"In light of new information
not available to us yesterday, we regret that we must cancel
the 2001 St. Francis Yacht Club Big Boat Series scheduled for
this weekend. Some, but by no means all, of the reasons include
President Bush's call for a National Day of Prayer on Friday,
cancellation of most sporting events, and continued transportation
difficulties.
"Many have gone to extraordinary efforts not only to put
this event on but also to get their boats here and ready to go forward.
This is a very difficult time for our nation and our hearts go
out to the families of those who perished in this terrible national
tragedy."
With those terse words, the St.
Francis YC called off the 2001 Big Boat Series, scheduled for September 13-16. After the tragic
events of Tuesday, September 11, the club had immediately canceled
all racing and social activities on Thursday and Friday, with
the regatta to be condensed into a five-race series over the
weekend. Two days later, as the magnitude of the disaster sank
in, race officials wisely pulled the plug on the abbreviated
regatta.
The biggest Big Boat Series in history - 119 boats were entered, including 35 pioneers poised to sail under the fledgling Americap
II rule - was suddenly gone, another casualty of the new world
order. The St. Francis YC will return all entry fees with a note
encouraging the owners to donate the $500 to charity. They'll
also return five expensive watches to sponsor Rolex, which had
generously offered them as trophies for the most prestigious
classes.
The canceled Series left a big hole in the West Coast sailing community's normal September ritual, not to mention a rather
significant gap in the editorial content of Latitude's
October issue. To fill the pages, we decided to brush off and
update our September 1993 article titled 30 Years of the Big
Boat Series - Thanks for the Memories. We just don't have the
heart to dwell on the canceled 38th Big Boat Series and the sad,
strange reasons behind it - but we're still game to celebrate
the 37 previous great years of this event.
So, once again, we invite you to sit back, crack open a cold
one - and enjoy a stroll down memory lane.
1964 - Young Bob 'RC' Keefe convinced
Commodore Stan Natcher that St. Francis YC should create a series
to showcase big boat yachting talent from around the world. Despite
sending out a number of invitations - including one to Queen
Elizabeth, who owned a 64-footer called Foxhound - Keefe
could only attract nine West Coast CCA boats to the first event
('Cruising Club of America' was the popular handicap rule back
then). Jim Kilroy's brand new aluminum Kialoa II was the
pre-race favorite, but Jim Wilhite's S&S 63 yawl Athene
ended up winning by a scant quarter of a point. Jim Michaels'
classic S&S 72-foot yawl Baruna was third. Other boats
in attendance were Kamalii, Audacious, Ocean Queen, Odyssey,
Orion and Santana.
The first race went up to Duxbury Reef, then to the Lightship
and back to the finish. Unfortunately, the fleet stalled out coming
home through the Gate and no one finished until 11 p.m. "We all
said the hell with that!" remembers Keefe. "From then
on, all our races were on the Cityfront." The trophy at
stake, the St. Francis Perpetual, cost the then-princely sum
of $10,000, making it the most expensive yachting trophy in the
world. Sadly, the 24-karat masterpiece was turned into a "molten
softball" in StFYC's '76 clubhouse fire.
1965 - Though originally conceived as a biennial event, the inaugural series was such fun that a 1965 regatta was quickly
organized. Jokingly labelled the 'Barient Company Annual Sales
Meeting' (Keefe, Michaels and Orient's Tim Mosely were
affiliated with that organization), the regatta brought up a
number of 'clients' from down south. It also proved to be an
effective 'feeder' for the following week's Stag Cruise to Tinsley
Island. Sixteen boats showed up this year; Grant Hoag's 20-year-old
Vixen, a tiller-driven 55-foot yawl, was the unlikely
overall winner. The crew had to man pumps all the way around
the course, and in one race actually considered beaching the
boat because they couldn't keep up with the leaks.
1966 - Baruna finally won after two near-misses. Coming
in second in the 10-boat fleet was Sirius, followed by Athene
and Orient. Keefe, Bob McCulloch, Jack Feller, Ted Schoonmaker,
Denny Jordan and others kept refining the regatta format, which
then consisted of only four races (Monday, Wednesday, Friday
and Saturday). The starting line, previously right off the clubhouse,
was moved down the Bay for safety reasons.
