Big Boat Series 2017

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Divisons are now posted!

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Rolex BBS 2017 Best Guess Preview

Some uneducated guessing on what may or may not happen in each division....



The J-70's, a much reduced number since last years SF Worlds, with 11 boats vs 36,
we will stick with previous results, with Snow Bigden's Cool Story Bro edging out Peter Cameron's Prime Number
as a consolation prize for not going to Porto Cervo this year, where, if you have not heard, Clicky,
there is plenty of drama but not so much sailing...




J-105's are the largest fleet this year, and its always tight at the top, but with the Perkins brothers teaming up with the Purdy's
betting against Good Timing would be foolish...




It's been an ongoing battle for supremacy in the J-120's between Barry Lewis's Chance and David Halliwill's Peregrine
One thing for sure is Twist will have the best/most rum drinks at dock afterwards...





They have dropped the California 40 title from last year, but the Farr 40's remain a competitive class,
and best guess is that Michael Shlen's Blade II still has enough talent to hold off local boats
Bright Hour and Twisted....




Express 37's, another competitive fleet, will miss the presence of Kame and crew on Golden Moon
but if 2016 was any indicator, expect Expeditious and Elan to be making some noise...




With the addition of Karl Kwock's Beau Geste, the PAC 52's qualified official as a division.
That's the good news. The bad news is Karl Kwock's Beau Geste is loaded with talent and the crew
has more time on 52's than most every other team, and has Gavin Brady calling the shots.
Going to be a great spectacle with these evenly matched boats mixing it up!




The Sportboat division, with ratings from 81 to 27 is an interesting grouping. On one hand,
if it's light, Mark Kennedy's Flying Tiger may have the advantage, but if it's on, it's
probably a dogfight between Kuai and Dont Panic




ORR A, would probably be the J-125's Timeshaver's race to lose if it wasn't for all the ratings stuff.
Somehow, on seen Swifty having a say on who perches atop the podium. Sentiment has Sy's boat and crew
bringing home some bling for it's master!




ORR B is a well matched handicap division, but with Peter Wagner's Skeleton Key on a winning streak of late,
that's where the smart money would go...




ORR C, should be Wayne Koide's Encores race, but keep and eye on Nicolas Popps's new Invictus

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Multi division down bunches from last year, after Randy Miller's Marstrom 32' exploded during last years BBS,
and Jerome Ternyck's Extreme 40' capsized during this years Bridge to Bridge (assume the rig got damaged after a night
of floating inverted on the bay). None of the Corsairs signed up, so it's a dual between Peter Stoneberg's Prosail 40' Shadow X and
Tom Siebel's Mod 70 Orion, Shadow X has Pete Melvin and Brad Webb aboard... will it be in foil mode?

[Prince of Whales]

No love for the locals on the Hand?

[IOR Geezer]

Go Swifty!

[Charlie Tuna]

Smart Recruiters did a little rig reduction exercise?

[Big Brass Balls]

Pickled Herring by a nose

[Angry Dolphin]

Tupelo Honey in an upset!

[Prince of Whales]

Breeze on today, lighter rest of week!

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Then There Was One



Peter Stoneberg's Prosail 40' Shadow X suffered structural failure with their rig in the 2nd race today near the Blackaller mark.

Full report coming up on the days racing on a blustery SF Bay

Results

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A few selects to tied you over....





























Fair Winds Sy!

[Nick Salvador]

No love for the locals on the Hand?

Gavin Brady really is that good eh? Frank is going to be looking up his skirts all weekend.

Most importantly, fair winds Sy, you were one hell of a gentleman for the short time I was able to sail with you. Your love for your crew was unparalleled. I'm priviliged to have been able to sail with you. My best to the crew of Swifty.

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Reportee Unofficial Day One:

The low pressure system that brought fog and brisk onshore winds earlier in the week began migrating east
breaking up the persistent fog, but keeping the winds intact. The 11:00 1st guns fired off on schedule with the "ALZ" Course boats
beginning west of Alcatraz and the TI" Course boats West of TI in 12-15. A bit of remaining ebb in the central bay
kept boats in the middle for the escalator ride up to the weather mark for race one, with plenty of breeze to nullify the negative current
on the eastbound legs.

