| Wind Puts the “Big” in Rolex Series. |
| By the Rolex Big Boat
Series Media Team. |
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Photos by Daniel Forster
for Rolex,
edited By Peter Andrews. |
| September 10, 2011. |
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| Sailors at the Rolex Big Boat Series sensed it was going to be a difficult day when they showed up at the Saint Francis Yacht Club this morning. For the last two days, it had taken at least until after the early morning fog had lifted for the wind to reach peaks just over 20 knots. But early this morning, it was already blowing 20 to 25 with gusts nearing 28 knots and well before the first race start at 11am. |
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MarkHeidi Chaffey's Express 37 Loca Motion from Monterey California,
struggling with the wind, during the Rolex Big Boat Series, San Francisco,
California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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The conditions not letting up for the day had taken its toll on those competiting, with a fair amount of carnage out on the race course that produced both losers and winners in the battle between man and Nature.
The first boat back to the dock with damage was Scooter Simmons’ Blackhawk from Belvedere, California, which was leading the 21-boat J/105 fleet going into today. After a classic port-starboard crossing went awry, the boat was t-boned by Marc Vayn’s Whisper from San Francisco. |
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Scooter Simmons’ J 105 Blackhawk from Belvedere, California, during
the Rolex Big Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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“Whisper was on port and looked to be ducking us, but I guess his mainsheet got stuck or something and he couldn’t avoid hitting us,” said Simmons, nodding to the port-side gash in his hull topped by a tumble of stanchions. “Our goal is to seek redress for both of today’s races and get this fixed before tomorrow.”
Redress was later granted and Blackhawk added another two seconds to their score, having turned in finish positions of 4-1-2-1 over the last two days. The team still sits atop the scoreboard with Jason Woodley and Scott Whitney’s Risk from Tiburon, California, a full 12 points behind in second. |
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Start of the J 105 fleet on Day 3 of the Rolex Big Boat Series,
San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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Bartz Schneider’s Expeditious from Crystal Bay Nevada, which was only four points from leading the Express 37 class going into today, suffered a horrific spinnaker broach in race one and had to retire.
“Golden Moon and Blade Runner both crashed in front of us,” said crew member Rhim Fleischman from Corte Madera, California. “So we passed them and were in first, and thought ‘if we could just hang on’,” he added. As it happened, they couldn’t and when the boom hit the water, Expeditious nearly pitch-poled. |
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Michael Shlens' Blade Runner and Kame Richards' Golden
Moon, both Express
37's, during the Rolex Big Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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By the time the crew sorted out the broach, there was no time left to avoid going aground just yards away from the observation decks at Saint Francis Yacht Club. To make matters worse, a spinnaker sheet wrapped around the propeller when the decision was make to start the engine.
Kame Richards’ Golden Moon from Alameda, California went on to achieve a first and a second for the day, maintaining its lead from yesterday; while Michael Shlens’ Blade Runner from Palos Verdes Estates in California, posted a second and a first, moving up into second. As a result of their broach, Expeditious fell back into third, showing a further result of two races not finished. |
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Kame Richards' Express 37 Golden Moon from Alameda, California, during
the Rolex Big Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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One who didn’t find it so tough today was Jim Swartz, owner and skipper of the IRC 52 Vesper from Park City, Utah. Sailing in IRC A class, Swartz was elated after winning both races today.
“It has been a fun regatta,” said Swartz. “I’m just blessed with this awesome crew and we didn’t break anything. We talked a lot about preserving assets and taking it easy. That was of incredible importance.” |
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Jim Swartz's TP 52 Vesper from Park City, Utah, leading IRC A after 6 races,
during the Rolex Big Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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Vesper was first at the top mark in both races, which Swartz said took the ‘edge off’. His closest competitors have been two other 52 footers, Peter Cunningham’s PowerPlay and Ashley Wolfe’s Canadian boat Mayhem. PowerPlay from George Town, Cayman Islands moved into second behind Vesper today, on the strength of finishing with two seconds. As for Mayhem from Calgary Alberta, they dropped down to third from yesterday’s second, after finishing a fourth and a third.
“It has been like one-design racing,” said Swartz, about the fact that five 52s’ are racing in his class. “The rating differences are very slight,” he added. |
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Peter Cunningham’s TP 52 PowerPlay from George Town, Cayman Islands,
during the Rolex Big Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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Donald Payan from Hillsborough in California likened today’s racing to a “heavyweight boxing match.” He came out swinging and threw the last punch to finish with a first and a second today in IRC D class aboard his J/120 Dayenu.
“We finished one-two yesterday and the first day, we turned in two firsts," said Payan who now has a five-point lead over the fleet. "Not too bad! If we can keep it up tomorrow, we can win," he added.
Payan won this event last year, sailing in the J/120 one-design class and decided to try his luck in IRC this year.
"I wouldn’t have done it if there hadn’t been enough J/120s’ here to make a class without me. I’ve raced in one-design for ten years, so I thought I’d try a different fleet; for the sense of adventure if nothing else. It has been a punishing three days, but the J/120 is very stable. And when you get it in the groove going to weather in north of 16 knots, it does very well." |
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Ashley Wolfe’s Canadian TP 52, Mayhem Sail from Calgary Alberta,
during the Rolex Big Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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Payan said knock-downs are uncharacteristic for his team, but he endured some disastrous jibes today that he thought would have cost him.