1967 - Viet Nam, Summer of Love, bell bottoms - did anyone really care about the Big Boat Series? Actually, ten boats did: Baruna
and Kialoa II each finished with 11.75 points; Baruna
won on the tiebreaker. They were followed by Chubasco, Stormvogel,
and Spirit.
1968 - The first winner of the newly created City of San Francisco Trophy (aka 'The Shovel') was Theo Stephens' S&S 47 Alpha,
built at his famous Stockton boatyard. Stephens beat a small
fleet which included Andale, Robon III, Gem and Bohemia.
The SF Perpetual was not contested. The late '60s through the
mid-'70s were the 'S&S Years' - seemingly everyone had one
of their designs.
1969 - Winner of the City of San Francisco Trophy was Eugene Trepte's beautiful S&S 51 Brushfire. Burke Sawyer
drove Aranji to two bullets in the early going, but ultimately fell to second in
the 14-boat fleet. Boats ranged in size from 47 to 57 feet this year.
1970 - Lightning, Theo Stephens' new aluminum S&S
57, took the Perpetual with his brother Barre, Len Delmas, Kevin O'Connell,
Tom Conroy and Peter Sutter pulling the strings. Lightning
was a rocketship upwind in a breeze, though a 'brick' in light
air. The height of her mast was scientifically calculated - it
was designed to just barely fit under the three drawbridges between
here and Stockton!
1971 - Mark Johnson's legendary Alan Gurney-designed 73-footer Windward Passage was the top big boat, easily pounding
Ken DeMeuse's Blackfin. They were so far ahead in one
race that John Rumsey actually went water-skiing behind Passage
going down the Cityfront! Lightning won the only other
class, defeating Amorita and Warrior. In 1971,
IOR was introduced both worldwide and at the BBS, a change which
would soon swell the racing ranks. (15 boats)
1972 - Jack Keefe, 'father of the modern BBS', took over the responsibility of promoting and running the regatta from his
younger brother Bob, who was having a C&C 39 named Shillelagh
built for himself at the time. Jack manned that post faithfully
until the mid-'80s. There were no 'big boats' this year, but
Bill Pascoe's Newport Beach-based Ericson 46 Bright Star
won the City of San Francisco Trophy, while Bill Clute's yellow
Ericson 39 Chiquita won the inaugural Richard Rheem Trophy.
Tribute, Yucca, Peregrina, Finesse Il and Salty Dog
were some of the stronger competitors. This was a windy year,
and the IOR boats (as opposed to CCA 'yachts') began to reveal their nasty habits. (31 boats)
1973 - Three perpetual trophies were contested for the first
time: Passage match-raced Blackfin again in the main
arena, while Warrior and Lightning had their own
match race series for the City of SF Trophy. Naturally, Passage
and Lightning won. Nat Rat, a Los Angeles-based
Tartan 41 sailed by Dick Deaver, won the Rheem, followed by Resolute
and Another Girl. This was a year of 'medium' fiberglass
production boats such as C&C 39s, Newport 41s and Morgan
42s. Most were pretty out of control downwind. (18 boats)
1974 - Lightning was the top big boat, beating Aoranji
and Aranji; Frank Kawalkowski's PJ 48 Sirona won the City of SF over
a pair of Ericson 46s and C&C 43s; and Regardless, Bob
Cole's new Tartan 41, tied with Deception in the large
Richard Rheem class. Shillelagh, Another Girl, Sunchaser,
Mistress III, Blitz and Tenacity were also players
in the Rheem division. The protest committee had its busiest
year to date; another highlight was Wednesday's clubhouse reach
in 35 knots against a strong ebb. Rock'n roll! (22 boats)
1975 - The mid-'70s were the glory days for SORC and the IOR;
they were also the end of the S&S era and the beginning of Doug
Peterson's reign. Southern California boats swept all three divisions
this year: Hawkeye, David Cuckler's odd-looking new King
48 bilgeboarder, and Vendetta, Tom Tobin and Art DeFever's
Peterson Two Tonner, had perfect records in their classes. Saudade,
Bill Pascoe's S&S 47, had three bullets and a second. Other
visiting dignitaries included Heather and Scaramouche,
both from Seattle, and Roy Disney's 52-ft Shamrock from
L.A. (29 boats)
1976 - Jack Rooklyn's Miller/Lexcen-designed Ballyhoo
came up from Australia to clobber legendary ocean racers Ragtime, Kialoa
and Windward Passage. This was maybe the windiest year
ever: Steve Taft recalls seeing 47 knots apparent while tacking
past Alcatraz on Improbable! In the first evening 'side
show' recorded, a fleet of 6-Meters squared off in the eliminations
for the Am-Aus Cup. Hundreds of 'shareholders' in the club's
St. Francis VI watched in disbelief as Tom Blackaller rammed
another boat and dismasted their investment right in front of the Men's Grill
- a true 'Kodak Moment'! Winner of the inaugural Keefe-Kilborn Trophy
was Lu Taylor's Peterson 40 Racy. IOR II - Whistle
Wing V; IOR III - High Roler; IOR IV - Les Harlander's
Mirage, a 40-foot C&C Canada's Cup design.
