“These were some of the most challenging conditions we’ve seen ever at Race Week in Charleston, and it’s a credit to these race committee workers, the vast majority of them volunteers, that we got so many races in this week,” said Event Director Randy Draftz. “This event couldn’t be run without the nearly 300 volunteers that so generously donate their time, their energies, and their boats to this event, and we want to give all of them a special thanks for making Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week one of the best regattas anywhere.

One of the most competitive fleets in town, with America’s Cup sailors and World Champions on numerous of the boats was the Melges 20 fleet, and that competitiveness was certainly on display this morning for Race 9 of the series. Detroit racer Marc Hollerback scored the victory, while overnight leader Russ Lucas and his crew of Harry and Hans Melges on board Shimmer had one of their worst results of the event, an eighth place. Second place Layline Race Team finished just ahead of Lucas, while 2011 Charleston winner Michael Kiss got a second place in the race.

With the top four spots separated by just three points, the stage was set for an epic battle. Principal Race Officer Hank Stuart started the fleet, only to call them back for a general recall. Another start resulted in a recall, and as a line of rain clouds moved over the harbor, the breeze disappeared completely, leaving Shimmer with the class victory.

Layline skipper Travis Weisleder said the final race was a blast. “All of the leading boats were neck-and-neck the entire way around the track,” he said. This was Weisleder’s 10th Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week in 12 years, and he’s never enjoyed a second place so much. “If we had to lose, I’m sure glad we lost to a long-time friend and rival like Russ.” For his part, Weisleder guarantees he’ll be back in 2013, and will never miss another Charleston regatta again. “I’m convinced that this is, quite possibly, the best event in sailing.”

Another huge rivalry came down to the wire on Sunday in the J/24 class, where Travis Odenback led Mike Ingham until the final race of the week. Both teams are from Rochester, NY, and both skippers are preparing for the huge J/24 World Championship in Rochester later this summer. “We’ve been racing against each other for a decade, and we’ll probably be racing against each other for a decade more,” said Odenback, whose Honey Badger took second place by a 2-point deficit. “Going into the last race today we were down by a few points, and we got the start we needed,” explained Ingham. Odenback didn’t stand a chance. “Mike got ahead, and every tack, he slammed us back, just as he needed to,” he said. This is Ingham’s second consecutive victory at Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week, and he says he’ll be back to go for the hat trick. “Where else would I want to be in April?” he exclaimed.

Keith Ziegler brough his Ultimate 20 Dream Killer all the way from Michigan to compete here in Charleston. Ziegler was disappointed to see just five Ultimates on the starting line, though he said it was a tight battle for first, which he won by just one point over North Carolina’s BJ Jones. “Next year we don’t have a huge National Championship just a couple of weeks later in Pensacola, and I expect we’ll see a great fleet here in Charleston Harbor.”

Greg Fisher took the 15-boat J/22 class by nine points, earning the College of Charleston’s Sailing Director the Charleston Race Week Perpetual Trophy for top one-design performance. A huge cheer went out from the crowd for the adopted Charlestonian, who sailed with wife Jo-Ann, College of Charleston freshman and varsity sailor Allie Blumenthal and longtime crew Jeff Eiber.

The J/80 class rounded out the J/Boat one designs, and Bill Rose on Kicks continued his dominant performance, clinching the victory with a race to spare. Brian Keane’s Massachusetts based Savansana took second place.

In the 41-boat Viper 640 Class, Jason Carroll, John Baxter, and Chad Corning won overall honors aboard Argo, beating Ontario-based Brad Boston, Eric Vigrass, and Katie Abbot on Jackpot. Boston had won every Charleston Viper event until this one, and he was visibly disappointed. “We didn’t start well, we didn’t sail the beats well, and the competition level in the Vipers has grown to the point where you just can’t do that and still win,” he said. “Argo sailed a great regatta and we didn’t, and that’s about the size of it.” For Argo tactician John Baxter, this was the first visit to Charleston since his college sailing days. “This town has really grown up, and I’ve been seriously impressed with the great destination it’s become,” said Baxter. Two boats tied for third place, with John Girling winning on a tiebreak over 24-year-old Sara Fox. More amazing than the tie was the fact that both Girling and Fox are newcomers to the fleet.

