Racing for Rolexes, Perpetual Trophies & ORC Championship Titles at St. Francis Yacht Club, September 16-20, 2026
It’s the ORC North American Championship. It’s 81 boats lining up to compete in five classes, with four ORC splits. It’s every 2025 trophy winner returning to defend their title. It’s over 700 sailors, plus hundreds more friends, family and fans coming to St. Francis Yacht Club for the 2026 Rolex Big Boat Series.
With four days of racing on San Francisco Bay and five evenings of socials at St. Francis Yacht Club, attendees look forward to championship sailing and world-class hospitality—what they have come to expect from this storied regatta.
ON THE WATER
The Classics division is back after a one-year hiatus, with several new competitors, thanks to expanded entry criteria. One veteran competitor is Ocean Queen V, which raced in the first-ever Big Boat Series in 1964, back when these were just the yachts of the day and not “The Classics.” Last raced at the 2019 RBBS with the late Dewey Hines at the helm, this 1951 55ft Rhodes-designed yawl is now owned by Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation and helps train youth sailors to maintain and race classic yachts. With Ocean Queen V as an educational platform, participants in PYSF’s Learn to Sail and Marine Trades programs, in collaboration with Redwood High School and the Boys & Girls Club, learn sailing and the electrical, rigging and woodworking skills required to maintain this 75-year-old wooden boat.
Then, they get to race her. Earlier this year, the PYSF youth sailors teamed up with adult volunteers and won the San Francisco Bay Master Mariners Regatta. “To see their faces and the weight of accomplishment—working on the boat, learning how to sail, and then racing and actually winning—it's just really cool,” said John Vandemoer, PYSF’s Executive Director.
That’s a sight he hopes to repeat at RBBS. Adult volunteers will race Ocean Queen V on Thursday and Friday while the kids are in school, but expect a full, multigenerational crew over the weekend. “It’s about family. It’s about access. It’s about getting kids involved and the path we can lead them on to have sailing be part of the rest of their lives," said Vandemoer.
At the other end of the performance spectrum, 30 handicap boats will be vying for the ORC North American Championship, competing in four divisions.
“We’re very excited to have our first ORC North American Championship on the Pacific coast. StFYC has been exceptional in the planning and organization of an event at this high level, and the turnout of competitive entries looks impressive,” said Matt Gallagher, Deputy Chairman of the Offshore Racing Congress. “We wish everyone good luck and look forward to crowning our new North American champions at the end of a hard-fought regatta.”
This year’s formidable ORC entrants include Rolex Sydney Hobart division winner Ron Epstein, racing his JPK 11.80 Bacchanal. Keep an eye out for the 2025 RBBS ORC A winner Zeus, a slippery-blue Infiniti 52 raced by Michael Fermin, an Australian who’s been enjoying this side of the Pacific. His recent Pacific Cup ended with “Fastest Passage,” and now spectators will watch to see if the speed translates around the buoys. Among the biggest boats are the 68ft Bill Lee-designed sled Merlin, the RP56 Vasara, the TP52 Fox, Santa Cruz 52 City Lights, Santa Cruz 50 Octavia and Santa Cruz 52 Rosebud.
Keeping it sporty: Rich and Tony Festa’s Melges 32 Groundhog Day, Dan Brumlik’s Beneteau First 30 Final Final, Stan Phillips’ Farr 30 Frequent Flyer, Dave MacEwen’s J/90 Lucky Duck and Gregory Winters’ J/35 Jarlen.
In one-design racing, the 2026 Rolex Big Boat Series welcomes the J/105s, J/88s and Express 37s.
The mark roundings will be tight as ever for the J/105s, with 30 boats stampeding around the Bay. Bruce Stone’s Arbitrage will be defending the title, with Ryan Simmons’ Blackhawk, class winner in 2024, 2023, 2021 and 2019, surely hot on his heels. There’s plenty of talent in this fleet to keep the pressure on, from other past champions such as Randy Hecht’s Niuhi (2022), with former Olympian Russ Silvestri aboard, to Jeff Littfin’s Mojo (2018) and Phillip Laby’s Godot 2.0 (2016).
The J/88s are a solid fleet of seven this year, including 2025 winner Brice Dunwoodie aboard Ravenette.
Express 37s have eight on the line, including Bartz Schneider returning for his 38th Big Boat Series—likely a record, race organizers say.
Other numbers of note include the youngest competitor—nine-year-old Luke Kaiser, racing with his dad, Rolf, on J/105 Donkey Jack—and the longest-tenured competitor, 90-year-old Ray Lotto, racing the Solaris 47, Hypatia, in ORC. In a display of leadership in sailing, as StFYC heads into its 100th year, its membership is doubling down on their sailing bonafides, with nine former commodores competing, four directors racing or serving on Race Committee and two flag officers racing, including Commodore Susan Ruhne.
OFF THE WATER
As this hits your inboxes, sailors and spectators are convening in the elegant Rolex Regatta Tent to hear Commodore Susan Ruhne and Regatta Chair Nadine Franczyk announce the following:
- ORC A is racing for a Rolex Submariner Timepiece and the St. Francis Perpetual Trophy, which was donated anonymously to StFYC in 1966 and meant to encourage competition between large offshore racing yachts.