1977 - Not a 'big boat' year, but the competition was stiff nonetheless.
'Name' boats included Natoma, Saudade, Finesse, Cadenza, Bohemia, Racy, Allegro, Oli-Oli and others. However, all
eyes were on Dave Allen's breakthrough Holland 40 Imp,
fresh off her stunning victories at the SORC and Admiral's Cup.
Imp battered the West Coast Peterson-designed two tonners
(Racy, Vendetta, Cadenza and Incredible), solidifying
her legend. Due to the tragic fire at the clubhouse earlier in
the year, shoreside festivities occurred under a big tent on
the lawn. The trophy ceremony literally took place in the parking
lot. IOR I - Lightning; IOR II - Imp; IOR III -
High Roler; IOR IV - Mirage.
1978 - Biggest series to date, necessitating a fifth class for
the first time - hence the Atlantic Perpetual Trophy, won by Bill
Sullivan's Peterson 43 Blue Norther. Other trends included the largest
entry to date (Fred Priess' 84-ft Christine); a record
number of spectators (thanks in part to the superb new clubhouse)
and more women crewing on boats than ever before. This was also
the year when crews began having to park down in Crissy Field
to make room for fire engines or emergency vehicles (shuttle
buses came a bit later). Maxi - Windward Passage; IOR
II - Swiftsure; IOR
III - Leading Lady; IOR IV - Lois Lane. (46 boats)
1979 - A 'little' boat series again. Swiftsure, High Roler,
Wings and Brown Sugar were supposed to win, but none of them
did. The bad boys on Brown Sugar, in fact, never finished
the series: they had the dubious distinction of being the only
boat ever removed from the BBS by the Race Committee for conduct
unbecoming of gentlemen, or words to that effect. Other highlights/lowlights:
the last day's dockside swim party/water fight between the crews
of Swiftsure and Hawkeye; the inclusion of several
Olson 30s for the first and last time (they got crushed); and
the straight-bullet performance of John Reynold's new Peterson
46 Ghost in IOR II. IOR I - Hawkeye; IOR III -
Leading Lady; IOR IV - Inca. (37 boats)
1980 - A great year for spectators, featuring memorable death rolls, crash-and-burns, and assorted carnage. Five maxis and
two ULDBs (Drifter and Merlin) sailed in two divisions
of the St. Francis Perpetual Trophy for the first time. Bob Cole's
squeaky new Farr 52 Zamazaan turned heads, as did Neville
Crichton's controversial Davidson 45 Shockwave until it
dismasted in the last race. 1980 was also the year that Long
Beach Race Week, the SoCal BBS clone, debuted. Maxi - Windward
Passage; ULDB 70 - Merlin; IOR I - Zamazaan;
IOR II - Jetstream; IOR III - Leading Lady; IOR
IV - Big Wig. (59 boats)
1981- Eight SC 50s were the 'big boats' in the biggest fleet
seen yet. Bob Brockhoff and Jim DeWitt chartered Silver Streak and
won, a rare thing - rented boats seldom win the BBS. Two new
grand prix boats straight-bulleted their classes: Clay Bernard's
Davidson 50 Great Fun and Bill Power's Holland 43 High
Roler. Bill Clute's new Peterson 48 Annabelle Lee
had four bullets and a deuce. . . Bravura discovered the
rock at the end of the harbor breakwater, known ever since as
'Irv's Rock' - and boats still hit it. Lots of heavies in attendance
this year: Dennis Conner (Swiftsure), Rod Davis (High
Roler), Tom Whidden (Love Machine V) and many more.
