Thursday Was the Start of the Biggest
St. Francis YC Big Boat Series Ever!
September 17 - San Francisco
Photo Dan Nerney/Rolex
More than 1,000 sailors yesterday participated
in a distinct moment for American sailing when the Big Boat Series
Presented by Rolex kicked off, with two classes of IRC
Handicapping. Racing in the seven-race series was held on San
Francisco Bay where the two IRC fleets and an additional seven
one design classes competed under sunny skies with steady 12-
to 18-knot wind. At last evening's Rolex Commodore's Reception,
the fleets designated for each of the six Perpetual Trophies
were announced by St. Francis Yacht Club Commodore Terry Klaus.
In a successful debut on San Francisco
Bay, Nicholas Lykiardopulo's (Athens, Greece) Kerr 55 AERA
leads the IRC A class racing for the St. Francis Perpetual Trophy.
In second-place is Zephyra, the DK46 owned by Robert Youngjohns
(Woodside). Lykiardopulo and his team, which includes as skipper
former Volvo Ocean Race skipper Jez Fanstone, are on a quest
to sail the world's great regattas, with specific interest in
laying claim to the first American IRC event. From this event,
AERA will go to the Southern Hemisphere to compete in
the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, a race the team won in 1998 aboard
a previous incarnation of AERA. IRC B class, racing for
the Atlantic Perpetual Trophy, is led by Just in Time,
a Farr/Beneteau 42.6 owned by Norman Olson (Wayne, PA).
In one design racing, the closely watched
TP52 class saw very close and exciting racing among all nine
entrants. Karl Kwok's (Hong Kong) Beau Geste traded first
and second-place finishes with Makoto Uematsu's (Tokyo, Japan)
Esmeralda to tie for three points. BMW Oracle Racing helmsman
Gavin Brady serves as tactician aboard Beau Geste, a role
he has held since the inception of Kwok's modern grand prix racing
program in the late '80s. Brady's America's Cup teammates on
board include Dirk de Ridder and Jamie Gale. Defending champion
Rosebud, owned by Roger Sturgeon (Fort Lauderdale, FL),
is in fourth overall, with Yassou, owned by Jim Demetriades
(Los Angeles) is in third.
In the 31-boat J/105 class, a collision
in the first race involving a handful of competitors occurred
at a mark rounding, causing some damage and all of the boats
to retire from racing. Defending class champion Good Timin',
owned by the ubiquitous San Francisco Perkins brothers Chris,
John and Phil, are in second-place behind Tim Russell's (Novato)
Aquavit.
"We were so lucky," said Chris
Perkins, who sat out last year's Big Boat due to commitments
with Oracle BMW Racing. "In the second race, the big decision
was to either to sail toward the shore or close to Alcatraz.
We knew that because there was a late flooding tide, the shore
would be better, but there would be more wind near Alcatraz.
We went to Alcatraz and were passed by about 10 boats. They all
sailed into a hole, but we had the speed to pass them by then."
One point behind is Tom Coates's (San Francisco) Charade,
the West Coast twin of his Masquerade, which won the
New York Yacht Club Race Week presented by Rolex.
Jim Richardson (Boston, MA/Newport, RI),
still riding a high from his win at the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds
held here last week, won today's first race with his Barking
Mad, then combined that with a third to take the lead in
the nine-boat class. "It's not a bad start," said Richardson.
"We'll definitely take it." Chuck Parrish's (Hillsborough)
Slingshot, which is guided by Olympic Bronze Medalist
Jeff Madrigali, is in second place, tied on points with Barking
Mad. Steve & Fred Howe's (San Diego) Warpath,
with John Cutler on board, is in third.
Mike Garl (San Carlos) is one of two undefeated
skippers to date. His White Dove leads the Beneteau 40.7
class, while Mr. Magoo, owned by Stephen Madero (Menlo
Park) leads the J/120 class.
Photo Dan Nerney/Rolex
Two races are planned for today (Friday)
and Saturday, with one final race planned for Sunday. The Big
Boat Series presented by Rolex joins other prestigious Rolex-sponsored
events in 2004 including the Giraglia Rolex Cup, Rolex Farr 40
World Championship, Rolex Fastnet Race, Maxi Rolex Cup, Rolex
Middle Sea Race, the Rolex Miami OCR and the Rolex Sydney Hobart
Race. For results and additional information, visit www.stfyc.org.
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