The Melges 24 fleet saw the conclusion to an epic battle between 2011 Charleston winner Kristen Lane (Brick House) and 2010 winner Bora Gulari (New England Ropes/West Marine Rigging). These two boats are crewed by some of the world’s top professional racers, and Gulari said the pre-start in the finale was a fight to the death. “None of us are afraid to engage, and we both were buried deep at the start after some exciting maneuvering,” he said. Gulari credits his crew with the final-race performance that earned him a second place for the race and the overall victory. “With Brad Funk finding the pressure, Troll [Jeremy Wilmot] finding the lanes and shifts, and John [Casey] and Meredith [Nordhem] always getting the boathandling spot on, I honestly felt like we couldn’t lose.” Brick House tactician Charlie McKee was philosophical about his loss. “We gave it our all and we came up short,” he said.

Detroit sailor Paul Hulsey (Hoodlum Racing) won the Corinthian trophy for the top non-professional Melges 24 team, finishing 9th overall in the class. Tactician Geoff Kimmel was satisfied with their result despite what he called ‘an intensely frustrating week.’ “The wind was very different from what we’re used to sailing when we race in Charleston, which is a tough enough race course even when everything is typical,” he said.

The local favorites aboard the J/120 Emocean were overjoyed at their victory in PHRF C. “We put the band back together and everything just fell into place,” said helmsman Will Hanckel. “Eight of the original 11 Emocean crew were with us this week, and their skill and our communication level aboard made things almost easy.”

Mt. Pleasant sailor Joseph Hanna took the overall award for the Cruising Division, which raced a single, 26-mile course each day rather than the short courses raced by the rest of the fleets. “We loved the challenge and the pursuit starts, and I am convinced that there are dozens and dozens of cruising skippers that would love to sail next year’s event on this course,” said Hanna. “In fact, I just told Randy [Draftz, Event Chairman] a few minutes ago that when word gets out, this will become the fastest-growing fleet at the event. Bring ‘em on!”

As the men and women who set the courses for the fleets, the Principal Race Officers have possibly the toughest jobs of anyone at Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week, and this year saw a new PRO join the veteran race officers who have been running the regatta for years. It was Rochester-based International Race Officer Hank Stuart’s first visit to the Sailing Capital of the South. “It’s definitely not the easiest place to set a course, but I am absolutely blown away by this venue,”
Stuart said. “It has to be one of the world’s best racing locations.”

CHARLESTON, SC (April 21, 2012)—Nearly two hundred sixty racing teams hit the docks this morning, ready to battle their opponents on the second day of racing for Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week 2012. Instead of Charleston’s usually reliable sea breeze, the offshore courses faced unstable, patchy winds that allowed only two races over the course of the day. “The wind never kicked in, but there was enough for some very tricky racing,” said Joe Gibbs from the Farr 400 Team Premier. Canadians Rob and Sandy Butler continued to dominate the PHRF A fleet aboard their McConaghy 38 Carbonado, scoring two more victories to cement a six-point lead over John Cooper’s teak-decked racer Cool Breeze. “We couldn’t be happier with the conditions and with the awesome speed of this boat,” said program manager and pro racer Marty Kullman. “Though we did find the one downside to this new design; I emailed designer Harry Dunning today to tell him that it doesn’t make a great powerboat.”

A fierce battle has broken out in the B Fleet, with Greg Manning’s Rhode Island-based X-41 Sarah tied on points with Bob Moran’s Annapolis-based J/111 Ragin’. Two-time Charleston Race Week champ Robin Team (J/122 Teamwork) had a disappointing day, dropping to third place, with another J/111, Wicked 2.0 from Dartmouth, Mass, breathing down his crew’s neck. “

Charleston Native Bill Hanckel’s team on board his J/120 Emocean was nearly unbeatable in today’s shifty wind, though not quite: Gary Weisburg’s J/109 Heat Wave corrected to the identical time as Hanckel’s crew – down to the hundredth of a second in Race 5. “We thought we lost to Heat Wave in that race,” said Bill Hanckel. “Pretty amazing to see an hour-long race come down to a hundredth of a second, and it’s a sign of how tight the racing is out there.” Despite a recent leg injury, Hanckel is sailing hard, with son Will on the helm. “Surgery on my leg would’ve cost the same as getting the bottom of Emocean into race shape. You can guess what I spent the money on.”