SC 50 - Silver Streak; IOR I - Great Fun; IOR III
- Annabelle Lee; IOR III - High Roler; IOR IV -
Big Wig. (61 boats)
1982 - The two-boat maxi division was a bust (Kialoa slaughtered the Jeff Madrigali-driven Condor of Bermuda) and the wind
was mostly light and fluky. In one race, the entire fleet 'parked'
together at YRA #8 for hours! Talent in the four IOR classes
was abundant; Dave Fenix's new Peterson 55 Bullfrog, with
Steve Taft driving, was the stand-out performer of the week.
Maxi - Kialoa; IOR I - Bullfrog; IOR II - Bravura;
IOR III - Clockwork; IOR IV - Shenandoah. (52 boats)
1983 - This was the heyday of local IOR racing, with 33 of 52
boats hailing from the Bay Area. Al Schultz and Vicki Lawrence sailed
their two-week-old Camouflage to a near-perfect record in her
debut; Larry Harvey and Bill Twist won their respective classes
in their 'small boats'; Secret Love 'fouled' a tanker
in one of the most celebrated instances of interfering with commercial
traffic. SC 50 - Oaxaca; IOR I - Bullfrog; IOR
II - Camouflage; IOR III - Brooke Ann; IOR IV -
Salute. (52 boats)
1984 - The BBS becomes legal, celebrating its 21st birthday.
And what a party! Boomerang topped a six-boat maxi field;
Tomahawk and Bondi Tram, fresh from the '84 Clipper
Cup, trounced their classes. Bill Twist's Blade Runner
made her local debut. The 'all women' team on Strider,
led by Chris Corlett, enlivened the scene. This was the biggest
BBS to date, and many say the best. Maxi - Boomerang;
IOR I - Tomahawk; IOR II - Blade Runner; IOR III
- Clockwork; One Ton - Bondi Tram. (68 boats)
1985 - Four sleds constituted the 'big boat' class. At the opposite end of the spectrum, John MacLaurin and Kimo Worthington began
their Pendragon dynasty. Glory collided with Passion,
nearly sinking the latter. This series featured great weather,
the less-than-well-received plastic wrist bands to access the
club, and saw the end of the traditional 'Wednesday Businessman's
Special' (the 'spectator' race was moved back to a 1 p.m. start
from 3 p.m. in the interest of better wind and fairer racing).
Some people lament that change to this day. ULDB 70 - Blondie;
IOR I - Crazy Horse; IOR II - High Roler; IOR III
- Lobo; One Ton - Pendragon. (54 boats)
1986 - The 'big boats' were nine SC 50s this year; Gary Appleby's Farr 40 Sagacious came up from Australia to win the subjective
'overall boat of the series', a new award; bumper stickers and
buttons proclaiming 'Shit Happens' made their first recorded
appearance; Shockwave's 'Twisted Sisters' set a torrid
fashion pace. SC 50 - Racy II; IOR I - Infinity;
IOR II - Roller; IOR III - Sleeper; One Ton - Sagacious.
