J/Teams Sweep Rolex Big Boat Series 2025!

(San Francisco, CA)- With a three-hour-long Bay Tour race as the final test for competitors, the 61st edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club came to a stunning close on Sunday afternoon. The skippers at the top of the podium in the J/105 and ORC B classes were awarded coveted Rolex Submariner Dates. Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault’s ARBITRAGE came away victorious in the J/105 class (the regatta’s largest fleet), and Peter Wagner’s J/111 SKELETON KEY won the ORC B division. Then, Zach Berkowitz’s J/100 FEATHER won ORC C division (a sweep by J/Teams), and Brice Dunwoodie’s RAVENETTE eclipsed the J/88 class.

Going into the final day of racing, leaders in both Rolex contending classes were ahead by five points over the nearest competitor. However, that differential did not guarantee a win for either team before the last race. The heightened stakes made for striking competition on the water, with all fleets crossing the finish line in style in front of the StFYC Clubhouse.

J/105 Class
“This regatta is very meaningful to me and my crew. My first Big Boat Series was 40 years ago,†said Bruce Stone, who last won a Rolex Submariner watch in 2014 on his J/105 ARBITRAGE. “This is the marquee event for the J/105 fleet, and now we are heading to Toronto for the J/105 North American Championships.â€

Just behind Stone’s ARBITRAGE team (Nicole Breault, Mike Kennedy, Elliot Drake, Iain Doran-Des Brisay, & Tate Howell), it was a battle for the balance of the podium. Literally, “who beat who” in the last race would determine the podium and the top five positions. Winning that battle to take the silver medal was Ryan Simmons’s BLACKHAWK team (Brent Draney, Nico Colomb, Collette Zero, Jordan Rosenlicht, & Jeremy Herzog) with 39 pts. Two points back to take the bronze medal was Tim Russell’s NE*NE team (Ben Louttit, Arne Vandenbroucke, Orlando Montalvan, Bill Melbostad, & Ian Baldwin) with 41 pts. Then, Rolf Kaiser’s DONKEY JACK team (Steve Kleha, Tucker Hersam, Mike Collins, Dave Kelly, & Ryder Easterlin) was fourth with 44 pts, and fifth went to Doug Bailey’s AKULA team (Spencer, Gary Fung, Pauli’s Operas, Steven Tran, & Dave Kresge), just one point further back with 45 pts! As usual, the J/105 fleet on SF Bay has proven to be the most competitive fleet in the world.

J/88 Class
Brice Dunwoodie’s RAVENETTE dominated the J/88 one-design class, posting bullets in all but one race. “Racing together in RBBS has been the pinnacle of the last twelve years for our crew,†Dunwoodie said. “This has been the best season of sailing for the J/88 fleet on the Bay that I’ve ever seen. I have to congratulate my team on a job well done- Ian Schillebeeck, Brett Bastien, Kenneth Grayson, Dylan Farrell, & Mark Lightner.â€

The “white-washing” of the J/88 fleet by RAVENETTE was surprising, given that the two other teams on the podium have also won the class in past Rolex Big Boat Series! The balance of the podium was Tom Thayer’s SPEEDWELL team (Robert Milligan, Brett Desire, Andrew Goodwin, Hans Kaufmann, & John Burr) with 17 pts to take the silver medal, then Dave Corbin’s BUTCHER team (Tim and Leah Gulley, Olly Gill, Jeff Harte, Michelle Larose, & Adam Simmonds) took the bronze medal with 26 pts.

ORC B Division
The ORC B division has seen Cape 31s dominate the podium for the past two years. However, Peter Wagner sailed his J/111 SKELETON KEY to its full potential to secure the Rolex Submariner watch, as well as the ORC B Pacific Coast Championship.

“Our team (John Hayes, Cory Schillaci, John Collins, Nick Gibbens, Dave Lyons, John Pernick, Seadon Wijsen, & Ernesto Perez) has sailed in San Francisco for many years, so the big breeze is very familiar,†Wagner said. “Teams spend a lot of time preparing for RBBS, making it the featured event of the season. It really brings out the best in people and is just a great week.â€

The J/125s had quite a battle during the regatta. In the end, it was Andrew Picel’s ARSENAL that took the J/125 honors, finishing 4th in the division. Then, right behind them in 5th place was Jim Nichols’s VELVET HAMMER.

ORC C Division- J/Sweep!
The seven-boat ORC C division was treated to a complete sweep of the top five by J/Teams. Leading the charge was Zach Berkowitz’s bright pumpkin orange J/100 FEATHER; they prevailed for the second consecutive year at RBBS. “We have a great mix of young and old sailors on our crew, which makes it really fun sailing,†Berkowitz said. “Thanks to my awesome crew- Chris Steinfeld, Hoel Menard, Trevor For, Anthony Abate, & Max Roth!”

The balance of the podium includes John Arens’s J/109 REVERIE team (Jim Coburn, Randall Lesley, Erik Breedlove, Paul DeMers, Gregg Golembeski, Ben Burbridge, Hugo Knew, Ed Conti, & John Days) in second and Mike O’Callaghan’s J/120 PEREGRINE team (Randy Smith, David Halliwill, EJ Rowland, Robert Mcintire, Jennifer Krone, Cameron Tuttle, Owen Sordillo, Chris Davison, Tad Lacey, Greg Felton, & Andi Williams) in third place. Fourth went to Barry Lewis’s J/120 CHANCE, while Camille Mousette’s J/99 LATENCY finished fifth place to complete the sweep.

The race management team brought some creativity to course selection, presenting fresh challenges for sailors who know the Bay well. “I’m really pleased with how the Race Committee team performed these four days. A big thanks to all our volunteers and visiting race officers,†said Gerard Sheridan, Deputy Course Race Officer. “It was great to get back to running races on the western face of Alcatraz after a long multi-year break, which required us to rewrite a new set of courses. The racers also loved the new course out of the Golden Gate Bridge to Point Bonita.â€

The Storm Trysail Club Team Trophy went to the best scoring three-boat team, with one boat from an ORC class, one from a one-design class, and one from any other class. This year’s winning team, “Shadow Armada,†was comprised of J/111 SKELETON KEY, J/105 BLACKHAWK, and J/88 RAVENETTE.

Sailing photo credits- Sharon Green/ Ultimate Sailing
http://www.ultimatesailing.com

For more ROLEX Big Boat Series sailing information
http://www.rolexbigboatseries.com/