“I thought we were doing so badly, but then I turned around and saw that everyone else was having trouble just the same as we were.”
While riggers and sail makers had already been working serious hours over the last two days, they were sure to be burning the midnight oil this evening. Richard Courcier’s Farr 36 Wicked from Tahoe City, California came back to the dock after it lost its spinnaker sheet, as well as its control in 34 knots of breeze.
“We are running out of sails, but we hit 20.1 knots, a new boat speed record for us,” said Courcier.
The crew aboard Bob Harford’s Express 37 Stewball said it was a 30 plus gust that caused them to break their spinnaker pole and lose a man overboard.
“We did our man overboard drill, gathered our wits about us and finished,” said crew member Pete Belghaus from Alameda in California, adding that a torn main also helped force the decision to sit out the second race. Meanwhile, John Clauser’s ID48 Bodacious from Walnut Creek California had bailed out before the start of the first race. “We simply chickened out,” said Clauser.
But despite the chaos on the Bay, the results on the scoreboard looked good for Andy Costello’s Double Trouble from Point Richmond, California. The team turned in another perfect score today with two firsts, to continue leading the IRC C class. |
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Richard Courcier’s Farr 36 Wicked from Tahoe City, California, during
the Rolex Big Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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Scott Easom’s Eight Ball from San Rafael, California, maintained its lead in the Farr 30 class, finishing with a third and a second. Brad Copper’s TNT from Point Richmond California held the lead in IRC B, with two seconds, while Barry Lewis’s Chance from Atherton, California maintained the lead in J/120 class with a first and third.
“They definitely got more than they paid for out there today,” said Event Co-Chair and Principal Race Officer Kevin Reeds. “It was big, big wind, big waves; the Rolex Big Boat series.”
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. |
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Andy Costello’s J 125 Double Trouble from Point Richmond, California
had finished first place six times by the end of Day 3, during the Rolex
Big Boat Series, San Francisco, California.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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Day 3 Results
IRC A (IRC - 8 Boats)
1. Vesper, TP 52, Jim Swartz from Park City, UT, USA - 1, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1 for 9.
2. PowerPlay, TP 52, Peter Cunningham from George Town, Grand Cayman, CAY - 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 2 for 13.
3. Mayhem, TP 52, Ashley Wolfe from Calgary, AB, CAN - 2, 1, 3, 2, 4, 3 for 15.
IRC B (IRC - 9 Boats)
1. TNT, Custom Tripp 43, Brad Copper from Point Richmond, CA, USA - 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2 for 9.
2. Swiftsure ll, Sloop 54, Sy Kleinman from Saratoga, CA, USA - 2, 1, 5, 2, 1, 1 for 12.
3. BustinLoose, Sydney 38, Jeff Pulford from Salinas, Ca, USA - 3, 4, 2, 4, 3, 3 for 19.
IRC C (IRC - 8 Boats)
1. Double Trouble, J 125, Andy Costello from Point Richmond, CA, USA - 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 for 6.
2. Resolute, J 125, Tim Fuller from Murrieta, CA, USA - 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2 for 15.
3. Timeshaver, J 125, Viggo Torbensen from Laguna Beach, CA, USA - 3, 2, 4, 5, 3, 4 for 21.
IRC D (IRC - 8 Boats)
1. Dayenu, J 120, Donald Payan from Hillsborough, CA, USA - 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2 for 8.
2. Tupelo Honey, Elan 40, Gerard Sheridan from San Francisco, CA, USA - 3, 4, 3, 3, 2, 1 for 16.
3. Mirthmaker, Archambault A35, Douglas Holm / Kirk Denebeim from Corte Madera, CA, USA - 2, 2, 1, 2, 9/DSQ, 4 for 20.
J 105 (One Design - 21 Boats)
1. Blackhawk, Scooter Simmons from Belvedere, CA, USA - 4, 1, 2, 1, 2/RDG, 2/RDG for 12.
2. Risk, Jason Woodley / Scott Whitney from Tiburon, CA, USA - 7, 3, 8, 2, 3, 1 for 24.
3. Godot, Phillip Laby from San Francisco, CA, USA - 8, 6, 5, 6, 2, 4 for 31.
J 120 (One Design - 7 Boats)
1. Chance, Barry Lewis from Atherton, CA, USA - 3, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2 for 10.
2. Mr Magoo, Stephen Madeira from Menlo Park, CA, USA - 2, 2, 3, 3, 2, 3 for 15.
3. Peregrine, David Halliwill from New York, NY, USA - 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 1 for 18.
Express 37 (One Design - 9 Boats)
1. Golden Moon, Kame Richards from Alameda, CA, USA - 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2 for 8.
2. Blade Runner, Michael Shlens from Palos Verdes Est., CA, USA - 4, 3, 4, 2, 2, 1 for 16.
3. Expeditious, Bartz Schneider from Crystal Bay, NV, USA - 2, 1, 3, 3, 10/DNF, 10/DNF for 29.
Farr 30 (One Design - 12 Boats)
1. Eight Ball, Scott Easom from San Rafael, CA, USA - 2, 4, 1, 5, 2, 3, 2 for 19.
2. Barking Mad, James Richardson from Boston, MA, USA - 3, 1, 5, 3, 4, 2, 3 for 21.
3. Groovederci, Deneen Demourkas from Santa Barbara, CA, USA - 7, 8, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1 for 22. |
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| Outimage and Rolex © 2011 |
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