From Suttlebutteurope.com
San Francisco, Calif., U.S.A.: Anticipation is growing in San Francisco for the upcoming Big Boat Series Presented by Rolex, set to take place at the St. Francis Yacht Club on September 16-19. The 40th annual regatta has the added distinction of introducing IRC racing in the United States
this year. To date, there are 24 entries in the IRC fleet and a diverse fleet of one-designs that make up the 100-plus boat roster competing for six historic Perpetual Trophies.
Karl Kwok of Hong Kong, China returns to the Big Boat Series after a six-year hiatus and will compete in the nine-boat TP52 class with his one-year-old Beau Geste, which bears the same Chinese red dragon symbol of his previous campaigns. BMW Oracle Racing helmsman Gavin Brady joins the roster.
The defending TP52 class champion is Rosebud, owned by Roger Sturgeon(Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), and it will be back to defend its title. According to the class organizer, Tom Pollack, this year’s fleet – the largest to date – is particularly notable due to the change in class rules
to accommodate an asymmetrical spinnaker for inshore racing.
In the IRC class, one of the standout entries belongs to Nicholas Lykiardopulo (Athens, Greece). His Kerr 55 AERA is racing its first major regatta in the U.S. with this event and will have in its crew Jez Fanstone, skipper of News Corp in the previous Volvo Ocean Race. Although the IRC fleet will be divided into divisions based on each boat’s individual rating, the group includes such standout entries as the Schumacher 53 Swiftsure II, owned by six-time champion Sy Kleinman(Saratoga, Calif.) who has raced in the event 24 times. Robert Youngjohns(Woodside, Calif.) will debut his new DK 46 yacht Zephyra. -- Dana Paxton
Sponsored by St. Francis Yacht Club.