Rolex Big Boat Series - Multiple champions to compete

by Barby MacGowan on 1 Aug 2013 The 2013 Rolex Big Boat Series will again be hosted at the St. Francis Yacht Club where racers from around the globe will participate in the West Coast’s premier regatta from September 26-29. The event, in its 49th edition, will host four days of racing for monohull and multihull classes and serve as the West Coast IRC Championship, the HPR National Championship, and the Melges 24 Pre-Worlds. It will take center stage on San Francisco Bay as the first sailing event succeeding the 34th America’s Cup, and spectators will once again have front row seats to watch some thrilling racing action.

Debuting with their own class at last year’s Rolex Big Boat Series, multihulls will be returning in force this year with several new additions, including Tom Siebel’s (Felton, CA) MOD 70 Orion Racing, which is capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots and is the first West Coast entrant in this emerging global class.

Also returning will be the IRC classes, with the IRC 52 Vesper, owned by Jim Swartz (Park City, Utah), looking to claim the IRC West Coast Championship after taking the IRC National Championship title at this event in 2012. The team will face tough competition from other 52s, including Tom Akins’ (Tiburon, Calif.) team aboard the RP 52 Meanie, and from many Transpac teams that will be making San Francisco their next port of call after returning from Hawaii.

'The Rolex Big Boat Series will be a lot of fun this year,' said Akins, who is fresh off his class win in the 2013 Transpac and was new to the Rolex Big Boat Series last year. 'Meanie’s design brief may be less geared towards Vesper’s strength in buoy racing, but our team, with roots in San Francisco, knows this race track, and after thousands of miles of ocean racing knows how to get the most out of this boat. We are looking forward to the competition.'

This will be the inaugural running of the HPR (High Performance Rule) National Championship, and rising to the occasion will be defending 2012 Rolex Big Boat Series HPR class champion Peter Krueger (Reno, Nev.) and his team aboard the J/125 Double Trouble.

'When you look at the type of competition in which Rolex involves itself, it is no wonder that many competitors commit to competing in the Rolex Big Boat Series year after year,' said Krueger, adding that Double Trouble also won in 2011 with co-owner Andy Costello at the helm. 'We are fortunate enough to have a great crew, great boat and great sails, but there is much more pressure this year, because when you are sitting on the top, in terms of competition, there is only one way you can go, and that is down, so we are preparing to bring our A+ game.'

Every year, six coveted awards are given for best performances in specific classes at the regatta and are accompanied by Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner watches, which are presented to the skippers. The trophies remain on display at St. Francis Yacht Club and are as follows: the St. Francis Perpetual Trophy, City of San Francisco Trophy, Richard Rheem Perpetual Trophy, Keefe-Kilborn Perpetual Trophy, Atlantic Perpetual and the Commodore’s Cup.

The NOR downloadable .pdf is loaded on the event website as is the booklet version.