After a long summer of tuning up the boat, solidifying the team and locking in race maneuvers, sailors are now preparing to test their best at Rolex Big Boat Series on September 16-20, 2026.

“All the competitors in the Express 37 fleet, they bring their best—the best crew, the best sails, everything’s the best and everyone has their A game, and that’s really exciting for us,” says Michael Laport, owner and skipper of Express 37 Golden Moon.

A relatively new owner in a relatively old fleet—Express 37s have been lining up at this event for over 30 years—this year will be Laport’s third Rolex Big Boat Series at the helm. He just missed the podium last year, so sustaining an excellent performance over four days of racing is what he, co-owner Mike Spitz, and their team have been focused on in the lead-up to the race.

Big Boat is the place that it all comes together and we can test our mettle against people who’ve been sailing Express 37s and sailing the Bay longer than we have, and we see that as a good measure of our competitiveness.”

If you race an Express 37, or any of the other boats eligible to enter, it’s not too late to turn your tiller toward San Francisco Bay and register for the 2026 Rolex Big Boat Series on September 16-20, and the sooner the better—registration fees for the 62nd Rolex Big Boat Series increase by $275 after July 31, 2026.

Registration Fees Increase after May 15, 2026, for West Coast’s Premier Regatta & ORC North American Championship

May 15 marks four months until the first starting gun of the West Coast’s most anticipated annual regatta, Rolex Big Boat Series, scheduled for September 16–20, 2026, on San Francisco Bay.