{"id":81016,"date":"2025-02-25T09:18:37","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T14:18:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/?p=81016"},"modified":"2025-03-04T12:45:47","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T17:45:47","slug":"bringing-back-the-classics-in-san-fran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/racing\/bringing-back-the-classics-in-san-fran\/","title":{"rendered":"Bringing Back the Classics in San Fran"},"content":{"rendered":"\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2024-RBBS-09.12.24-4733-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image disable-lazyload\" alt=\"2024 Rolex Big Boat Series\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2024-RBBS-09.12.24-4733-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2024-RBBS-09.12.24-4733-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2024-RBBS-09.12.24-4733-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2024-RBBS-09.12.24-4733-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2024-RBBS-09.12.24-4733.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\"><i>Mayan<\/i> (sail No. 1947), a 60-foot Alden schooner, and <i>Hurrica V<\/i>, a 71-foot Charles Nicholson ketch, go timber-to-timber on San Francisco Bay at the 2024 Rolex Big Boat Series.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Sharon Green<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>The warning gun fires, and the \u00adprestart dance begins in the Classics fleet at the Rolex Big Boat Series hosted by San Francisco\u2019s St. Francis YC. We\u2019ve got 19 knots of wind already, and it\u2019s still early. It will blow. I can feel the building sea breeze that has whipped San Francisco Bay into frenzied whitecaps nearly every summer day for as long as I can remember. For this regatta, I\u2019m not in my usual position as navigator. Today, I\u2019m the tactician. That\u2019s because <em>Mayan<\/em> is special, and I find that it gives me insight into the expectations of the great tacticians I normally sail with on other grand-prix programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe id=\"x8aa2rgac1\" src=\"https:\/\/Sailingworld.dragonforms.com\/x8aa2rgac1\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"width:100%;height:165px;border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTime to burn to the boat?\u201d I ask Lance Berc, a retired Silicon Valley technologist with an Albert Einstein hairstyle. Berc is holding the \u201cbox,\u201d which is the affectionate term for the tablet, repeating the nav \u00adcomputer down below.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBurning 4 min 25 boat,\u201d comes the answer instantly, just as I\u2019d trained him.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPin burn?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBurning 4 min pin,\u201d he responds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His numbers track because I know this patch of water in front of the club like my backyard. Even though the gun has just gone off, I prompt Lance to start giving me a data stream of info to paint the picture like other great tacticians have always encouraged me to do when roles are reversed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBeau, tack to follow <em>Hurrica<\/em>,\u201d I say. Beau Vrolyk is the skipper, driver and chief caretaker, aka owner of <em>Mayan<\/em>. His wife, Stacy, is handling the runners. We smoothly pull off a tack.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLewwy, they are jibing,\u201d Hall of Famer Bill Lee says. \u201cThink they want to play with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lee, well-known as the \u201cWizard,\u201d is the designer of the Santa Cruz line of race yachts and the legendary Transpac maxi <em>Merlin<\/em>, which is also racing in this year\u2019s Big Boat Series.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He\u2019s right about <em>Hurrica V<\/em>, which jibes in behind us.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBearing away to a jibe,\u201d I call, and then quickly follow with, \u201cBurn Pin?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBurning 3 min pin,\u201d Berc responds as <em>Hurrica<\/em> and <em>Mayan<\/em> complete their first circle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLewwy, are we doing this?\u201d Vrolyk asks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, Beau, we\u2019re doing this\u201412-Metre America\u2019s Cup style.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vrolyk laughs heartily, and with a glance in his direction, I realize that I\u2019ve never seen him so happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Mayan<\/em> and <em>Hurrica<\/em> are now engaged, dancing in majestic circles. After completing our second circle, I ask, \u201cBoatlength below line, burn pin?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThree boatlengths, burning 1 min 20 pin,\u201d Berc says as I also hear the countdown to the gun from Paul Heineken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBeau, one more circle,\u201d I say, sensing that nothing would make him happier. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we complete our third loop, <em>Hurrica<\/em> is directly in front of us, aimed at the popular Grille Room of St. Francis. I can see the spectators cheering from the club deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I ask the same question for tactical info.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTwo boatlengths, burning 30 pin.\u201d &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve got them; we are in the push \u00adposition,\u201d I say. \u201cThey can\u2019t tack and bear away because we\u2019d have them on starboard. Their only choice is to be over the line, \u00adespecially with the ebb.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We hold firm until <em>Hurrica<\/em> is over early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHolding\u2026Beau, mow the lawn,\u201d I shout. He understands the lingo and instantly bears away to kill time on starboard.&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With 20 seconds remaining to the gun and no more time to burn, I call for a tack onto port, seeing that we will have no traffic issues after the start. We cross the line on port tack close to the shallow pin end\u2014not quite at full speed, but we\u2019ll take it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vrolyk had wanted a port-tack start to save the time of a tack after the start to&nbsp;get out into the ebb in the center of the bay because it is strategically smart, never mind the risk. Normally, it\u2019s the tactician who wants to port tack the fleet for glory and strategic advantage, while the owner typically focuses on the bills from a collision. But not on <em>Mayan<\/em>. Vrolyk is as competitive as sailors get after a lifetime of racing sailboats.