ROLEX BIG BOAT SERIES
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.
Discounted entry fee ends after July 31
“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.
Sailors who come to test their skills in breeze-on conditions and challenging currents, against a field stacked with talent, will be rewarded for their efforts with top-notch socials and amenities ashore at St. Francis Yacht Club. For the winners, that includes their names engraved in perpetual trophies and, for select divisions, the chance to win a Rolex timepiece.
“It’s a week designed to reward and celebrate the best in sailing, bringing together some of the most talented helms and crews for fierce competition, but with the camaraderie and Corinthian spirit valued by sailors around the world,” says Nadine Franczyk, the 2026 Regatta Chair and a past competitor.
“St. Francis Yacht Club does a wonderful job. We’re so very happy with what the club has done to keep it competitive and interesting,” adds Laport. “We appreciate everything that goes on behind the scenes to make it happen, from the race committee to the organization ahead of time and the food. It’s a very positive experience for those who are racing. It really makes a difference.”
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.
In addition to Express 37s, other one design fleets invited to compete include J/88 and J/105, which always bring their best—the podium is no guarantee for any of the 24 J/105s that have posted their entry fees.
The event will also serve as the 2026 ORC North American Championship. To date, the 19 entrants include a raft of J/Boats and several past Rolex Big Boat Series champions, including last year’s ORC-A winner, Michael Fermin’s Infiniti 52 Zeus. They’ll be up against the 2025 ORC defending champion, Victor Wild’s TP52 Fox, and dueling another TP52 on the line, Meanie, owned by Bay Area-based Tom Akin.
Another hallmark of Rolex Big Boat Series is the Classics division. An expansion of the entry requirements, to include boats with a length overall equal to or greater than 40 feet, has drawn some new competitors to the race: Richard Leland’s 42ft S&S yawl Fairwyn and Kennett Wadsworth’s 52ft staysail schooner Wiletie.
THE 2026 REGATTA IS OPEN TO:
- One design boats from the J/88, J/105 and Express 37 classes. Other classes with a minimum number of entries may be considered with application to the Organizing Authority.
- ORC monohulls with an LOA ≥ 30 feet. ORC boats are required to have a current valid ORC International certificate issued by any national rating office. U.S. boats can apply HERE.
- Classic boats built using traditional wooden plank-on-frame construction with an LOA ≥ 40 feet and a current ORRez rating certificate. For the avoidance of doubt, cold-molded construction boats shall not qualify.
Be sure to register before July 31 to avoid late entry fees—then get ready to test your best on San Francisco Bay and celebrate your achievements shoreside at St. Francis Yacht Club.