ROLEX BIG BOAT SERIES

Big
Winds, Big Currents, Big Boats and Big Egos all collided on the San
Francisco Bay for the running of the 44th Annual Rolex Big Boat Series
held September 11-14 and hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club. More
than 1000 yachtsmen tended 111 boats ranging in size from 35 to 78 feet
in length. The racing yachts competed in four IRC divisions and six
one-design groupings – ID35, Beneteau 36.7, Express 37, J/105,
J/120 and the Melges 32.

Racing “rock stars” were all around with the likes of John
Kilroy, Philippe Khan, Gavin Brady, Ray Davies, Trevor Baylis and Michael
Illbruck coming to San Francisco to attempt to wrestle away six big
Perpetual Trophies and some big engraved Rolex timepieces. The St. Francis
Yacht Club Race Committee prepared forty-two different courses for the
four day, seven race regatta ranging from 8 to 32 nautical miles in
length.