The 2025 Rolex Big Boat Series Is (Almost) Here

We’re just under a week away from one of the most anticipated regattas of the annual racing calendar, the 2025 Rolex Big Boat Series (RBBS) hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club (StFYC). The four-day marathon regatta is set to feature 72 boats across six different classes (three one-design and three ORC classes), with seven races planned for each division.

Racing will start on Thursday, September 11, and wrap up on Sunday, September 14. Thursday, Friday and Saturday will each feature two races, with the first being a buoy race and the second a Bay tour race with the finish line in front of the iconic St. Francis race deck. Sunday will see only one race — the Bay tour. The popular classics division unfortunately will not be racing this year.

Off the water, the usual Big Boat Series shenanigans will be in full force, highlighted by the legendary Mt. Gay Rum party on Friday night.

J/105 Class: 27 Boats

The J/105 class is, as usual, the biggest fleet — one-design or ORC — that will be racing in this year’s Big Boat Series. The boat to beat going into the event is Ryan Simmons’ Blackhawk (SFYC), the defending champion. Blackhawk has featured almost the same team for years, and has won four of the past five Rolexes in the J/105 division. The 2022 champion, Randy Hecht’s Niuhi (SFYC), which might well have won last year were it not for a U-flag in one of the races, will not be competing.

While Blackhawk is the favorite and defending champion, they will have no shortage of competition for the Rolex. Tim Russel’s Ne*Ne (SFYC) is a perpetual contender, having finished second in four of the past six Big Boat Series, including last year’s. Rolf Kaiser and Justin Oberbauer’s Donkey Jack (StFYC) finished third at last year’s regatta, and beat Blackhawk to win the the Phyllis Kleinman Swiftsure Regatta, the unofficial tune-up event for RBBS. Jeff Littfin’s Mojo (SSC) is a regular contender, and won a Rolex in 2018. That makes Mojo the most recent non-Blackhawk J/105 Rolex winner competing in this year’s edition, with Niuhi out.

There is no shortage of other regular podium contenders in the J/105 fleet, including but not limited to Godot 2.0 (SSS), Peaches (StFYC), Arbitrage (StFYC), Beast of Burden (StFYC), Jabberwocky (StFYC), and more.

J/88 Class: Seven Boats

The J/88 class is a smaller but very fun fleet that has become a regular one-design class at Big Boat Series in recent years. Brice Dunwoodie’s Ravenette (StFYC) dominated the tune-up at Swiftsure, and comes into RBBS as the favorite. Last year’s J/88 winner, Split Water (RYC), won’t be racing. Speedwell (RYC) is another boat to watch.

Express 37: 10 Boats

The Express 37 class is twice as large as it was in last year’s RBBS. Loca Motion (MPYC), owned by Mark Chaffey and Heidi Hall, topped last year’s fleet and recorded a picket fence in the process.

One of the five boats that has joined the fleet this year will be the Cal Maritime team. The crew will be made up entirely of Cal Maritime students, with Owen Cuyler as the driver.

ORC A, B, and C: 22 Boats

RBBS will also serve as the 2025 ORC Pacific Coast Championship Regatta for the 22 ORCs, which will compete across three different fleets. Notably, Lucky Duck (StFYC) and Pacific Yankee (SDYC/NYYC/CalYC), the winners of last year’s ORC A and B fleets respectively, will not be racing.

Merlin (SPYC/DIYC), the legendary Bill Lee 68, is the highest finisher from last year’s ORC A class that will be returning. The ORC B class was dominated by the Cape 31s last year, with three of the top four finishers being the fast South African design, including Pacific Yankee. Two Cape 31s will race this year. Marc McMorris’s M2 (SDYC) returns from last year, and Ian Hill’s Sitella (Hampton Yacht Club) makes her RBBS debut.

The defending ORC C winner, Zach Berkowitz, with his J/100 Feather (StFYC), will return this year and looks to repeat in his division.

You can follow the live results of the 2025 Rolex Big Boat Series here.