- ORC B is racing for the City of San Francisco Perpetual Trophy, awarded at RBBS since 1968.
- ORC C is racing for a Rolex Submariner Timepiece and the Atlantic Perpetual Trophy, featuring a ship’s bell from the 1905 Transatlantic-record-breaking schooner Atlantic.
- ORC D is racing for the Keefe-Kilborn Perpetual Trophy, named in honor of late StFYC members Harold Keefe and Ray Kilborn.
- J/105s are racing for Commodore’s Cup Perpetual Trophy, established in 2004 to encourage competition among and between One Design yachts, preferably those representing fleets of San Francisco Bay.
- Express 37s are racing for the Richard Rheem Perpetual Trophy, named for longtime StFYC member and skipper of legendary racing yacht Morning Star.
The Classics are racing for the Classics Cup, established in 2019 to encourage the continued growth of classic and traditional yacht racing on the West Coast.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Follow results, online trackers and courses at the Rolex Big Boat Series website, and catch real-time updates through social media feeds on Facebook and Instagram.
Every evening following competition, attendees will gather for festive socials:
- Thursday, September 17: Crew Party and Rolex Owners Dinner
- Friday, September 18: Mount Gay Rum Party
- Saturday, September 19: Crew Dinner hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club
- Sunday, September 20: Rolex Trophy Ceremony
Fort Point Beer Company is pouring post-racing dockside refreshments. Quantum Sails provides daily weather briefings and overnight sail repair. Mustang Survival is anchored in Regatta Plaza, selling sailing gear and apparel. Official Rolex Big Boat Series merchandise is available online and on site inside StFYC’s clubhouse.
Event organizers are aiming for Platinum-level certification with Sailors for the Sea, and several sustainability partners will be on site:
- Ocean SF – Join in a Coastal Cleanup on Friday at 8:30am
- Sail to Shelter – Recycle your old or race-worn sails on Saturday
- Call of the Sea – Learn about community and youth sailing on San Francisco Bay
- International Ocean Film Festival – The world's largest ocean-focused film festival, with year-round programming and a three-day film festival at Fort Mason.
ABOUT ST. FRANCIS YACHT CLUB
St. Francis Yacht Club is one of the most esteemed yacht clubs in the world, steeped in tradition and known for innovation. Founded in 1927 with a mission to serve as the inspirational center of boating activities regionally and a leader of yachting internationally, StFYC has hosted many of the most prestigious national and world championships in sailing. With over 40 regattas on its calendar annually, StFYC is widely regarded as having one of the top racing and race management programs in the country. In addition to a worldwide reputation for on-water excellence, StFYC’s clubhouse features outstanding dining, spacious guest docks and panoramic vistas of San Francisco Bay. Each year, StFYC extends the finest hospitality to sailors visiting to compete in Rolex Big Boat Series.
For more information, please visit stfyc.com
ABOUT ROLEX
An unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise
Rolex is an integrated and independent Swiss watch manufacture. Headquartered in Geneva, the brand is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products – symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. The movements of its Oyster Perpetual and Perpetual watches are certified by COSC, then tested in-house for their precision, performance and reliability. The Superlative Chronometer certification, symbolized by the green seal, confirms that each watch has successfully undergone tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria. These are periodically validated by an independent external organization.
The word ‘Perpetual’ is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster watch. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism, invented in 1931. In the course of its history, Rolex has registered over 600 patents. At its four sites in Switzerland, the brand designs, develops and produces the majority of its watch components. A fifth site, also in Switzerland, is under construction and is expected to open in 2029. Rolex carries out its own manufacturing operations, from casting the gold alloys to machining, crafting, assembling and finishing the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Furthermore, the brand is actively involved in supporting the arts and culture, sport and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.
ROLEX AND YACHTING
Rolex celebrates human achievement, recognizing the journey marked by milestones and emotions that culminates in defining moments – determined by a path followed, not just a trophy. Since the late 1950s, Rolex has championed perseverance and resilience in yachting across all its forms – from prestigious yacht clubs to pioneering feats of exploration, legendary offshore races and its most successful sailors. Today, the Swiss watchmaker supports the innovative future of sailing through its Title Partnership of the Rolex SailGP Championship, the world’s leading sailing league where the best athletes compete on identical supercharged foiling F50 catamarans on some of the world’s most famous stretches of water. Furthermore, the brand is Title Sponsor of 15 major international events, from the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race to grand prix competition at the Rolex TP52 World Championship and spectacular gatherings at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup. Rolex also partners institutions that share its enduring commitment to sailing, including the New York Yacht Club, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Royal Yacht Squadron, Royal Ocean Racing Club, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and Royal Malta Yacht Club. Integral to this relationship are the towering figures in the sport and Rolex honours their unrelenting determination in the pursuit of excellence. From groundbreaking round-the-world yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester to modern-day sailors, Rolex celebrates the individuals who embody adaptability, teamwork and precision. The Rolex family of Testimonees includes legends Paul Cayard and Robert Scheidt, the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie, and the heroes at the heart of the Rolex SailGP Championship, Hannah Mills, Tom Slingsby and Martine Grael.
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