The 15th edition of Charleston Race Week took place early this month over April 8th through the 11th. With 184 registered entries in 15 classes and a total of 1500 sailors, this year's Charleston Race Week was one of the largest in the event's history. Since its founding in 1996 by the Charleston Ocean Racing Association (CORA), the event has continued to grow as a premier ocean racing event, serving as a pit-stop for racing yachts on their return trip north from the Florida winter racing circuit. Supported by the South Carolina Maritime Foundation, a non-profit organization who entered into the management of the event in 2005 to handle all administration and marketing aspects, Charleston Race Week has emerged as a must-do regatta for several one-design classes.
Charleston Race Week is designed as a host for one-design classes 20 to 70 feet in length and both PHRF and IRC classes ranging from 22 to 70 plus feet overall, with the potential for the development of a multi-hull class as well. Race headquarters for the event are at the beautiful Charleston Harbor Marina, the home of the College of Charleston Sailing Team, and the event boasts both harbor and offshore racing circles. With the race village located on the beach at the resort, the off-the-water action continues its reputation as a major party site for talented sailors. With spring temperatures reaching into the 70s and lower 80s, CRW offers sailors one last chance to leave their sailing gear at home and enjoy the mild southern winter sailing conditions.
This year's event left no sailor unsatisfied. With temperatures in the mid 70s for the entirety of the event, and breeze ranging from 10 to 30 knots for all three days of competition, CRW once again lived up to its reputation as a premier event. Arguably the most competitive classes at this year’s event were the Melges 24s and the Vipers with a total of 31 and 30 entries respectively. The Melges 24 class was won overall in a tie break by previous Moth World Champion Bora Gulari over Charleston resident David Dabney. In the Viper class, Brad Boston, sailing his boat, Jackpot, bested the fleet with a narrow 4-point victory over Bilksem, sailed by Pieter Taselaar. the regatta this year also welcomed a fleet of newcomers to the entry list, with a total of 14 Melges 20s. The class was won outright by Michael Kiss aboard his boat, Bacio, hailing from Macatawa, MI. Rounding out the one-design classes were the 20-boat J/80 fleet, won by previous J/80 world champion Kerry Klinger, aboard his boat Lifted, and the 17-boat J/24 class, won by Chip Till on Murder Incorporated of Wrightsville Beach, NC. highlights from the offshore course included Jim Mitchell's Reichel-Pugh 52, Vincitore, of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, winning every race and taking the overall victory in the windy and wavy IRC division.
With ideal sailing conditions and near perfect spring temperatures, Charleston Race Week has proven itself to be one of the largest and most popular one-design and PHRF regattas in the country. As the number of entries increases each year, the regatta may soon be a strong rival in popularity with events such as Key West Race Week and the Bacardi Sailing Week. For those sailors looking for a competitive and fun event in the low-country sun, Charleston Race Week has it all.
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