(53 boats)
1987 - Mongoose defeated four other sleds; Pendragon
won 'overall performer' award (dropped after this series); Peter Stocker lost
a bet and picked up the dinner tab for the Blade Runner, Bondi
Tram and Sidewinder crews at Mulherns, probably the
most expensive BBS dinner ever. General Hospital dismasted
in front of the clubhouse. ULDB 70 - Mongoose; SC 50 -
Earl of Mar; IOR I - Jubilation; IOR II - Insatiable;
One Ton - Pendragon. (45 boats)
1988 - The Big Boat Series' 25th anniversary, as well as IOR's
last big hurrah in this country. Everything fell into place to make
this a fabulous event - it followed a maxi year at the Kenwood Cup and
the One Ton Worlds held two weeks prior on the Bay. All the top
talent was there. Raul Gardini and Paul Cayard teamed up on Il
Moro to decimate eight other maxis with five bullets, while
Tom Blackaller called tactics on the victorious Great News
against nine hot 50s. Blade Runner hooked a buoy with
their lazy runner and inverted her mast three feet, but it didn't
break. The Peter Gilmour-driven maxi Sovereign broke theirs,
however. It makes us teary-eyed
just thinking about this great series - arguably the last of
the classic Big Boat Series. Maxi - Il Moro di Venezia; IOR 50 - Great
News; IOR II - Shockwave; One Ton - Pendragon.
(38 boats)
1989 - Entries and interest declined for the fifth straight year
- surely, this was the BBS's darkest hour. Cadillac sponsored this
teeny series (the first time sponsorship was allowed) and ESPN televised
it, heavy on the sleds. Taxi Dancer cooperated by dismasting
for their cameras. A dismal year for the BBS! ULDB 70 - Mongoose;
SC 50 - Hana Ho; IOR I - Shockwave; IOR II - Pendragon.
(24 boats)
1990 - After the previous year's debacle, it was time for drastic measures. Accordingly, Steve Taft, Tom Allen and Don Trask unveiled
a whole new look: the series was shortened from its previous
weeklong format to six races over four days. Two different courses
were used for the first time. And the highly-touted IMS rule
debuted to mixed reviews, while IOR wheezed through its death
throes. Meanwhile, the rest of the series quietly went one design,
with the J/35s and Express 37s apparently becoming fixtures.
A 'wild card' class, the Farallon Clippers, beefed up the numbers
and added a historical touch to the gathering. Altogether, a
brilliant comeback. ULDB 70 - Taxi Dancer; IMS I - Swiftsure;
IMS II - Phantom; IOR I - Blade Runner, IOR II
- Will; J/35 - Abba-Zaba-Jab; Express 37 - Pazzo
Express; Farallon Clipper - Cedalion. (57 boats)
1991 - Jim Ryley and Skip Allan topped the six-boat sled class
with Mirage; Larry Doane and his Morningstar gang won
the Express 37 title (the BBS doubles as their Nationals); Alan
Andrews' designs dominated IMS; the Ultimate 30s provided the
traditional late afternoon entertainment. Fun, fun, fun! ULDB
70 - Mirage; J/44 - Witch Doctor; IMS I - Cantata
II; IMS II - It's OK!; J/35 - Abba-Zaba-Jab;
Express 37 - Morningstar; Ultimate 30 - Technoyacht. (55 boats)
1992 - An upbeat year mainly
due to the presence of 11 sleds. Paul Simonsen and John Kostecki sailed Mongoose to their third BBS
win, a record surpassed only by veteran campaigner Larry Harvey
with five class wins in various boats (Brooke Ann, Crazy Horse
and Abba-Zaba-Jab). David Clarke, Dee Smith and Geoff
Stagg annihilated the IMS fleet with Cookson's High 5.
The inclusion of the 'little' J/105s was questioned by some;
'nasal flossing' was invented (or at least named); and the 'best'
collision in the history of the series occurred when Maverick
failed to duck Blondie. ULDB
70 - Mongoose; SC 50 - Gone With The Wind; IMS Grand Prix
- Cookson's High 5; IMS 'Local' - Swiftsure; J/44
- Gotcha; J/35 - Abba-Zaba-Jab; Express 37 - Re-Quest;
J/105 - Zamboni. (55 boats)
1993 - On its 30th anniversary,
the BBS was big, even if the boats weren't (the 58-foot Swiftsure was the queen of the ball).
As befitting of this milestone year, the weather was mahvalous
and the shoreside
festivities were particularly savage, beginning with the Kenwood
Cup party (Thursday), the Mt. Gay party (Friday), Hasso Plattner's
SAP party (Saturday) and, of course, the awards ceremony on Sunday.
Two new classes made their first (and last) appearances this
year - the mysterious 'FIMS' class ('fake' IMS, as administered
by StFYC) and a controversial non-spinnaker class for Swans.
