Sailors will be hoping for fresh winds through the low country this April when the 21st Annual Charleston Race Week returns to Charleston Harbor in South Carolina.
When the Charleston Ocean Racing Association merged their annual summer regatta with the Charleston Palmetto Cup—run by the South Atlantic Yacht Racing Association—they couldn’t have dreamed it would grow into an international event and one of the largest keelboat regattas in the world. At print time, more than 120 boats from the U.S., Canada and Europe were registered to participate.
The annual summer event was rescheduled to its current dates in April in order to take advantage of the seasonal sea breezes. The combination of traditional southeast winds working against the tidal flow in Charleston Harbor make for exciting racing for both sailors and spectators.
Registration and racecourse reviews begin on April 20th, with races running from April 21st through the 23rd. For spectators, inshore races take place in the South Passage of Charleston’s Harbor between James Island and Shutes Folly. Ocean boats will compete offshore of Morris Island just south of Charleston’s entrance channel. All shoreside activities are at the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina located at Patriot’s Point in Mt. Pleasant. In addition to hosting a world-class event, Charleston Race Week donates a portion of their proceeds to eight individual charities and organizations including Veterans on Deck and Charleston Community Sailing.
Additional information can be found at charlestonraceweek.com.