In the PAC 52 Class, a tight start in race one and tight 1st weather leg, but it became apparent as leg race progressed, the tight knit
crew on Beau Geste, with their collective years of 52' sailing, Harry Dodson on the helm and Gavin Brady calling the shots, that Beau would
be setting the pace. And they did. With little exception Beau lead the parade most of the day with intriguing position battles going
on in the immediate afterguard.

Blazing the trail can have its challenges, and it was midway through Race one when the radio crackled with communique between Beau and the RC.
"RC, can you verify the location of mark 6? Is it on location? "

It was true. The oft misbehaving Mark 6 off Ft Mason had once again, gone on a walkabout. Quick action by the RC got the Cressy in correct position of the
missing mark swiftly, but forcing Beau into an undesired extra hitch to get around. A temporary mark will remain the rest of the regatta, in it's stead.

The anyone one can win on any given day mantra was in full effect, but mostly for 2nd place, and for an extra twist, Norman Davant was brought aboard Bad Pak by owner Tom Holthus.
"Norman brings great knowledge of the local waters and gives us some advantage" Tom explained after racing. Bad Pak would pull off a pair of tightly contested deuces, before losing
a protest to RIO added two point in race 2.

And what a beauty race two was, a mini marathon bay tour with a leg to Pt Diablo followed by a healthy run down to the western edge of the Berkeley Shoal, back to Blackaller, a long reach towards Blunt.
back up to Presidio shoal and to finish... Lots of close interaction with other fleets on that 2nd downhill reach with Orion even mixing it up at Blackaller with a heap of Farr 40's and 105s!

Invisible Hand was right in the hunt all day, but suffered a big setback when the wrong leeward mark was targeted, causing a hero to zero moment
and the ensuing fire drill lost bundles of time in recovery. FOX also suffered a minor setback in race 2 with some equipment issues followed by a shrimping episode in the windy patch between
Blunt and Alcatraz...


IN other divisions:

Scott Sellers IFA holds a 1 point lead over Snow Brigdens Cool Story Bro in the J-70 division

Extremely tight positioning in the J-105 division, with Arbitrage in 1st with 5 points and 3 boats, Akula, Godat, and Good Timing all with 6 points

Peregrine currently in the lead in the J-120's with 3 points, with Mr Magoo and Chance tied with 5 points


Blade has a 1 point advantage over Bright Hour in the Farr 40s


Tied at the top in the Express 37's with Eclipse and Expeditious each with a 1 and a 2 for 3points

Kuai holds a 2 point advantage over Don't Panic, with 2 Bullets vs 2 Pair in the Sporty Boat division

The late Sy Kleinman's Swiftsure currently leading ORR A

ORR B is tight, with Bustin Loose and Elusive each with 4 points

ORR C is Encore's territory with 2 aces in the hole

and Orion wins Multi division as all other competitors are broken!

[Bitchin Bow Dude]

Just heard last night that Swiftness lost their rudder on Thursday near Alcatraz.

Did some other J-111 lose a rudder recently?

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Fridays BBS



Apologies for not getting stuff up earlier. Big day Friday with the most amazing downhill legs
man has ever witnessed going down with the PAC 52's coming in from Pt Diablo to St Francis
with multiple lead changes and a gauntlet of J105s that were transiting from Blackaller toward the
central bay simultaneously.... That followed by a very nice Mt Gay rum party... well you know...

Saturday images uploading, more to follow...don't wander too far now...

Davidi Schmidt's official report below:





























Current Results


SAN FRANCISCO — Good wind is almost never in short supply on San Francisco Bay during the Rolex Big Boat Series, and day two of racing at the 53rd edition of this legendary big-air contest (September 13-17, 2017) was no exception, even if it required a one-hour shore-side postponement to allow the breeze to build. But once the starting signals began sounding, the air pressure gathered with the steepening seas, delivering what the 89 registrants came here for: full-on San Francisco Bay conditions that tested each team’s boathandling skills and endurance levels during two races stretching into the late afternoon. And while the wind speed kept ratcheting upwards as the day progressed, so too did racecourse competition levels, especially given the fact there are no discarded races at the Rolex Big Boat Series, meaning that everyone is sailing for keeps.

