Rolex Big Boat Series: Day One eye candy by Chris Ray; Karl Kwok's BEAU GESTE leads Pac52s with
SAN FRANCISCO – As your Ed. is fond of saying, SF Bay is iconically beautiful and reliably windy making it a great venue for yacht racing, and epic photos. Better yet the seabreeze blows parallel to the city front and yacht club peninsula, so the boats are racing up down the course in front of you – assuming you are standing on the yacht club peninsula or at one of the two clubs, host St. Francis YC and neighboring Golden Gate YC. Here is a selection of beaut images from our long time friend and esteemed StFYC snapper, Chris Ray, from yesterday's sparkling day on the Bay, Day 1 of there four day 2017 Rolex Big Boat Series.
Meanwhile in the marquee Pac52 Class, Karl Kwok's (HKG) BEAU GESTE won both races. It's their first regatta with the other four owner-driver Pac52s. Kwok's tactician Gavin Brady (NZL) seems to have the magic touch with this class, as the boat he races on tends to be going fast and in the right direction more of the time than the others. There is a sub-plot to the regatta honors, as BADPAK (Tom Holthus, San Diego YC) and INVISIBLE HAND (Frank Slootman, St. Francis YC) are locked in a battle for the Pac52 season championship with the RBBS counting and one more regatta to go (the Pac52 Cup in two weeks time on SF Bay).
So far BEAU GESTE (Karl Kwok, Royal Hong Kong YC) is the class of the Pac52 Class, having won both races on Thursday. Photo courtesy of Rolex / Sharon Green.