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, port tack they want; port tack they get. We are just lucky that Hank Easom\u2019s <em>Yucca<\/em> isn\u2019t on the start line this year. He\u2019d never let us get away with such a move, given how much more maneuverable his 8-Metre classic is than this schooner.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The gun sounds, and <em>Mayan<\/em> is heading out with pace to the good water that is out in the middle of the bay. We know the flow, knowledge gleaned from a lifetime of experience, bog standard tide books, and the high-\u00adresolution current models that are piped into our Expedition navigation software.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The crew lets out a cheer as we win the start, and caught up in the excitement, I run forward toward the bow, which definitely surprises the bow team. I high-five all 25 people on board, including my two teenage daughters, Veronica and Verity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Onboard_Mayan-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Beau and Stacey Vrolyk onboard Maya\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Onboard_Mayan-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Onboard_Mayan-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Onboard_Mayan-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Onboard_Mayan-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Onboard_Mayan.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Beau and Stacey Vrolyk are the new \u00adkeepers of <i>Mayan<\/i>, but rather than having it idle in its slip, the Vrolyks and their crew race the boat to its full potential.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Christopher Lewis<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>Jogging down the side deck, from bow to stern, the final high-five is reserved for Vrolyk, who yells over the sounds of the shrieking wind: \u201cGood thing we added Casey Gray to grind this year. With all those circles, the mainsheet has never, ever gone in and out that much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Given the prestart jargon aboard <em>Mayan<\/em> on this day, you\u2019d be forgiven to think that we are on an all-carbon TP52 rather than a stately 68,000-pound Alden Schooner built in 1947 in British Honduras. <em>Mayan<\/em> is the perfect marriage of vintage and modern technology. We\u2019ve spent years refining the polars on <em>Mayan<\/em>, trying to get the box to give us reasonably accurate numbers. This year we spent extra effort on getting some of the advanced start models correct, which included dialing in the acceleration, rate of turn, and braking files.&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might accuse me of being crazy, but the <a href=\"\/americas-cup\/\">America\u2019s Cup<\/a> has given us some \u201cinspo,\u201d as the cool kids say. Watching the AC75s made me realize that they have a lot more in common with an old classic than one might think. Neither boat can accelerate quickly from a stop, and once rumbling, it is difficult to slow them. Even if you blow <em>Mayan<\/em>\u2019s sheets, the boat\u2019s speed doesn\u2019t change, because of its mass and momentum. And lastly, we really, really don\u2019t want any of these \u00adclassic \u00admonsters to have a collision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One America\u2019s Cup-inspired start \u00adtechnique to burn time is not to go slower, but rather travel more distance. We named this tactic \u201cmowing the lawn,\u201d which is when we turn away from the line and sail deep downwind for a short distance, then turn back up\u2014not even changing the sail trim as we are just killing time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As soon as both <em>Mayan<\/em> and <em>Hurrica V<\/em> are berthed at St. Francis YC\u2019s docks, a spontaneous and touching standing ovation takes place as the crews honor each other for the start-line fireworks. Later that same evening at one of the club\u2019s parties, we spot <em>Hurrica<\/em>\u2019s skipper, Mark Sanders, and his crew. Almost immediately, St Francis\u2019 Vice Commodore Adam Gambel (who was the lucky <em>Hurrica<\/em> helmsperson for the day) runs over to us, full of smiles and enthusiasm, and says, \u201cThose three circles at the start were the most fun and best racing we\u2019ve ever done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To that, we all agree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a few drinks flow, the commodore leans in, and with a hushed voice, conspiratorially shares, \u201cI want to let you in on <em>Hurrica<\/em>\u2019s strategy,\u201d he says. The competitor in me is all ears.&nbsp; \u201cWe\u2019ve obviously had quite a rivalry with <em>Mayan<\/em> over the years, and it\u2019s fair to say that you\u2019d definitely gotten the better of us. This year, we decided it is going to be different. On Day 1 of the Rolex Big Boat Series, our goal was: We are coming to your neighborhood. We accomplished that; the racing was tight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Day 2, he says, the strategy was, \u201cwe want to play in your backyard, and we did that too. So, this morning, we were a little more aggressive and decided our strategy was: We are getting into your hot tub!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gambel roars with laughter and says, \u201cThat\u2019s why we wanted to engage in all those circles with you. We were in your hot tub.\u201d I laughed along with him, enjoying the camaraderie and sportsmanship that goes part and parcel with Corinthian classic sailing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I later realize that we still have one day of racing remaining. Noticing the obvious trend in <em>Hurrica<\/em>\u2019s strategy, I wonder, <em>If it\u2019s hot tub already, what could possibly be in store for the final day of racing?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pins drop as we listen for the intel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTomorrow, we\u2019ll be in your single shower stall!