SIGHTINGS rolex big boat series preview
MOD S.A./ YVAN ZEDDA
Although the annual Rolex Big Boat Series will have concluded by the time you read this, the following analysis will serve as a preview to our November edition coverage. After several years of declining numbers, the Rolex Big Boat Series (September 26-29) has bounced back from last year’s disappointing total of 66 entries to a once-again impressive total of 110 entries. Why? Because they let small boats race in the ‘Big’ Boat Series. For the first time ever, boats under 25 feet comprise nearly half the fleet. Across the nation, whether it’s Key West, Charleston, Block Island or the West Coast, big boat numbers have been on the decline at major regattas while small boat entries have exploded. Now RBBS is no different. The largest class by far this year is that of the classic one-design sportboat, the Melges 24. RBBS will serve as the Melges 24 Pre-Worlds, and has attracted an astounding 40 boats from 12 nations. Also in attendance for the first time ever is the all-new J/70 sportboat, which has drawn eight entries for its San Francisco debut. The inaugural J/70 North Americans are the same weekend in Annapolis and feature The MOD 70 'Orion' will be one of the shining stars of the a 90-boat fleet. With a Rolex Big Boat Series. rapidly growing fleet that is outpacing old J/24 sales, expect the "small boat revolution" to be a permanent feature of the Big Boat Series from now on. Starting right in front of the race deck and running short courses, the J/70s should be one of the most entertaining classes for spectators. One of the most exciting classes of the regatta will be the HPR class. With four J/125s, a McConaghy 38 and a Farr 400, this is the one to watch. Aboard the defending champ J/125 Double Trouble, skipper Andy Costello and crew will have their hands full battling Trevor Baylis and a stacked crew on the J/125 Resolute, while Greg Slyngstad's Hamachi (also a J/125) is also said to have a very talented crew. Don Payan's McConaghy 38 Whiplash should fare well under the HPR rule, if given the right conditions and with good sail handling. Long joked to be the 'Help Premier Racing' rule, HPR was literally written around the Farr 400. Could this finally be the year that the Farr 400 does well at Big Boat? Rumor has it that the HPR class will run random-leg courses, as will the multihulls. For only the second time in the long history of RBBS, a multihull class will be included in the fleet roster, and what a class it is. With Tom Siebel's awe-inspiring MOD 70 Orion, plus a Marstrom 32, a SL 33 stacked with American Youth Sailing Force sailors, a ProSail 40 and Bill Turpin's venerable little D-Class Rocket 88, the two- and three-hull class should make for some fantastic racing. Always one of the most posh and competitive events of the year, the Rolex Big Boat Series lives up to its reputation with 22 J/105s, 7 J/120s and a healthy IRC fleet. It has also once again attracted some of the West Coast's — as well as the world's — top sailors. While many big-boat regattas are on the decline, San Francisco’s fall classic is on the rebound due to good decision-making. By allowing small boats and multihulls, and catering to new rules like HPR, RBBS has changed with the times. With an impressive roster of entries, while running literally on the heels of the world’s most important inshore regatta — America's Cup 34 — the Rolex Big Boat Series is once again cementing its place as a regatta of international relevance. Find out more at www.rolexbigboatseries.com. — ronnie simpson
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Latitude 38
• October, 2013
pfd implicated in Last month, US Sailing released their independent review panel's report on the March accident that took the life of San Diego sailor Craig Williams, a crewmember aboard the Columbia Carbon 32 Uncontrollable Urge in the Islands Race. That report points a finger at the Spinlock Deckvest lifejacket, which Williams and four other members of the six-man Urge crew were wearing, as a factor in Williams' untimely drowning at age 36. According to the report, the construction of the PFDs allowed the inflated bladders to pull over the heads of four of the crew — including Williams — in the
The start of St. Francis YC's Rolex Big Boat Series nearly coincided with the final race of the America's Cup.