Final exams are stern for a reason and the final day of racing at the 2022 Rolex Big Boat Series, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, CA, delivered stiff—if not downright nautical—conditions. Crews arrived at dock call to seldom-seen southerly airs, big puffs and scattered rain. While this year’s Rolex Big Boat Series had plenty of breeze-on racing, the hounds howled a rare tune Sunday, with uncommon Cityfront-created lees, big swells, squalls and gusts that registered in the low-30 knot range. Fortunately for boat-battered bodies, squally conditions moderated as the day progressed. The ability to shift gears and sail fast at all angles and in varying breezes was evident across all eight classes that competed at the 2022 Rolex Big Boat Series. Racecourse action was plenty hot in the seven-strong J/88 fleet at this year’s Rolex Big Boat Series. Once the finishing guns fell silent, Mark Howe and Split Water will see their names engraved on the Richard Rheem Perpetual Trophy, which honors the memory of Richard Rheem, a longtime StFYC member and skipper of Morning Star—the yacht that proudly held the Transpac course record in 1949 and 1953. Christos Karamanolis and Pelagia finished in second place, with Jim Hopp’s White Shadow finishing nine points astern to take third-place. For complete event details, visit https://rolexbigboatseries.com/.

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