Big Boat Series at St. Francis Yacht Club

Variable sailing conditions hounded this year’s 79-strong Rolex Big Boat Series fleet, but the competition was as fierce as ever for the 59th edition of the West Coast’s premier racing event. The unpredictability influenced the leaderboards daily, with shifts across most of the eight competing classes.

From a challenging ebb coupled with strong tastes in the low 20s on Thursday, to diminishing breezes each subsequent race day, even the most seasoned RBBS competitors had to work hard to earn points. But, that’s sailboat racing!

Heading into the final day of navigating the Bay’s famous currents and wind shifts, five class wins were still up for grabs as nearly 700 sailors left the docks. Only Shawn Ivie helming his Express 37 Limitless, and Shepard Kett racing his well-seasoned Santa Cruz 50 Octavia could feel satisfied that their teams were free and clear, having banked six bullets each in their respective classes.

Prior to racing on Sunday, in a longstanding StFYC tradition, boats first rounded A Buoy in front of St. Francis Yacht Club to drop flowers in the water in remembrance of recently departed sailors and friends.

ORC A

The sleek Santa Cruz 50 Octavia took a commanding lead from day one and carried it all the way through to the end, resulting in owner and skipper Shepard Kett winning the St. Francis Perpetual Trophy and a Rolex timepiece. In a seven-strong fleet, comprised of the biggest and fastest boats, second and third places in ORC A went to Ron Epstein’s J/133 Bacchanal and Aaron Wangenheim’s Santa Cruz 52 City Lights, respectively.

ORC B

ORC B proved to be an exciting fleet this year with relative newcomers, the Cape 31s, leading throughout the week. After an intense seven races, Mark Morris on his Cape 31 M2 won the City of San Francisco Trophy, followed closely by Cape 31 Full Send, owned and skippered by Dirk Freeland. Third place went to Daniel Thielman’s Melges 32 Kuai.

ORC C

Peter Wagner, owner and skipper of J/111 Skeleton Key was thrilled to make it to RBBS this year after being on the road at championship events over the past few years. His highly competitive team took first in class for the Keefe-Kilborn Trophy, with second place going to Tom and Cam Hutton’s J/100 H-Pod. Barry Lewis’ J/120 Chance took third.

ORC D

The Richard Rheem Perpetual Trophy went to ORC D winner Reverie, the J/109 owned and skippered by John Arens racing in his second RBBS. Competition was again extremely close with Don Jesberg on his Cal 40 Viva taking second and Elliott James’ Mancebo 31 Bloom County in third.

J/105

As the largest one-design fleet this year, the J/105s competed for StFYC’s Commodore’s Cup, as well as the PCYA Jesse L. Carr Perpetual Captain and Crew Trophy and a Rolex timepiece. Racing Blackhawk with his well-seasoned crew of six years, including his wife Kristin, Ryan Simmons pulled off his third RBBS win.

Jeff Littfin’s Mojo finished in second place, while Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault’s Arbitrage completed the top-of-class trifecta.

J/88

After taking second in class last year and third the year before, the top of the podium was finally Pelagia’s. Christos Karamanolis helmed to first place in the tightly contested J/88 fleet, winning the Atlantic Perpetual Trophy. Brice Dunwoodie’s Ravenette finished in second place and Mark Howe’s Split Water finished third.

EXPRESS 37

It was a home run all the way with six firsts and a third for Shawn Ivie and crew on Limitless. Racing his fifth RBBS, Ivie praised his crew for their consistent work.

Brendan Busch’s Spy vs. Spy was second and Mark Chaffey and Heidi Hall’s Loca Motion was third. All three took home class trophies.

CLASSICS

The six-strong Classics were graced by newcomer Gesture, the custom 57’ S&S owned by skipper Alex Mehran, an ocean racer competing in the division for his first time. Lead changes prevailed daily with Gesture at the top early in the event, but in the end it was Michael Zolezzi who steered the stunning 8-meter Yucca to first place and the Classics Perpetual Trophy, one-point over Gesture, and two points ahead of Mayan, Beau and Stacey Vrolyk’s Alden-designed transitional-rigged schooner, who took third.

YACHT CLUB TROPHY

Recognizing the top three boats sailing from the same yacht club with the best cumulative results, the Yacht Club Team Trophy was awarded to the St. Francis Yacht Club team of Kristin and Ryan Simmons on Blackhawk, Peter Wagner’s J/111 Skeleton Key racing in ORC B and Logan Ashcraft on J/88 Hijinks.

St. Francis Yacht Club looks forward to hosting the 60th edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series in 2024; please join us September 11-15, for the best racing of the year on San Francisco Bay.