Sperry Charleston Race Week (CRW) is considered a “tune up regatta with teeth” by Bay racers. It falls in the middle of April when many of us are still wrestling with shrink wrap and patching glass in the yard, at the perfect point when you’re dying to go sailing but it’s still a bit too cold up here. CRW is a great chance to break in a new pair of sailing shoes, get your raccoon tan started, and figure out who is the weakest link when it comes to your crew before the NOOD Regatta comes to town. The wind, the temperature, and the competition in Charleston is always top notch, and this year, the 20th anniversary of CRW, is no different.
April 16-19, Bay boats are headed down en masse. At press time, 270 boats are registered for the regatta with the cut off limits set at 300. Of those, more than 35 are coming down from the Chesapeake. Most notably, 15 Bay J/70s are headed down with their crew. Eight J/80s are headed down as well, making up 80 percent of the current fleet.
The Viper 640 class is also proving that they will travel for regattas. Three Chesapeake-area boats are headed down to compete in the fleet that will have upwards of 20 boats coming in from as far as Texas and California. Six Vipers are already signed up for Southern Bay Race Week the last weekend of May, so expect this class to make a scene before bringing the party back north.
But Charleston isn’t just about one-design sailing. Paul Milo, Martin Roesch, Bruce Gardner, Gerry Taylor, and Rich Zantzinger are all taking their rides down to CRW. Ian Gordon has been busy sailing his Farr 280 everywhere from Key West to Abu Dhabi, and he’ll have Gaucho there as well.
To get a full feel for what's in store in South Carolina, we asked CRW Media Pro Dan Dickison for his thoughts. Here you go, straight from a local. Listen up.
1. Three words: current, current, current. Charleston’s tidal currents can be tricky, and even veteran Charleston racers don’t have them fully figured out. College of Charleston Sailing Team coaches Mitch Hall and Ward Cromwell give a local knowledge debriefing at the Regatta Village Thursday evening before competition begins. For first time Race Week competitors, this is definitely a presentation to catch. And even if you’re a Race Week veteran, make sure you’re fully informed by checking out all the info available via our sponsor SailFlow’s website.
2. Two more words: commercial traffic. Charleston is one of the nation’s busiest international ports, so make sure you keep an eye out for big ships coming and going, and do everything possible to avoid them. The main harbor channel runs right past the regatta headquarters at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, and all competitors racing on the offshore courses will have to transit the channel to and from their racecourses.
3. And two dreaded words for competitors: sail repair. If you get a tear in that kite or flog the main so badly a batten flaps out, who you gonna call? In Charleston, you’ve basically got three options. John Bowden, the local rep for Quantum Sails (a Race Week sponsor) and his staff at Charleston Sail Loft will be on call to assist you ((843) 754-9547). You can also rely on the Durst brothers Peter and George to help out. They run the local North Sails affiliate ((843) 744-7245). And the oldest sail loft in Charleston, Tripp Fellabom’s UK Sailmakers Charleston is right on the water at the Charleston City Marina ((843) 722-0823).
4. Culinary Capitol. Charleston’s restaurant scene can rival that of almost any major city in the U.S. From down home Lowcountry cookin’ to high brow haute cuisine, you’ll find nearly every flavor. And if you’ve never been here before, make sure you check out some of the local specialties, such as shrimp and grits, she crab soup, wreckfish, fried okra and field peas.
5. If you enjoy nightlife, don’t miss the going’s in downtown Charleston. Upper King Street has a swinging bar scene that doesn’t really get rockin’ until after 10. If you’re strolling around the peninsula at sunset, take advantage of the city’s rooftop bars for a view you won’t soon forget, and that includes Pavilion Bar (East Bay and Market St.), Stars Rooftop Bar (Upper King St.), and the Rooftop at the Vendue Inn (Vendue Range St.).
6. If you like beer--and what sailor doesn’t--Charleston’s got a handful of local breweries that are worth checking out in person, including Holy City, Coast, Workman’s, Southend, Freehouse, Palmetto, Frothy Beard, and Westbrook. And that doesn’t even include the tap houses, which are scattered around the area. 7. Top tier collegiate sailing. The College of Charleston’s varsity sailing team is a perennial powerhouse, boasting four overall national championships, six national sloop championships, five singlehanded national championships, two women’s national championships, four coed dinghy national championships, one team racing national championship and five squads that walked away with the Fowle Trophy for overall supremacy in college sailing. The sailing program is led by multiclass national, world and North American champion Greg Fisher.
Dan Dickison will be on the water and behind the scenes for Charleston Race Week. Thanks for your local intel, Dan!
8. Charleston Waterkeeper. Now in its seventh year, Charleston Waterkeeper is part environmental advocate and part watch dog, keeping a close eye on the water quality of Charleston Harbor and the surrounding watershed -- and that’s great for anyone who sails, especially dinghy sailors. This nonprofit was founded and is run by former sailing instructor Cyrus Buffum, who still takes a day off now and then to race.
9. Charleston Water Taxi. If you find yourself left behind by your crew and you don’t have a car, not to worry. The Charleston Water Taxi makes regular runs right from the regatta headquarters at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina across the harbor to two locations in downtown Charleston. The service makes round trips on the hour from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. And you can ride all day for just $10.
10. Abandonment Options. It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally the wind gods refuse to cooperate and the race committees are forced to abandon the action. If that happens, don’t despair. You’ve got countless options for entertaining yourself onshore. Want to go bowling, check out The Alley in downtown Charleston. Prefer to ride the go carts, then head out to Blackbeard’s Cove on the outskirts of Mt. Pleasant. Or maybe the movies are more your style, and if so, the Cinebarre multiplex is just a few blocks from the regatta venue. The motto there is “eat, drink, and watch movies.” For more info, pic, and results, click on charlestonraceweek.com
