Carolina Sailing By Dan Dickison

By Dan Dickison

Three. Two. One. Boom! When the starting cannons fire on Charleston Harbor in lateApril this year (April 23-26), chances are those reports will signal the largest gathering ever of sailboat racers in the Carolina Lowcountry. In fact, it may well be one of the largest gatherings ever of racers in the U.S. Sperry Charleston Race Week turns 25 this year, and its organizers are anticipating a mammoth turnout—potentially more than 300 boats.

For years, Race Week (as it’s known by locals and veteran competitors) has been a mega-regatta. Since 2012, this event has drawn roughly 250 entries each year. But two factors promise an uptick in registrations this time around. First is the fact that the 2020 Melges 24 World Championship regatta will take place just a week afterward on the same waters, and organizers anticipate that Race Week will draw many teams looking to tune up before the The conditions at Race Week often run from light to blustery. Brian Carlin/ Charleston Race Week photo.

Old time sailing; J/105s head around the top mark at Race Week in 2006. Dan Dickison photo.

worlds. (As of early February, over 40 Melges 24s had already registered for Race Week, with at least another 30 more expected to sign up before the regatta begins on April 23. In 2019, 35 boats competed in this class here.)

Second is the fact that the organizers have committed Race Week to serve double duty as the ORC North American Trophy regatta. Since the event’s organizers began using the Offshore Racing Congress system in 2016, the ranks of ORC entries at Race Week have steadily increased each year. Up and down the East Coast, major event organizers have done likewise and embraced the system, leading organizers in Charleston to expect a larger than average turnout for the 2020 event.

“For first time ever,” said event director Randy Draftz, “we are actively working toward a goal of having 300 boats across our various starting lines. It’s a tall order to be sure, but we’ve been close to this number before. With the Melges 24 Worlds happening right on the heels of our regatta, we already have a number of foreign teams registered and we’re expecting more.”

Among the other classes shaping up to see a big turnout is the J/70, which had 52 entries here last year. With over three months to go before the 25th edition of

There's always a lively scene on shore at Race Week. Meredith Block/Charleston Race Week photo. Race Week, this class already had 37 entries. And the sporty VXOne Class had already drawn 28 entries by that same point in time. In addition, the scratch sheet was filling up with several other classes, including the J/24, the RS 21, the J/88, J/105 and the Viper 640.

According to Draftz, trailerable one-design racers such as most of the classes listed above have become the bread and butter of this event. Given that, it’s not surprising that he and his fellow organizers have arranged free launching and hauling (at the Charleston Yacht Club) for all entries under 28 feet in length. And they’ve also worked with local boatyards to simplify trailer storage and launching and hauling for larger boats as well. Draftz says it’s all part of trying to make the logistics of participating easier and attendance as affordable as possible.

“Our plans for this 25th edition of Race Week include a number of great offerings,” he says, “and a lot of things are still in the works. Stay tuned to our website and to our Facebook page for updates on all this excitement.”

As Draftz suggests, it’s not just the number of entries that will make headlines come April. During the off-season each year, the organizers take great pains to keep the event’s shoreside programming fresh and engaging. For the past decade plus, they’ve worked with the event’s sponsors to augment every aspect of this regatta. For instance, they’ve partnered with Quantum Sails to bring in sailing luminaries such as America’s Cup veteran Ed Baird and renowned racer Shirley Robertson who have provided astute post-race analyses aided by aerial videos from the racecourse.

For the 25th edition of this event, the organizers are planning a special multimedia presentation featuring the upcoming America’s Cup. The 75-foot foiling monohull designs that comprise the newest generation of America’s Cup racers are stunning. Reportedly, these craft are capable of faster speeds than their predecessors – the 50-foot multihulls seen in the last America’s Cup in Bermuda.

Draftz says that the America’s Cup presentation will certainly be a highlight, but adds that it will be just one of many shoreside attractions that participants will enjoy at Race Week this year. There will also be the nightly parties at the

With eight entries on the line this year, the J/88 Class will see intense action. PhotoBoat.

regatta’s beachfront venue, Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, with food, plenty of Gosling’s Rum and live bands playing on two nights. And there will be a Pro-Am competition featuring top professional sailors and top amateurs.

One of the unheralded attractions of Race Week is the caliber of talent that this regatta draws each year. Among the crews that make up the 2,500 odd competitors on the water are numerous accomplished racers, many of them professionals. In 2019, former World Match Racing champion (and now America’s Cup challenger) Taylor Canfield called tactics in the M32 fleet. The J/70 fleet is perennially stacked with professionals such as local Patrick Wilson, America’s Cup veteran Morgan Trubovich and multi-class champion Jud Smith. Elsewhere, professionals such as Newport R.I.,’s Anthony Kouton, San Francisco’s Jeff Madrigali, St. Petersburg’s Mark Mendelblatt fill the tactical and crew-boss roles, pitting their skills against other professionals such as former College of Charleston standout Jackson Benvenutti and local North Sails rep Rich Bowen.

“Many of our participants tell us that's a big part of what draws them to Race Week,” explains Draftz. “You get to compete against the best in the sport, and you get to socialize with them on shore afterwards. It’s all about everyone improving in this game, yet enjoying themselves in the process. It’s one of the many things that make Race Week a regatta unlike any other. But you don't have to take my word for it. Come see for yourself. We’re in the No. 1 city for visitors in the U.S., and we’ve got the No. 1 regatta.”

Find out more about Sperry Charleston Race Week by visiting www.charlestonraceweek.com.

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Charleston's setting is hard to beat with four inshore racecourses and regatta headquarters right on the beach. Meredith Block/ Charleston Race Week photo.

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