In the Tartan 10 fleet, a new leader emerged today for the Midwinter Championship trophy and Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week honors. Lake Erie’s Team IBall is tied with yesterday’s leader from Chicago, Leif Sigmond’s Norboy, though the Ohio team wins the tiebreaker at the moment.

The Cruising Class sailed an exciting and challenging course, which included beating upwind the length of the Charleston Harbor jetties and out into the Atlantic. Mt. Pleasant resident Francisco Davila and the crew of Houzee is enjoying the all-new race format immensely. “My boat isn’t so happy sailing around the buoys, but this course keeps a heavier boat like ours moving all the time, and we really liked it,” Davila said. “The pursuit start is a great idea too – different, but a great idea.” At the top of the fleet is Daniel Island’s Joseph Hanna and the crew of his Jenneau 45 Alexandria, who lead the Mt. Pleasant-based Suwannee by the tie break only – they are both on four points after two races. The ultra-racy Class 40 Campagne De France reveled on the longer course, her massive sails helping catch the light air that heavier cruisers were less able to harness.

SAIL Magazine’s Best-Around-The-Buoys contest winner Grant Dumas finally showed a chink in his armor after four first-place finishes, with locals Ken King’s Saber 38 Quintette and Dave and Christie Kowert’s Beneteau 35S5 Andiamo finally beating Dumas on the final race. Another visiting team, Daniel Rossi’s Bandit from Tall Timbers, Md., forged ahead of yet another highly successful local team, Robert Hibdon’s SR33 Temptress.

The inshore courses saw consistently higher breeze than offshore, allowing another four races to be completed across all three circles. Considering the shifty conditions and unpredictable wind velocity, it was a surprise to see the leaders remain the same across four of the seven inshore classes. College of Charleston Sailing Director Greg Fisher continues his stranglehold on the J/22 fleet, Bill Rose aboard Kicks extended his lead over the J/80 Class to 8 points, and in the J/24 Class, Annapolis sailor Travis Odenback’s Honey Badger holds a four-point lead over the surging Mike Ingham and his team on board US 4558, who won the day with a 1,1,2,2 scorecard, while Michigan racer Keith Ziegler scored a near perfect day to lead the Ultimate 20 fleet by a slim margin.

Both Melges classes saw lead changes, with 2011 Charleston winner Kristin Lane squeaking ahead of 2010 champ Bora Gulari to lead by two points. “We’re getting some sleep tonight,” said Gulari. “Tomorrow is our day.” A disqualification in Race 5 saw Melges 20 overnight leader Michael Kiss on Bacio Kiss lose his lead to Russ Lucas’s well-sailed Shimmer with Harry and Hans Melges on board.

The largest fleet at 2012 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week, the Viper 640s, also saw a new top three emerge today, with Northeastern racers owning the podium after 8 races. Connecticut racer Steve Girling is sailing his first-ever Viper regatta, though with the help of sailmaker and professional racer Ched Proctor, he scored a strong 4,2,3,3 to lead by 10 points over New York’s Jason Carroll aboard Argo. “What’s great about this fleet is the number of new sailors it has attracted, and how much improvement they’re making,” said Carroll, a frequent competitor on the ultra-competitive Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series in Italy. “It’s a constant challenge out there – as soon as you figure out the race course, the tide changes, giving you an entirely new set of variables to deal with,” he said.