\u201d Gambel blurts out, and the crews of both yachts erupted with laughter, one unintentionally spitting out their drink. Moments like this is why I love the Rolex Big Boat Series and St. Francis, which is, of course, one of the oldest and most prestigious yacht clubs in the US. It\u2019s known for its luxurious facilities, world-class sailing programs, and exclusive events, but under the guidance of race chair and Rear Commodore Susan Ruhne and Commodore Chris Perkins, the club sure knows how to host racing events and parties.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before I get too far ahead of myself, let\u2019s get back to racing. First of all, there\u2019s <em>Mayan<\/em>. Wherever the famous schooner goes, folks show up at the dock to see the sailboat once owned by musician David Crosby, of Crosby, Stills and Nash fame. Closing your eyes, you can imagine Crosby in his happy place, strumming a guitar, lost in a melody, with the wind carrying his voice across the water. His expression might be a mix of contemplation and contentment, reflecting on a life intertwined with music, creativity, and a deep connection to nature. It\u2019s been said that \u201cWooden Ships\u201d was written on board <em>Mayan<\/em> .&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the Crosby era, <em>Mayan<\/em> hosted the rock star\u2019s parties for decades and would have witnessed countless wild nights. The boat, like its former owner, would have lived life to the fullest, its stately elegance witnessing lives filled with music, laughter, and unforgettable moments such as possibly planning to use <em>Mayan<\/em> as a getaway boat to avoid extradition. If only the timber could talk.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to <em>Mayan<\/em> lore, Crosby was once asked by a curious offshore sailor, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t <em>Mayan<\/em> have a lee cloth on the main bed?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To which Crosby, with his signature mustache and long, flowing hair, responded with an innocent smile, \u201cWell, when you sleep on <em>Mayan<\/em> and have a woman on each side of you, I found that I haven\u2019t needed lee cloths because I can\u2019t roll off the bunk!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fast-forward to the modern era of <em>Mayan<\/em>. She is now cared for by the Vrolyk family. They are not rock stars, but they do share Crosby\u2019s affection for the schooner. They have restored <em>Mayan<\/em> back to its original glory and to the timeless beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vrolyk regularly geeks out talking about <em>Mayan<\/em>\u2019s sleek lines and graceful curves, sculpted by the hands of master craftsmen, which speak of a bygone era of maritime excellence. He and Stacy are also primarily responsible for assembling the diverse, talented crew of <em>Mayan<\/em>, which also represents a more modern mentality. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For this edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series, the age span of the crew is 8 (Zephyr Gray) to the legendary 82-year-old wizard Lee. The Vrolyks view <em>Mayan<\/em> as a platform to give folks from all walks of life a chance to have a taste of adventure at sea and perform in a high-performing team.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf we didn\u2019t work so hard on \u00adrecruiting young folks on the boat, <em>Mayan<\/em> would be left with a bunch of old white guys, and <em>Mayan<\/em> wouldn\u2019t win as much,\u201d Beau says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the watchful eyes of master rigger Mathew Coale, Tommy Lewin, Rob Franks and the Vrolyks, they teach things such as windward rail sheeting, weight movement fore-and-aft, dynamic sail trimming in puffs, and having at least one or two people calling puffs and current lines. Synthia Petroka and Liz Kroft are a female duo who have been flawlessly running the bow team for years. It means the world to me that my teenage girls have been given the chance to sail with me on this occasion, alongside the women and men of <em>Mayan<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ll be the first to admit that I never thought that racing classics would be so much fun, but I\u2019m sold. I\u2019ve sailed on a few other classics, such as the 183-foot <em>Adela<\/em> in the America\u2019s Cup Superyacht Regatta and <em>Zemphira<\/em> at the \u201cWoodstock\u201d of wooden-\u00adboat sailing, which is the Eggemoggin Reach in coastal Maine.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even Lee, who pioneered the phrase \u201cfast is fun,\u201d may have to come up with a corollary, like \u201cmajestic is fun.\u201d There is just such a pure feeling in sailing the classics. The warm wooden hulls and towering masts, adorned with billowing sails, capture the power of the wind (with ridiculously named sails: the Gollywobbler, Flounder and Advance) to propel the vessel through the waves with a sense of elegance, freedom and grace.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stepping aboard one is like entering a time capsule, where rich nautical history and heritage come alive. Polished-brass fittings gleam in the sunlight and evoke a sense of nostalgia, a true testament to the enduring spirit of classic yachting that is a throwback to the 1800s when San Francisco Bay was filled with the fastest wooden boats eager to capitalize on the California Gold Rush. Racing one alongside go-fast moderns and \u00adone-\u00addesigns in big breeze and complex \u00adcurrents, with the Golden Gate Bridge looming in the distance, is an extraordinary experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A grand-prix navigator more accustomed to high-performance machines revels in racing a legendary way-back time machine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":81018,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Christopher Lewis","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","custom_permalink":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":true,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"ad_targeting":"","alternate_title_newsletter":"","alternate_content_newsletter":"","sponsored_url":"","social_share":true},"categories":[159],"tags":[2975,177,1134,178,835],"class_list":["post-81016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-racing","tag-print-winter-2025","tag-racing","tag-rolex-big-boat-series","tag-sailboat-racing","tag-san-francisco-bay"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81016"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81016\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}