San Francisco Bay saved its finest for last. On the closing day of the 2025 Rolex Big Boat Series, all six fleets set out on the traditional Bay Tour, covering 15–20 miles of iconic sailing water. Champions were crowned, history was made, and the Bay delivered the kind of racing that cements this event's place in the calendar.
Before a single starting gun fired, the regatta paused for one of its most cherished traditions. Eight bells were rung in memory of sailors who have "crossed the bar," and flowers were cast into the water at A Buoy. A quiet, meaningful moment before the week's final contest.
Then the Bay came alive. Blue skies and a fresh breeze sent six fleets charging beneath the Golden Gate, around Alcatraz, down the Cityfront, and back to the finish in front of St. Francis Yacht Club. Crowds lined the balconies to cheer them home, and the final race of the 61st edition was San Francisco sailing at its best.
The Express 37 class produced a compelling finish. Golden Moon, sailed by Michael Laport of StFYC, roared back from a mid-series setback to take the Bay Tour win, yet consistency ultimately decided the overall title. Mark Chaffey's Loca Motion, sailing for Monterey Peninsula YC, crossed second in the final race and that was enough, their 16-point tally sealing overall victory. Spindrift V (Andy Schwenk) finished second overall on 20 points, with Spy vs Spy third on 23.
In the J/105 fleet, Roulette (William Woodruff, SBYC) snatched the final race win, but the series belonged to Arbitrage, sailed by Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault. A 4th place in the Bay Tour was all they needed to clinch the overall title on 29 points. Blackhawk (Ryan Simmons) claimed second on 39, just edging NeNe* (Tim Russell), who finished on 41.
The J/88 result was never in doubt. Brice Dunwoodie's Ravenette from StFYC added another bullet to a remarkable collection, their sixth win from seven races across the week. They closed the series on just 9 points, well clear of Speedwell (Tom Thayer) in second on 17, with Butcher (Dave Corbin) rounding out the podium.
In ORC A, Australia's Zeus (Michael Firmin, CYCA/RSYS) completed something genuinely rare: a perfect scoreline across the entire series. Seven races, seven bullets. Behind them, Merlin (Chip Merlin) and Halawa (Kimo Winterbottom) fought hard to the final gun, finishing on 18 and 19 points respectively.
Skeleton Key (Peter Wagner) was equally dominant in ORC B, taking both the Bay Tour and the overall crown on 11 points. Sitella (Ian Hill) finished second on 17, with M2 (Marc McMorris) completing the podium.
ORC C offered the day's most dramatic finish. Reverie (John Arens, CYC) came back strongly to beat Peregrine across the line in the final race, but Zach Berkowitz's Feather from StFYC had already built an unassailable lead. Four wins and a string of second places gave Feather the overall title on 12 points. Reverie and Peregrine both finished on 15 points, with Reverie taking second overall.
As the last boats crossed the finish line and cheers rose from the yacht club deck, the 61st Rolex Big Boat Series drew to a close. From drifting tactical duels to full-bore Bay-breeze blasts, from the historic turn at Point Bonita to the final pass by Alcatraz, the regatta confirmed once again its standing as one of the world's great Corinthian events.