SC 50 - Gone With The Wind; IMS-A - Pigs in Space;
'FIMS' - Marilyn; IMS-B - National Biscuit; J/35
- Major Damage; Express 37 - Blade Runner; J/105
- Niaweh; Swan - Zeus. (68 boats)
1994 - This was a bittersweet
year. An otherwise excellent BBS was overshadowed on Saturday afternoon when a hiking rack broke on
the twin-ruddered Twin Flyer 38, dumping most of her crew
into the chilly Bay. San Diego professional sailor Larry Klein,
skipper of the radical boat, died as a result. Meanwhile, eight
ULDB 70s and three IMS maxis gave this year a 'big boat' feel
and the so-called 'St. Francis Rule' (modified PHRF) debuted
to mixed reviews. ULDB 70 - Pyewacket; IMS Maxi - Windquest;
IMS - Bullseye; PHRF-A - Marilyn; PHRF-B - Surefire;
J/35 - Major Damage; Express 37 - Re-Quest; J/105
- Blackhawk. (67 boats)
1995 - A record 71 boats competed
this year, with a six-pack of pretty maxis headlining the show. Invariably, Sayonara
finished first but lost to Exile on corrected time, with
Windquest settling for third - more of a beauty pageant
than a race. Other highlights: High Risk dismasted in
practice the day before; Revs was hit by Swiftsure
on the starting line and knocked out of the series ("It
felt like a Volkwagen being run down by a freight train!");
the SC 70 Holua blew its rig out during the last race;
the IMS 'race after the race', i.e., heavy politicking by the
hired guns to influence current and wind input, reached ugly
new heights (read: Surface Tension); and grumbling about
the 'St. Francis Rule', especially in Class A, was heard. IMS
Maxi - Exile; ULDB 70 - Mirage; IMS - Flash Gordon;
PHRF-A - Camouflage; PHRF-B - Hot Lips; J/35 - Major
Damage; Express 37 - Blade Runner; J/105 - Invictus.
(71 boats)
1996 - This was the year the
BBS exploded - 91 boats in 11 classes! It was an epic year, featuring lots of wind, a bunch of big boats
(six IMS Maxis and five sleds), some new one design classes (the
hot 1D-48s and an international fleet of Mumm 36s gearing up
for their Worlds), and a memorable flap between the maxi owners
before the Series started. Sayonara owner Larry Ellison,
who initially refused to sail under the ICAYA owner/driver rule,
ended up dominating the class with seven bullets. Other random
memories: Morning Glory and Osprey broke their
rigs; Mick Schlens won the Express 37 class again despite briefly
losing his wife overboard in a round-up; and more visiting rockstars
than we've ever seen at the BBS. IMS Maxi - Sayonara;
ULDB 70 - Evolution; 1D-48 - Windquest; IMS - Beau Geste; Mumm 36 - Jameson; PHRF-A - Swiftsure II;
PHRF-B - It's OK!; PHRF-C - Mostly Harmless; J/35
- Rapture; Express 37 - Blade Runner; J/105 - Thrasher.
(91 boats)
1997 - "Seventy-five boats
- not bad for an 'off year'!" was Steve Taft's 'mantra' for this one. This was the first year a measurement
rule wasn't used - four classes raced levelly, while five sailed
under the StFYC-adjusted PHRF system ("a big beer can regatta").
The racing was pleasant, with monster floods, moderate winds
and, for a change, warm air and water. Noteworthy events included
a sunfish sighting inside the Bay; the second-best crash in BBS
history (Orient Express tore the back end off Mirage);
three sailors getting rides to the emergency room (Raven,
Brassy, Persuasion); and a cheating incident (substituting
a folding prop for a fixed one without telling the rating committee)
which ultimately stripped Just in Time of her ostensible
PHRF-D victory. ULDB 70 - Taxi Dancer; 1D-48 - America True; Cal 50 - Swiftsure II; PHRF-A -
Favonious; PHRF-B - Recidivist; PHRF-C - Cadenza; PHRF-D - Petard;
Express 37 - Re-Quest; J/105 - Bella Rosa. (75
boats)
1998 - The BBS got off to a fine
start, with 81 boats sailing in 10 classes. But the Series was held too late in the year (September
24-27) and things rapidly got light, shifty and just plain ugly.
