “Driving the boat downwind in big breeze is super exciting,”
continued Panariello. “The big challenge driving is that it's hard to
see anything other than the big kite! You need to have great faith that
the crew is keeping all eyes out of the boat.”
Sadly, faith didn’t keep Gordon’s INCONCEIVABLE mast vertical during the
day’s second race, as the fleet got pounded by heavy conditions on the
inside of the Golden Gate Bridge. After losing her rig over the side,
INCONCEIVABLE had to retire from the race and the regatta. But, looking
outside of the lifelines helped COURAGEOUS out-sail Britt’s SPLIT WATER
and Jeremy Moncada’s JUNO to take the day’s first bullet. Then, the
leaders flip-flopped in the second race, with SPLIT WATER claiming top
honors, followed by COURAGEOUS and Jim Hopp’s WHITE SHADOW. At day’s
end, WHITE SHADOW and SPLIT WATER were tied on points, with COURAGEOUS 2
pts back.
Meanwhile, amongst the 23-strong J/105 class– the regatta’s largest One
Design class and racing for StFYC’s Commodore’s Cup perpetual trophy and
accompanying Rolex timepiece– competition was as stiff as ever. This
began with the day’s first starting line sparring in the Treasure Island
starting area, and it continued through two races to culminate in a
series of fast, close, downwind finishes off of the StFYC’s Race Deck.
“It was really interesting and variable out there today,” said Ryan
Simmons, skipper of BLACKHAW, who reported seeing a puff of 30 knots
when they were just to the east of the Golden Gate Bridge. “By the
second leg of the second race we were seeing winds in the mid-20s, with
bigger puffs. Driving was very intense and was all about turning down in
the puffs downwind.”
BLACKHAWK’s crew proved they are equally adept at winning in a breeze as
they are in the light stuff by taking the bullet in the day’s first
race. BLACKHAWK was joined across the finish by Ian Charles’ MAVERICK
and Phillip Laby’s GODOT, in 2nd & 3rd, respectively. In the second
race, Russell’s NE*NE earned the win, followed by BLACKHAWK and Rolf
Kaiser’s DONKEY JACK. After four races, Blackhawk led the chase in the
J/105 class, followed by NE*NE and Littfin’s MOJO.
Sadly for the crews of Laby’s GODOT and William Woodruff and Sergey
Lubarsky’s RUSSIAN ROULETTE, the gusty conditions during the second race
proved stronger than their rigs, which succumbed to classic West Coast
air loading. Thankfully, no injuries were reported at press time,
however, there’s no question that this mishap will sadly prove
detrimental to both teams’ hopes of seeing their names etched onto the
Commodore’s Cup.
Day 4- More Epic, Breeze-on Weather for the “Bay Tour”!
Cool onshore temperatures, ebbing fog, flooding waters and a gathering
sea breeze greeted the sailors on the final day. That is usually a
recipe for a massive breeze to build by early afternoon. The day’s
course selection allowed all teams to strut their big-air skills while
enjoying a stadium-style finish in front of cheering fans ashore on
StFYC’s Race Deck.
ORR B Class sailors raced for The City of San Francisco Trophy, which
consists of one of the golden spades used during the 1933 groundbreaking
ceremony for the Golden Gate Bridge. After a total of five races,
Zachery Anderson and his J/125 VELVET HAMMER took the silver while
Reuben Rocci’s J/111 SWIFT NESS just missed a podium finish by 3 pts in
the epic final race, taking fourth place in the end.
ORR C Class saw the two J/120’s land on the podium, but not the in the
way Lewis’ CHANCE team wanted to end the regatta. Going into the last
race, CHANCE was leading the class by one point. However, they had their
hands full taking on a well-sailed Swan 42 and their colleagues on the
J/120 PEREGRINE. In the end, a disappointing final race 4th place
ensured CHANCE of the silver, but no Rolex Submariner watch to add to
their collection (they have won their class before!). Taking third was
Halliwill’s PEREGRINE.
StFYC’s Commodore’s Cup is awarded to the regatta’s largest One-Design
fleet, an honor that once again falls to the 23-strong J/105 class.
Simmons’ BLACKHAWK crew showcased their big-fleet-management skills to
win this proud trophy and accompanying Rolex timepiece; they were joined
on the J/105 class podium by Russell’s NE*NE and Charles’ MAVERICK, in
2nd and 3rd, respectively.
While these four classes competed for perpetual trophies and timepieces,
the racing was just as tough in other classes. For example, the J/70
class saw 14 boats on the starting lines, making it the regatta’s
second-largest One Design class. Bridgen’s COOL STORY BRO demonstrated
regatta-winning strategy and skills to take home the top prize in this
popular class. They were joined on the podium by the 1FA team (Scott
Sellers, Harrison Turner and Geoff McDonald) and Tracy and Christy
Usher’s CHRISTINE ROBIN.
Additionally, the top Corinthian and Open J/70 teams at this year’s
Rolex Big Boat Series also competed for berths at the 2020 J/70 Worlds
(July 27-August 2, 2020), which is being hosted by the California Yacht
Club in Marina Del Rey, California. 1FA and Cool Story Bro. emerged as
the Corinthian and Open winners; however, because 1FA already earned
their Corinthian berth, this slot will go to the Usher’s CHRISTINE
ROBIN.
The J/88 made its Rolex Big Boat Series debut in 2018, and the
newly-launched class returned this year with even more polished skills
and tactics, not to mention racecourse strategies honed during last
year’s regatta. Ultimately, David Britt’s SPLIT WATER took first-place
honors, followed by Panariello’s COURAGEOUS and Hopp’s WHITE SHADOW, who
took home second and third place finishes.
While all racers care about their results, they also care about sailing
on clean, plastic-free water, and StFYC took some significant steps to
make their signature regatta a significantly more sustainable event. “I
was proud that the StFYC received Sailors for the Sea’s Platinum-level
status for this year,” said Ruhne. “Seeing refillable water-bottles and
the West Marine-sponsored water bottle stations was great. We
significantly reduced the amount of single-use plastic waste at this
regatta, which is a win-win situation for everybody involved.”
Sailing photo credits- Sharon Green/ Ultimate Sailing. For
more Rolex Big Boat Series sailing information
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