| Rolex Big Boat Series - West Coast Sailors' Favorite Regatta |
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 For the past 42 years, the St. Francis Yacht Club has run its popular regatta, now known as the Rolex Big Boat Series. This year's competitors - currently 900-plus sailors - will celebrate a proud tradition of competition on San Francisco Bay this week, September 14-17. To date, there are 91 boats entered, across eight fleets: three for IRC-handicapped entries and five for the one-design classes, J/105, 1D35, J/120, Express 37 and Sydney 38. At the conclusion of the four-day regatta, specially engraved Rolex timepieces will be awarded to the St. Francis Yacht Club's six Perpetual Trophy winners. Principal Race Officer John Craig and his St. Francis Yacht Club race committee have mapped out 44 different courses, ranging in distance from approximately 8-32 nautical miles, which will be run on two different areas, the City Front Course and Treasure Island Course areas. Competitors race within view of the stunning San Francisco city front, Crissy Field, Alcatraz, Angel Island and the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge. The largest one-design fleet in the history of Rolex Big Boat Series, the J/105 class, stands at 35 entries. Winner of the 2005 Commodore's Cup and defending champion Scott Sellers (Larkspur, Calif.) on Donkey Jack returns to what he calls the pinnacle of the Bay's J/105 season. Sellers will have his work cut out for him competing against a talented fleet that includes Chris Perkins (San Francisco) on Good Timin', Tim Russell on Aquavit (Novato) and Tom Coates (San Francisco) on Masquerade, who recently won the class's North American Championship and the New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. "Good Timin' and Aquavit are always the boats to beat in this fleet," said Sellers. "but, we hope to peak again for Rolex Big Boat Series and win another watch. Winning a Rolex is obviously satisfying and motivating, but winning with a team of guys who are all friends like we did made it even more rewarding. We have three owners on the Donkey Jack so we won't be satisfied until we win two more." As always, the IRC division will include a diverse mix of boat types and sizes. Some of the notable entries include the Shock 40 Secret Squirrel owned by John Cladlands (San Francisco) and skippered by local sailor Peter Stoneberg; the Fox 44, Ocelot, owned by Kevin Flanigan (Portland, Ore.) and skippered by Campbell Rivers; and the DK46 Zephyra owned and skippered by Robert Youngjohns (Woodside, Calif.), which won the City of San Francisco Trophy, for its victory in 2005 (IRC B class). Also returning to defend a class championship is Steven Madeira (Menlo Park, Calif.) and his J/120 Mr. Magoo, which won the 2005 Atlantic Perpetual Trophy. "The J/120 class has been even closer this year than last, and will feature El Ocaso which was the first ever to win Boat of the Week at both Key West and the SORC in the same year," said Madeira. "If we are going to pull off a 'three-peat,' we are going to have to sail better than we ever have. "Last year was pretty much a dream scenario for me," he continued. "I cannot count the number of things that enabled us to win. My highlight was definitely the Bay Tour on the last day. I had never done well in - let alone won - a Bay Tour and we got away early on this one and led wire to wire. I don't think my feet touched ground the whole last leg I was so excited." Racing takes place on San Francisco Bay within viewing range of Pier 39 and the Marina District, between Treasure Island and the Golden Gate Bridge, with the finish line set off the St. Francis Yacht Club Race Deck. Coveted prizes for the fleet are six perpetual trophies - Richard Rheem (Sydney 38 class), St. Francis (IRC A), City of San Francisco (IRC B), Atlantic (IRC C), Keefe-Kilborn Memorial (J/120) and the Commodore's Cup (J/105). The fleets competing for each will be announced at this evening's Rolex Commodore's Reception. Regarded by sailors as one of the world's premier sailboat racing events, the Rolex Big Boat Series joins the list of other prestigious Rolex-sponsored events in 2006: the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. For more information about the Rolex Big Boat Series, contact the St. Francis Yacht Club Race Office at 415-563-6363 or www.stfyc.org. Related Items:
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