| Close Ties. |
| By the Rolex Big Boat
Series Media Team. |
 |
Photos by Daniel Forster
for Rolex,
edited By Peter Andrews. |
| September 8, 2011. |
|
| If two and three-way ties for first are indicative of heated competition, four classes set the stage in today’s opener at the Rolex Big Boat Series for some fiery showdowns over the next three days of competition. |
|
Rolex Clock at the St Francis Yacht Club, during the Rolex
Big Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
|
 |
|
|
| A total of 81 boats took to San Francisco Bay for the 47th annual event, with all eight classes racing today. There were four divisions in IRC and four one-design classes of the J-105s’, J-120s’, the Express 37s’ and the Farr 30s’. All classes completed two races each except for the Farr 30s’ who completed three. |
| |
Canadian Ashley Wolfe's TP 52 Mayhem from Calgary Alberta and Sy Kleinman's
Swiftsure II after the start of race one, during the Rolex Big Boat Series,
San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
|
 |
|
|
"It was a perfect day," said Barry Lewis, skipper of the J-120 Chance from
Atherton. He finished 3-1 today to tie in overall scoring with John Wimer’s 1-3 on Desdemona from Half Moon Bay, and Stephen Madeira’s 2-2 on Mr Magoo from Menlo Park; all three from California ports.
"It was the typical 10 to 14 knots in the morning. Then it blew up to 18 to 20 in the afternoon, with a nice ebb tide to play all day," added Lewis. |
|
The IRC C class after a start off the Bay Bridge, during the Rolex Big
Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
|
 |
|
|
Lewis also said that in the first race, all boats converged at the marks simultaneously, and multiple lead changes maintained a status quo where no one jumped out ahead. In fact, four of the six lead boats were within 20 seconds of each other at the finish.
"It was very tight, that’s why its so much fun," said Lewis. "The second race on the city front, was three laps, so it was longer and gave us a chance to separate out." |
|
Jim Swartz's TP 52 Vesper, second after two races, during the Rolex Big
Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
|
 |
|
|
| Event Co-chair and Principal Race Officer Kevin Reeds explained that IRC boats sailed on the ‘City Course’ in the morning and switched places with the one-designs to sail the ‘North Course’ in the afternoon. Both courses are designed to highlight San Francisco’s ampitheater-like qualities and enticed no less than four television stations to trek to the St. Francis Yacht Club waterfront to gather colorful close-to-shore footage for their on-air reports. |
|
Bill Turpin's Turbo Sled Akela from Los Gatos off Alcatraz, during the
Rolex Big Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
|
 |
|
|
"It was a crystal clear, perfect start to the regatta," said Reeds, acknowledging a chilly wind but sunny skies that only occasionally succumbed to the famous low ceiling of San Francisco fog.
In J-105s’, there were also two boats tied at the top of the scoreboard. Scooter Simmons’ Blackhawk from Belvedere, California, and Donkey Jack, owned by Edward Conrads, Rolf Kaiser and Shannon Ryan from San Francisco, finished 4-1 and 1-4 respectively. |
|
Tied leader after 2 races with Donkey Jack, Scooter Simmons' J-105 Blackhawk,
during the Rolex Big Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
|
 |
|
|
"We had decent starts and in the first race, we were sixth at the first mark, then made up some boats and were able to hold them off until we were passed at the finish by Donkey Jack," said Simmons.
Simmons added that the third-place boat, Bruce Stone’s Arbitrage, was also one not to discount. It is only four points behind in the 21-boat fleet. "They won the season and this event last year. It’s all a top notch group, but we are here to win it," he added with a sly smile. |
| |
Stephen Madeira's J-120 Mr Magoo, tied for first after 2 races,
during the Rolex Big Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
|
 |
|
|
Sy Kleinman’s Sloop 54 Swiftsure II from Saratoga, California and Brad Copper’s Tripp 43 TNT, both share a three-point score to lead the IRC B class. In the Express 37 class, Bartz Schneider’s Expeditious from Crystal Bay, Nevada and Kame Richards’s Golden Moon from Alameda, California, also have three points each.
Canadian skipper Ashley Wolfe from Calgary Alberta, of the TP 52 Mayhem, enjoyed a good day in the IRC A division, squeaking out ahead of Jim Swartz’s TP 52 Vesper by one point in the final point standings. She explained that with the 78 foot turbo sled Akela serving as a road block for her team during much of the first race, they ‘couldn’t separate’ from Vesper, who finished behind them, but still won on rating. |
|
Brad Copper's Custom Tripp 43 TNT, during the Rolex Big Boat Series, San
Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
|
 |
|
|
"Akela owes us five minutes (within the rating), so it’s not about beating them; it’s about staying away from them," said Wolfe.