The evening’s beach party had an extremely special guest on Saturday, and over 1,500 sailors crowded around the big stage to welcome the America’s Cup to South Carolina for the first time in its 161-year old history. Representatives of America’s Cup Defender Golden Gate Yacht Club flew the prestigious trophy to Charleston to share their vision for the 34th America’s Cup with the huge crowds of passionate sailors attending Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week. “What an unbelievable reception!” said GGYC Commodore Norbert Bajurin. “We really are bowled over by the welcome we’ve received here, and the level of interest from Charleston Race Week sailors in the next America’s Cup competition.” GGYC’s Vice Commodore is long-time Cup veteran Tom Ehman, who delivered an exciting multi-media presentation for the crowd. “We’re hugely grateful to Norbert and Tom for working so hard to get the Cup here, and to our sailors for turning out in such incredible numbers,” said Randy Draftz, Event Director. “We just hope they bring it back next year!”

Winners in every class will be decided tomorrow on the final day of 2012 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week, and with a forecast including thunderstorms and possible high winds, anything can happen.

Photo Captions: A mix of calms and moderate breeze led to ultra-tight racing and
surprises during Day 2 of Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week

Photo Credit: Meredith Block/Charleston Race Week

Photos free for editorial use with credit

Results after two days of racing:

Ultimate 20 (One Design – 5 Boats)
1. Dream Killer, Keith Ziegler , USA – 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, [2] ; 9
2. Rumbullion, BJ Jones , USA – 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, [2] ; 11
3. Running With Scirrors, Jim Ulatowski , USA – 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, [4] ; 23

J/24 (One Design – 23 Boats)
1. Honey Badger, Travis Odenbach , USA – 4, 3, 1, 1, 2, 2, 12, 1, [12] ; 14
2. USA 5448, Mike Ingham , USA – 3, 7, 2, 8, 1, 1, 2, 2, [8] ; 18
3. FYC Campaign for the Invitational Cup, Greg Griffin , USA – 10, 2, 8, 2, 5, 4, 3, 4, [10] ; 28

J/22 (One Design – 15 Boats)
1. USA 1586, Greg Fisher , USA – 2, 2, 1, 1, 4, 8, 3, 1, [8] ; 14
2. USA 710, Jackson Benvenutti , USA – 1, 3, 5, 4, 3, 5, 1, 5, [5] ; 22
3. Wharf Rat, Mike Marshall , USA – 7, 4, 3, 7, 1, 3, 4, 2, [7] ; 24

J/80 (One Design – 16 Boats)
1. Kicks, Bill Rose , USA – 1, 1, 2, 4, 1, 3, 4, 5, [5] ; 16
2. Savasana, Brian Keane , USA – 3, 2, 5, 1, 5, 11, 2, 6, [11] ; 24
3. CoolJ, Alexander Kraus , USA – 6, 8, 10, 2, 3, 6, 1, 7, [10] ; 33

Viper 640 (One Design – 40 Boats)
1. Argo, Jason Carroll , USA – 0/ABD, 41/DNF, 1, 9, 11, 1, 3, 2, [41] ; 27
2. Live Wire, Joseph E Healey , USA – 0/ABD, 1, 11, 15, 1, 5, 11, 6, [15] ; 35
3. Kitsune, Sara Fox, Luke Lawrence, Scott Fox , USA – 0/ABD, 4, 3, 11, 10, 7, 41/DSQ, 1, [41] ; 36

Melges 24 (One Design – 33 Boats)
1. Brick House 812, Kristen Lane , USA – 13, 1, 1, 7, 4, 5, 1, 3, [13] ; 22
2. West Marine Rigging/New England Ropes, Bora Gulari , USA – 7, 2, 6, 1, 5, 1, 3, 6, [7] ; 24
3. WTF, Alan Field , USA – 1, 15, 2, 5, 1, 3, 16, 7, [16] ; 34

Melges 20 (One Design – 30 Boats)
1. Shimmer, Russell Lucas , USA – 9, 7, 3, 3, 6, 1, 2, 14, [14] ; 31
2. Layline Race Team, Travis Weisleder , USA – 2, 2, 2, 8, 7, 12, 5, 7, [12] ; 33
3. Red Sky, Paul Reilly , USA – 20, 3, 8, 4, 5, 6, 9, 2, [20] ; 37

