Rolex Big Boat Series Takes Over

The America’s Cup ended just in time for St. Francis YC’s signature regatta, the Rolex Big Boat Series, to take over San Francisco Bay yesterday. Usually held on the second Thursday-Sunday of September, RBBS was scheduled for the end of the month in order to accommodate AC 34. What effect will the later time slot have? So far, it’s resulted in lighter wind and warmer air temperatures, as San Francisco transitions from summer to fall conditions.

Yesterday’s breeze went from light to moderate, up to 20 knots, and the regatta was able to get in three races for the new J/70 class and two for everyone else. So far so good. The TP52s Vesper and Beecom are the two biggest monohulls; Vesper won both races on Thursday. In IRC-B, Sy Kleinman’s Schumacher 54 Swiftsure, a regular on this race course, also scored two bullets. Dan Thielman’s R/P 44 Tai Kuai in HPR recorded two wins as well. In the 38-boat Melges 24 Pre-Worlds, which is having some issues with protests and appeals, Franco Rossini’s Swiss entry Blu Moon tops the leaderboard. Frank Slootman’s new J/70 Little Hand won Boat of the Day, a new award.

Friday morning is starting with a shoreside postponement of at least an hour, while we wait for the desired westerly to overpower the morning easterly. Follow along at www.rolexbigboatseries.com, or, better yet, especially if you’re already in the habit, come down to Crissy Field to watch in person.