2015 Charleston Race Week - Sailing Begins

Conditions included gloomy weather on the offshore
course Friday but the sail colors displayed nicely

20 Years - Hard to Believe!!

Charleston Race Week is celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2015, and none of the earliest competitors could have imagined it growing into one of the world's most celebrated and influential regattas. Title sponosr Sperry is proud to lead the largest keelboat regatta ever in 2015 with 286 sailboats registered, with a swarm of 2500 sailors at the helm. Practice racing gets underway on Thursday, but the main event gets started on Friday morning with three inshore courses and two offshore courses.

Event Director Randy Draftz is very hands on with Charleston Race Week from the Skipper's Meeting on Thursday night all the way through to the Sunday awards. Each night of the CRW is a one of a kind beach party on the grounds of the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina with live music, a food buffet and of course the Dark 'N' Stormy refreshments. Special racing presentations by veteran tacticians accent each night. That's right, when this crowd isn't on the water sailing, they are watching the big screen on the beach about how to race faster!!

Tightly packed group rounding the orange marker

Still Messin' starts a downwind run

Renowned America's Cup veteran racer and TP 52 ace Ed Baird will be on hand as a guest expert to offer post race analysis each day on the Jumbotron at the Regatta Village on the beach. Work by aerial videographer Keith Brash will be playing each evening as well. Commentator Tucker Thompson will be joined on stage by Andrew Campbell of Oracle Team USA to offer a presentation on the 35th America's Cup. "We're really honored to have such talented presenters at 2015 Race Week," said Draftz.

CRW is entering its third year in the Clean Regattas Program, and is 'Going Blue.' Some of the commitments for this year include using electric golf carts to transport competitors from the outlying parking lots to the Regatta Village. Limiting the dependance on plastic water bottles is stressed with lots of drinking water cooler stations where participants are free to fill up a renewable container, like a camelback bottle. Even the use of biodegradable drinking cups is in use, and these measures are likely to increase over time.

For Day One results click here.

To view past blog entries from Charleston Race Week click on 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009