IRC (IRC – 5 Boats)
1. Shockwave, George Sakellaris , USA – 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, [1] ; 4
2. Flying Jenny 7, David & Sandra Askew , USA – 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, [3] ; 8
3. Interlodge, Austin and Gwen Fragomen , USA – 4, 3, 3, 4, 2, [4] ; 12

PHRF A (PHRF – 6 Boats)
1. Carbonado, Rob & Sandy Butler , CAN – 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, [1] ; 4
2. Cool Breeze, John Cooper , USA – 2, 2, 3, 4, 3, [4] ; 10
3. Team Premier, Ian Gordon , USA – 4, 3, 2, 3, 5, [5] ; 12

PHRF B (PHRF – 12 Boats)
1. Ragin’, Bob Moran , USA – 2, 7, 5, 3, 1, [7] ; 11
2. Sarah, Greg Manning , USA – 4, 1, 3, 9, 3, [9] ; 11
3. Teamwork, Robin Team , USA – 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, [6] ; 13

PHRF C (PHRF – 8 Boats)
1. Emocean, Bill Hanckel , USA – 3, 1, 1, 1, 1.5, [3] ; 4.5
2. Rock Star, Tim Tucker , USA – 2, 2, 2, 4, 5, [5] ; 10
3. Heat Wave, Gary Weisberg , USA – 4, 8, 3, 2, 1.5, [8] ; 10.5

PHRF D (PHRF – 12 Boats)
1. L’Outrage, Bruce Gardner , USA – 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, [3] ; 8
2. Perfect Ten, Joe/Jeff Pawlowski , USA – 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, [5] ; 10
3. Tangent, Gerald Taylor , USA – 3, 1, 1, 8, 6, [8] ; 11

J/111 Sub Class (PHRF – 5 Boats)
1. Ragin’ (J), Bob Moran , USA – 1, 2, 2, 3, 1, [3] ; 6
2. Wicked 2.0 (J), Douglas Curtiss , USA – 3, 1, 3, 1, 2, [3] ; 7
3. Fleetwing (J), Henry Brauer , USA – 2, 3, 1, 4, 3, [4] ; 9

Tartan 10 (One Design – 6 Boats)
1. Team IBall, Scott Irwin , USA – 1, 2, 3, 3, 1, [3] ; 7
2. Norboy, Leif Sigmond , USA – 2, 3, 1, 1, 4, [4] ; 7
3. Silver Surfer, Simon Beemsterboer , USA – 3, 1, 5, 5, 3, [5] ; 12

PHRF E (PHRF – 5 Boats)
1. Bandit, Daniel Rossi , USA – 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, [4] ; 5
2. Wairere, Pete HunterPeteH , USA – 4, 3, 4, 1, 2, [4] ; 10
3. Temptress, Robert Hibdon , USA – 3, 1, 2, 5/SCP, 4, [5] ; 10

PHRF F (PHRF – 10 Boats)
1. Seefest, Ira Perry , USA – 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, [3] ; 9
2. For Sail, Jim Mackevich , USA – 6, 4, 2, 3, 2, [6] ; 11
3. Mighty Puffin, Steve Thurston , USA – 1, 1, 6, 6, 4, [6] ; 12

PHRF G (PHRF – 9 Boats)
1. Beneround, Grant Dumas , USA – 1, 1, 1, 1, 3, [3] ; 4
2. Quintette, Kenneth King , USA – 2.5, 2, 2, 2, 2, [2.5] ; 8
3. Old School, Paul Jacques , USA – 5, 4, 3, 3, 4.5, [5] ; 14.5

Cruising Class (One Design – 13 Boats)
1. Alexandria, Joseph Hanna , USA – 1, 3, ; 4
2. Suwannee, Donald Michael , USA – 2, 2, ; 4
3. Campagne de France, Halvard Mabire , FRA – 6, 1, ; 7

Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week runs April 19 – April 22 and is open to all monohull sailboats 20 to 80 feet in length. The event is owned and managed by Charleston Ocean Racing Association and is supported by its title sponsor, Sperry Top-Sider, as well as the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, Vineyard Vines, and Gosling’s Rum. Additional sponsors include The Town of Mt. Pleasant, Gill, Coral Reef Sailing Apparel, Newport Shipyard, North Sails, Marlow Ropes Ltd., South Carolina State Ports Authority, and Interlux/Awlgrip, along with West Marine, Pierside Boatworks, College of Charleston Community Sailing, Other Brother Entertainment, Orbis, Harken Yacht Equipment, B&G Simrad, Azalea Moving and Storage, Photoboat.com, Charleston Community Sailing, Sail Charleston, and Lewmar Navtec.

