A Sperry Charleston Race Week Primer
Among the highlights of Sperry Charleston Race Week is the beach party after each day’s racing. Sperry Charleston Race Week © 2016 Tim Wilkes Photography
By Dan Dickison Sperry Charleston Race Week is just over 20 years old, but in that short span of time its notoriety has grown precipitously and it has become a must-do regatta for racing sailors from across the U.S. That simple fact means that each year, some 20 to 30 percent of the participants are new to the event. Given that, a primer on how to get the most out of your trip to Charleston, South Carolina is in order.
Where to launch and haul? Race Week’s organizers collaborate with area yacht clubs and boatyards to ensure that launching and hauling is available, accessible and economical for all trailerable entries. These folks even go so far as to offer free shoreside boat storage in advance of the event so you can drop your boat off several weeks early. Where to tie your boat? During the regatta, most entrants berth at the Charleston Harbor Marina in Mt. Pleasant, which is adjacent the regatta headquarters and the site of all the event’s social activities. It’s also the closest marina to all of the racecourses. This is a 459-slip facility with ample capacity, but it’s always wise to make reservations early. If you choose to berth elsewhere, there are several other marinas not far from the racecourses and regatta headquarters.
Where to lay your head?
other options, begin your search on the Charleston Area Visitors’ and Convention Bureau website.
Need sail repair? If you blow out a kite or tear a seam in your mainsail, we’ve got you covered. There are three sailmakers operating in Charleston year-round, and one of our big sponsors is Quantum Sails. The folks from Quantum are super supportive, and they have an on-site repair facility from Thursday through Sunday.
Need gear? Forgot your spray top? Need a new ratchet block? No worries. Several of our sponsors will be set up on site to assist with issues just like those. Coral Reef Sailing Apparel, a longtime Race Week sponsor, has all the wearables you’ll need, and a number of equipment suppliers will be exhibiting and selling merchandise at the event, including B&G, New England Ropes and Bainbridge.
As the Number 1 tourist destination in the world (according to the readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine), Charleston has lots of accommodation options from hotels to historic inns to B&Bs and rental homes on the nearby beaches. The number 1 option – if you want to be close to the action – is Charleston Harbor Resort, which is also an event sponsor. The hotel’s newest facility boasts 92 luxury Most of the racecourses are set within the harbor. rooms, along with an Sperry Charleston Race Week © 2016 Tim Wilkes Photography expansive pool patio complete with bars and a bocce court overlooking the marina. For
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Where to park your vehicle? If you’re not staying at the Charleston Harbor Resort (meaning you don’t have a parking pass), just park as close as you can to regatta headquarters each day and take advantage of the event’s shuttle service. For the peak morning and afternoon hours, Race Week’s organizers have golf carts running from the outer parking areas down to windcheckmagazine.com