While the brand-new Pac52 class has been commanding headlines this week, the Rolex Big Boat Series’ heart and soul lies with classes such as J/105s, Express 37s, Farr 40s and J/120s, which are crewed by high-level Corinthian teams that have been racing in this regatta for years, if not decades. But make no mistake: many of these crews are also studded with former professional and Olympic-level sailors who, while they may no longer collect paychecks for trimming sails, are still ultra-competitive when it comes to racing against their classmates.

“Unlike short-course windward-leeward racing, the Rolex Big Boat Series uses longer courses that cover diverse parts of the Bay, which makes it possible to make significant navigational gains or losses—where a good move can reap large dividends or an error can prevent you from being able to dig back in by catching a shift,” said Bruce Stone, co-skipper of the J/105 Arbitrage (USA 116). “As a no throw-out regatta, you can’t take fliers or make large mistakes, but good straight-line boat speed is rewarded on the long legs, and any of the top boats who had a bad start will generally be able to make their way back at least to the middle of the pack and can still win the regatta.”

After four races, Chris & Phil Perkins’ Good Timin’ (NZL 35) is topping the J/105 leaderboard, followed by Phillip Laby’s Godot (USA 44) and Adam Spiegel’s Jam Session (USA 434).

Much like 24-boat-strong J/105s, Express 37s aren’t new builds, but their place on a Rolex Big Boat Series starting line is cemented by the class’s deep history on these waters. “The Express 37 fleet started racing in the Rolex Big Boat Series sometime in the mid-1980s, and we’ve competed as a fleet in every edition since then,” said Bartz Schneider, owner and skipper of the Express 37 Expeditious (USA 18478). “No other fleet has even come close.”

Interestingly, while Kame Richards’ Golden Moon (USA 18488) has dominated the Express 37 class in recent years, the defending champions were unable to return this year, placing this always-stout class in the up-for-grabs column. “We have a new dark horse in the fleet,” continued Schneider. “For the first time, Shawn Ivie will be sailing Limitless. Shawn is a highly accomplished sailor who won his division in the 2016 Pacific Cup, so Limitless is probably the boat to watch in our fleet at the Rolex Big Boat Series this year.” As for his own crew, Schneider didn’t have to waste much time making crew introductions. “We’ll be sailing with pretty much the same team we have had for the 30-40 races we have done this year.”

Sandy Andersen Wertanen’s Eclipse (USA 18495) is currently leading the hunt in the Express 37 class, however Schneider’s Expeditious and Jack Peurach’s Elan (USA 87700) are applying ample pressure from astern.

Farr 40s had their time in the spotlight as the hottest 40-footers afloat, and this class still attracts top-notch Corinthian sailors who deliver tight racing. “This is my fourth Rolex Big Boat Series,” said Gordon Leon, the owner and skipper of the Farr 40 Foil (USA 50060). “San Francisco Bay is one of the most challenging and scenic sailing venues, and we’re always rewarded with good weather, strong breezes, and close racing.” James Bradford’s Bright Hour (USA 50092) is currently topping the Farr 40 class’s results page, however with multiple races to go, this class could still be anyone’s game, especially for Michael Shlens’s Blade 2 (USA 37) and Ray Godwin’s Temptress (USA 40050) who are currently sitting in second and third places, respectively.

Skipper David Halliwill and his Peregrine (USA 25487) team won the past three editions of the J/120 class at Rolex Big Boat Series, and after four races the StFYC-flagged team is again topping the leaderboard, followed by Barry Lewis’s Chance (USA 28484) and Stephen Madeira’s Mister Magoo (USA 28289). “The crew is mostly small boat and dinghy sailors that have been sailing together for decades in large competitive fleets,” said Halliwill of his talented crew.

As for the gravity that keeps drawing the Peregrine crew back to this regatta each year, Halliwill echoed the entire regatta’s sentiment: “The high level of competition, the big-breeze and strong-current racing conditions, the camaraderie, and the StFYC and their volunteers—they consistently deliver the best experience in the world.” And, added the skipper with a fine collection of Rolex Big Boat Series trophy hardware, “Winning is fun.” Amen!

Racing continues through Sunday at this Grand Prix-level event, so please stay tuned to www.rolexbigboatseries.com for the latest news, as it breaks.