For updates about the event, or additional information, log on to the regatta’s website www.charlestonraceweek.com or email info@charlestonraceweek.com

Across the inshore courses, competitors were challenged by a choppy sea state as the ebb tide was churned up by opposing breezes. According to Curtis Jazweicki of Toledo, Ohio, who is skippering his Melges 24 Narley Melgeson in the Melges 24 Class, it was particularly perplexing trying to figure out which side of the course was favored regarding current. “We’re learning this place, but it takes a lot” he shouted over the water between races. He and his crew were outwardly enthusiastic about sailing in Charleston for their first time: “This place rocks!” They shouted.

As good as it was offshore, the real highlight of the day was the America’s Cup appearing at the regatta village, right on the beach at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina. Tom Ehman of the Golden Gate Yacht Club was on hand to give his well-traveled presentation about the America’s Cup competition “Flying on Water” in the early afternoon. At the climax of his presentation, with the Black Eyed Peas crooning in the background “Tonight’s Gonna be a Good, Good Night,” Tom announced the Cup and two secret-service like guards in white gloves carried it onto the stage.

Ehman’s presentation is on again at 6:30, as close to 2,000 sailors will be reveling in the festive atmosphere, with Gosling’s Rum flowing and music supplied by Calvin Taylor. Then, racing commences again Sunday for the final day of Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week.

Offshore, around a hundred racing boats from 26 to 72 feet long set off into sporty conditions — an unexpected 12 to 16 knots of wind and large, choppy seas. The classes with the biggest, raciest boats both had a clear winner after Day 1, and George Sakellaris’ Reichel/Pugh 72 Shockwave was one of them, winning all three races in the IRC division. In PHRF A, the McConaghy 38 Carbonado ran away with a three-bullet day as well.

“That was just an awesome day,” said Carbonado crew Riley Finch. Skipper Rob Butler had an equally good time. “I can’t believe how hard this team worked the boat downwind, they just made us fly,” he said. According to tactician Marty Kullman, one of the keys was protecting the right side of the race course and working the boat hard downwind. “Charleston rarely disappoints if you go right when it’s sunny out, but working the boat through every wave downwind was just as important as playing the right side for a good result today.”

The PHRF Class C is proving a true clash of the titans, with local legend Bill Hanckel’s J/120 Emocean just a point ahead of 2011 Champ Tim Tucker’s C&C 115 Rock Star, while just one point separates the J/122Teamwork, the X-41 Sarah, and the OD 35 Fearless, the top three boats in PHRF B. PHRF D is a reprise of the 15-round brawl of 2011, in which Gerry Taylor’s Cape Fear 38 Tangent lost to Bruce Gardner’s Beneteau 10 Meter L’Outrage by just a point. Some battles are old and some new, but none are easy at Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week.

The Tartan 10, PHRF E, and PHRF F Classes featured similar battles after three races, while Sail Magazine’s “Best Around The Buoys” contest winner Grant Dumas and his talented crew proved their mettle with three straight bullets in PHRF Class G.

On the inshore race courses, Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week’s biggest ever inshore fleet fought and scrapped for every inch on the course, sometimes taking it too far. In the huge Viper 640 fleet (40 boats), competitors characteristically work so hard for an advantage that they frequently run aground, and Vipers hit bottom a few times today. “We followed three boats right over the Middle Ground – they went through without incident and we hit it…hard,” said one sailor, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A newcomer to the Viper fleet is just one point out of first place – 24-year-old Maine sailor Sara Fox at the helm of Kitsune. “It was like a death trap if you got caught in the wrong part of the current,” she said. Fortunately, our tactician, Luke Lawrence, got almost every shift right.” Fox sails along with her father Scott on the bow, and credits her upbringing with her success on Day 1 of 2012 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week. “We were raised sailing on a shallow, current-filled body of water that has a lot in common with Charleston. It definitely helped me deal with the trickiness of sailing here.”

