ROLEX BIG BOAT SERIES NEWS
Long uphill bashes in three to four-foot seas and 20 knots, gusting higher, were rewarded with blistering downwind runs and adrenaline-saturated kite rides juiced by a flooding tide.
What goes up must come down, but the flat, fast conditions that greeted sailors at Day One of the 54th edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series, hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, California, continued on Day Two, following a short postponement to let the breeze gather.
It’s not often that Mother Nature’s agenda perfectly aligns with a regatta’s racing schedule, but that’s exactly what unfurled for the first day of racing in the St. Francis Yacht Club’s 54th annual Rolex Big Boat Series.
It all begins tomorrow whenl 76 teams that have assembled ahead of the West Coast’s toughest regatta understand that winning on San Francisco Bay requires absolute top form given the impressive levels of competition, sailing talent, and tightly choreographed teamwork that will be on display once racing commences.
When it comes to determining the fastest sailors in the West, the Rolex Big Boat Series (September 12-16, 2018), hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club, offers a once-a-year opportunity for teams to race against some of the world’s most accomplished teams on San Francisco’s tide- and wind-riven waters provided, of course, that they register for the event by August 31, 2018.
It’s hard to find a purer form of sailing than a lineup of polished teams on identical platforms, all with an equal shot at racecourse glory. This is precisely what makes One Design racing the heart and soul of the St. Francis Yacht Club’s annual Rolex Big Boat Series. From September 12-16, top teams will race in at least seven different One Design fleets, as well as several highly-competitive handicap fleets, making this the West Coast’s most competitive regatta. J/88s, J/105s, J/111s, Express 37s, J/120s, Farr 40s and Pac 52s have all met the NOR requirement of six or more entrants.
While the St. Francis Yacht Club’s annual Rolex Big Boat Series has been offering the West Coast’s most competitive fleet racing since 1964, a highlight of the 2017 regatta was the sight of five brand-new Pac52s tearing around San Francisco Bay at speeds well north of 20 knots. Given the superb sailing conditions that the Pac52 class enjoyed during their inaugural Rolex Big Boat Series, it’s not surprising that this West Coast-bred Grand Prix class plans to return to this year’s regatta (September 12-16) with additional numbers on their starting line and with added incentive to sail fast.
While there’s no question that strategy, tactics and boatspeed ultimately win sailboat races, onshore preparation also pays handsome dividends, especially when you’re going up against the West Coast’s best sailors. The St. Francis Yacht Club’s Rolex Big Boat Series (September 12-16, 2018) is widely considered to be the Left Coast’s most competitive regatta.