Wolfe, whose husband and father can both be found among her crew, says this is the first time she has matched up with Vesper and another new TP 52 PowerPlay, owned by Peter Cunningham from George Town in the Cayman Islands. She has sailed the Rolex Big Boat series for ten years now and started skippering at this event in 2005. |
|
Bartz Schneider's Express 37 Expeditious, during the Rolex Big Boat Series,
San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
|
 |
|
|
"I’ve never won and have come in second, so it’s one of those things I’m itching for."
As a woman skipper of such a powerful boat, she says she doesn’t feel much discrimination. "When I win though, I guess there’s still a little of, ‘you got beaten by a girl’."
For more information and results from the Rolex Big Boat Series, go to www.rolexbigboatseries.com. Facebook users can keep up-to-date with the St. Francis Yacht Club's Racing page at www.facebook.com/pages/St-Francis-Yacht-Club-Racing/106175099461351. |
|
Peter Cunningham's TP 52 Powerplay at the finish line, during the Rolex
Big Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
|
 |
|
|
Day 1 Results
IRC A (IRC - 8 Boats)
1. Mayhem, TP 52, Ashley Wolfe from Calgary, AB, CAN - 2, 1, for 3.
2. Vesper, TP 52, Jim Swartz from Park City, UT, USA - 1, 3, for 4.
3. PowerPlay, TP 52, Peter Cunningham from George Town, Grand Cayman, CAY - 3, 2, for 5.
IRC B (IRC - 9 Boats)
1. Swiftsure ll, Sloop 54, Sy Kleinman from Saratoga, CA, USA - 2, 1, for 3.
2. TNT, Custom Tripp 43, Brad Copper from Pt. Richmond, CA, USA - 1, 2, for 3.
3. Flyer, Reichel-Pugh 47, Rob Sjostedt from Foothill Ranch, CA, USA - 4, 3, for 7.
IRC C (IRC - 8 Boats)
1. Double Trouble, J 125 (41’), Andy Costello from Pt Richmond, CA, USA - 1, 1, for 2.
2. Timeshaver, J 125 (41’), Viggo Torbensen from Laguna Beach, CA, USA - 3, 2, for 5.
3. August Ice, J 125 (41’), Richard Ferris from Tahoe City, CA, USA - 2, 4, for 6.
IRC D (IRC - 8 Boats)
1. Dayenu, J 120 (40’), Donald Payan from Hillsborough, CA, USA - 1, 1, for 2.
2. Mirthmaker, Archambault A35, Douglas Holm and Kirk Denebeim from Corte Madera, CA, USA - 2, 2, for 4.
3. Inspired Environments, Beneteau First 40.7 (39.3’), Timothy Ballard from San Rafael, CA, USA - 4, 3, for 7.
J 105 (One Design 34.5’ - 21 Boats)
1. Blackhawk, Scooter Simmons from Belvedere, CA, USA - 4, 1, for 5.
2. Donkey Jack, Edward Conrads, Kaiser and Ryan from San Francisco, CA, USA - 1, 4, for 5.
3. Arbitrage, Bruce Stone from San Francisco, CA, USA - 2, 7, for 9.
J 120 (One Design 40’ - 7 Boats)
1. Chance, Barry Lewis from Atherton, CA, USA - 3, 1, for 4.
2. Desdemona, John S. Wimer from Half Moon Bay, CA, USA - 1, 3, for 4.
3. Mr Magoo, Stephen Madeira from Menlo Park, CA, USA - 2, 2, for 4.
Express 37 (One Design - 9 Boats)
1. Expeditious, Bartz Schneider from Crystal Bay, NV, USA - 2, 1, for 3.
2. Golden Moon, Kame Richards from Alameda, CA, USA - 1, 2, for 3.
3. Blade Runner, Michael Shlens from Palos Verdes Est., CA, USA - 4, 3, for 7.
Farr 30 (One Design - 12 Boats)
1. Eight Ball, Scott Easom from San Rafael, CA, USA - 2, 4, 1, for 7.
2. Barking Mad, Jim Richardson from Boston, MA, USA - 3, 1, 5, for 9.
3. Groovederci, John Demourkas from Santa Barbara, CA, USA - 1, 6, 6, for 13. |
|
| Outimage and Rolex © 2011 |
|
|