2011 Charleston Race Week champ and many-time J/24 North American, National, and European Champion Mike Ingham had a tough day on the water, though not as tough as he thought. “With the current flowing out, we got caught in a couple of bad spots during the starts and ended up over the line early twice,” Ingham explained. “When we got back and found out we were in second place, we couldn’t believe it.”

Will it be a stormy Saturday? The forecasts vary, though most call for a strong Southeasterly flow of up to 20 knots tomorrow, as well as the potential for afternoon thunderstorms. That means wind, which means smiles on sailors’ faces. Additional report to follow Saturday’s racing. Also check out our facebook page for reports and updates throughout the day.

The improved conditions enabled multiple races on each of the five race courses, and a nice offshore contest for the Cruising Class. Winds offshore topped out near 16 knots, with a three-foot chop. Inshore, the ebb tide fought the southeasterly wind for much of the day, meaning the sailors contended with choppy seas but fairly solid winds.

Back on shore, as the evening’s festivities began, the sun-soaked sailors and friends were feted with mini parade a la Mardi Gras as a Dixieland Band marched into the regatta village with the College of Charleston Cheerleaders tossing leis to the crowd. A member of the band paused and shouted: “Ladies and gentlemen! Every sport in the country has cheerleaders, and the one thing sailboat racing doesn’t have, is cheerleaders, but now Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week has changed that forever – the College of Charleston Cheerleaders!”

And that’s how we roll at Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week.

Seventeen 17 different divisions on six different courses over the next three days will set the stage for an epic battle as sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week takes to the waters of Charleston Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. Sailors from 10 countries and 29 states will race up to 12 races between Friday and Sunday, with champions crowned Sunday night at the beachside regatta village. At stake are custom trophies, valuable prizes, and, of course, bragging rights. Classes include boats up to 72 feet long, and the largest class is the Viper 640, which has 41 entries.

Class Breakdown
In the The Viper 640 Class, the trendsetter continues to be 2011 Race Week champs Brad Boston, Lee Shuckerow, and Eric Vigrass aboard Jackpot, though last year’s runner-ups are gunning heavily for this Toronto-based team. “There are a huge number of teams that can take home the trophy this year, and we’re hoping to be one of them,” said last year’s third-place skipper, Justin Scott. Three years ago, Scott was one of the loudest voices urging the Viper fleet’s participation in this regatta, and he’s gratified now to see the Vipers with the biggest fleet in town. “Honestly what really makes me happy is to see so many people enjoying such a great variety of small, exciting boats in this beautiful town.” The Viper fleet includes crews from the UK, the Caribbean, Ireland, and for the first time, Puerto Rico. “I just finished a five-regatta season in the Caribbean with my own boat, but to come here to Charleston and see these huge fleets is just amazing,” said Jaime Torres. Torres will sail with perennial top performer Paul Zimmerman on Playstation, out of Marblehead, MA.

The Melges 24 Fleet includes the two most recent Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week champions in Kristin Lane (Brick House) and Bora Gulari (West Marine Rigging/New England Ropes). Their crews include Olympic, America’s Cup, and world champions, which may not be enough to hold off Alan Field’s Southern California-based WTF. Field hopes to break a streak of near-victories in Charleston with the help of new tactician and multiple Melges 24 World Champion Jonathan McKee. The battle for Corinthian (non-professional) champion should be just as hot, with Corinthian World Champ Bruce Ayres’ Monsoon pit against local phenom Russ O’Reilly on C.R.E.A.M. Charleston’s famous currents may give O’Reilly an advantage, though Ayres’s experience may be sufficient to secure the win in this super-tough class.

