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May’s flowers might be just arriving after April’s showers, but serious owners are already finalizing their racing calendars for what promises to be sailing’s most competitive racing season in years. For West Coast sailors and traveling teams, few regattas rival the annual Rolex Big Boat Series, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, California, this year scheduled for September 14–18, 2022. While StFYC organizes more than 130 on-the-water days of racing annually, Rolex Big Boat Series is the club’s signature event and has a 56-year history of delivering some of the country’s best keelboat racing. The NOR went live in late February, and all interested skippers are encouraged to register early to lock in preferred pricing and join StFYC in creating the best-possible event.

The Notice of Race is posted and registration is open for the 2022 Rolex Big Boat Series, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, California. Considered the most prestigious regatta on the West Coast, Rolex Big Boat Series attracts competitors from around the country and the world for four days of racing on San Francisco Bay. Winners of select fleets are awarded perpetual trophies and Rolex timepieces.

On September 15, 2022, when handicap fleets line up to compete in the Rolex Big Boat Series, they will be racing under rating rules established by the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) rather than the Offshore Rating Rule (ORR). The four-day regatta, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, California, has been racing under ORR since 2014; now in 2022, the handicap divisions will be split according to ORC rules and ORC certificates will be required to compete.

The final day of the 2021 Rolex Big Boat Series, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club, featured long courses for all eight divisions, sending boats into every corner of San Francisco Bay. Clear skies, a steady westerly and the vagaries of current provided plenty of opportunities to mix things up as sailors vied for podium positions, perpetual trophies and—for three classes—Rolex Submariner Date watches.

After a Friday night Mount Gay Lawn Party, Saturday morning seems to be a fortuitous time to raise the AP flag, signaling a delay to the start of racing on day three of Rolex Big Boat Series at St. Francis Yacht Club. After two days of 15-20 knots that had sailors raving about the perfect and predictable wind of San Francisco Bay, day three dawned with an uncharacteristic light southerly. Fortunately, the wind filled by 1300 for starts in the J/105, J/88, J/70, ORR divisions and Express 37s. The Classics started on time, also at 1300, and raced a triangular course in the center of the bay.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—San Francisco Bay served up another round of perfect racing conditions for sailors on the second day of Rolex Big Boat Series at St. Francis Yacht Club. Winds were in the steady teens for the 1100 start of Race 3 for all eight divisions, and held around 20 knots all afternoon, making for quick, dramatic runs for the finish line.