Saturday's second race was so slow that boats were still finishing
at 7 p.m., and Sunday's final race was abandoned for lack of
any moving air - a first in the annals of BBS history. There
was, however the customary sled T-boning (G.I. speared
Mongoose), some tanker-dodging, and in Friday's second
race - which for unknown reasons pitted all the boats on the
same course - a pile-up at
the weather mark of Biblical proportions. The Series also marked
the third (and last) year of professional sailing in 1D-48s,
and the semi-return (and last gasp) of IMS. All in all, it was
a weird Series - more like a gigantic midwinter regatta than
the usual grand prix lovefest. ULDB 70 - Taxi ; 1D-48
- Numbers; IMS - Flash Gordon III; 'Maxi' - Javelin;
Cal 50 - Swiftsure II; PHRF-A - Mistress; PHRF-B
- Samba Pa Ti; PHRF-C - Savoir Faire; Express 37
- Eclipse; J/105 - Thrasher. (81 boats)
1999 - The Series got back on
track this year, fielding a record 95 boats in nine classes. The emphasis was away from PHRF, with
five classes (including the Farr 40s and 1D-35s in their BBS
debut) racing one design and another, ULDB 70s, racing levelly.
Taxi Dancer took the ULDB 70 trophy for the third straight
time in what was destined to be that class's last BBS appearance.
Other highlights: Wasabi and Bullseye tangling
in The Room (and, unfortunately, in the hallway) over a starting
line dispute; a foreign visitor (Rx Sight from Sweden);
the largest gathering of SC 52s to date (nine boats); Samba
Pa Ti swept the September Farr 40 wars (NOOD, Worlds, BBS);
and the 25-boat J/105 fleet distinguished themselves by logging
the most general recalls and time in the protest room. ULDB 70
- Taxi Dancer; SC 52 - Rosebud; Farr 40 - Samba
Pa Ti; 1D-35 - Joss; PHRF-A - Wasabi; PHRF-B - Charisma; PHRF-C - Pakalolo;
Express 37 - Eclipse; J/105 - Jose Cuervo. (95
boats)
2000 - The Millennium Series
was a blockbuster - 112 boats, the most ever! The jumbo-sized Series taxed the club's facilities
to the max, but a great time was had by all - except Wasabi,
which dismasted during a 30-knot puff in practice on Wednesday.
Fortunately, the wind moderated for the actual Series, which
was remarkably free of collisions, carnage, and protests (only
eight). Just 28 boats sailed handicap (with by-now institutionalized
bitching about PHRF), while 84 raced one design, including a
small J/120 class for the first time. Ken Read and his America's
Cup pro crew on the Farr 50 Esmeralda came from across
the country to sail PHRF (a first for them, no doubt); the venerable
Express 37 class appeared for the 11th straight year; and the
31-boat J/105 class recorded an unprecedented four general recalls
before successfully starting their seventh race. PHRF-A - Esmeralda; Farr 40 - Samba
Pa Ti; SC 52/50 - Ingrid; PHRF-B - High 5; 1D-35
- Heartbreaker; PHRF-C - InfraRed; J/120 - J/Bird;
Express 37 - Eclipse; J/105 - Wind Dance. (112
boats)
Well, there you have it - our
unofficial Cliff Notes guide to 37 years of the Big Boat Series. We, along with everyone else, missed
sailing in the 2001 Series, but the unexpected time off gave
us a chance to reflect on how much we've enjoyed this wonderful
event over the years. Through good and bad, the Big Boat Series
has not only endured, but helped define the West Coast sailing
scene. We've grown up with the Big Boat Series, sailing in it
and covering it for almost two decades - and it feels odd to
be deprived of it this year.
But sailboat racing is just a game, basically trivial and irrelevant
in light of last month's terrorist attack on our country. Canceling
the 2001 Series was the right thing - indeed, the only thing
- to do. When the world calms down, as it inevitably will, the Big
Boat Series will still be here. The good times and the laughter
will resume, and hopefully mean more to us than ever before.
- latitude/rkm |