Michael Kiss’s Bacio and crew are back to defend their title in the Melges 20 Fleet with America’s Cup vet Chris Rast on the crew roster, but according to Elevation Sailing pro trimmer Justin Hood, talent is so deep in the Class that almost anyone can win. “Shimmer, Blink, Argo, Red Sky, Lemonhead, Layline – anyone can win at any time – that’s what makes it fun!” said Hood.

Among the offshore classes, the regatta’s organizers are proud to welcome the 72-foot mini-maxi racer Shockwave to the harbor – the biggest-ever racing yacht at Charleston Race Week. They’ll face off in the IRC Class against a pair of IRC-optimized Transpac 52s; Flying Jenny from Annapolis, and Interlodge from Newport, RI. Michael Denelio’s 55-foot Denali is also a first-ever entry at Charleston Race Week fleet, and rounding out the class is the well-traveled Cookson 50 Privateer.

PHRF A will see some of the tightest racing anywhere on the course, with three identical Farr 400s racing boat-for-boat against another new design, the McConaghy 38 Carbonado. All four will have to work hard to overcome the handicap time they owe to John Cooper’s Mills 43 Cool Breeze and the Farr 40 Madina.

PHRF B is a huge class that also features a group of identical boats – this time, the new J/111, with four entries, along with 8 other 40-foot racer/cruisers are guaranteed to be fighting for the championship all weekend.

PHRF C will see the return of 2011 champion Tim Tucker’s Rock Star. The Rock Star crew includes Charleston Race Week’s winningest sailor – crew Anson Mulde, who remains the only tactician to win three consecutive Palmetto Cups – the prestigious and historic trophy awarded to the best overall performer at the event under the PHRF format.

Tight battles will be featured across every one of the 17 race courses, though for the first time, one of those courses is specially designed for cruising boats. Local veteran Cal Huge aboard his Beneteau 37Jubilee Rose, is always a favorite, while Bernie Schapiro’s Beneteau 411 Pied-a-Mer will revel in the reaching conditions. Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week’s organizers are proud to welcome Halvard Mabire from Berneville, France to the cruising class, and the longer course for this class should offer a big advantage for his Class 40 Campagne De Franc.

Racing begins tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. Daily reports, photos and videos will be available at www.charlestonraceweek.com, www.youtube.com/charlestonraceweek, and www.Facebook.com/charlestonraceweek.

2012 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week, now the largest keelboat regatta in North America, will also serve as Class Championships for the Tartan 10 and Viper 640 Classes.

Challenging Mix Of Conditions On Tap For Racers 
Charleston’s famous sea breeze might not pay a visit on Day One of Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week, with an offshore pressure trough providing shifty and unpredictable air that is likely to stall the thermal until afternoon. Saturday’s early forecast calls for more typical wind patterns, with sea breeze filling in by noon, building to the strong afternoon Southeasterly this town is so well known for.  Sunday is apt to brings the possibility of rain and a springtime frontal breeze out of the North, the kind racers look forward to all year long.

Industry Rallies To Support the Regatta
Both the parking lot and race village of the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina are full with sailing industry businesses here to support the event. “We’re happy to have the full trailer here to service just about any rigging problem a racer has,” said Harken rigging specialist Neil Harvey.  “We’re also making all our tools available to the racers free of charge if they want to make their own repairs – drill press, vice, grinder, and a lot more – just look for the Harken trailer.”  Support is also available from West Marine, Lewmar, Gill, North Sails, Navtec, Pierside Boatworks, and Newport Shipyard.

In addition, George Cannon’s Coral Reef Sailing Apparel is back again to provide Gill technical apparel and racing accessories to the nearly 2,000 sailors who have descended on Charleston.  “We’re especially excited to be able to outfit the ladies in the fleet with some of our great Charleston Race Week technical tops,” said Cannon.  “Compared to most regattas, Charleston has a very strong female contingent, and we’re happy we can provide the right fit in all our clothing to both men and women.”

Harken Chief Executive Bill Goggins is also in town, though not for business. “I’m here to go racing and hang out with my friends,” said the Wisconsin-based CEO of the world’s premier sailboat racing equipment supplier.  “There is no place I’d rather be right now,” he said. And it looks like much of the sailing world is in agreement.