America’s Biggest Regatta Adds Fifth Course (3-23-11)
ORGANIZERS ADD THIRD INSHORE CIRCLE TO ENSURE NO TEAM IS LEFT OUT
CHARLESTON, SC (23 MARCH 2011) – When the entry list topped 270 boats this month, it became clear that the organizers of 2011 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week had a small problem. “The last thing we’ve ever wanted to do was tell people we don’t have room for them, but that’s the position we found ourselves in,” explained Randy Draftz, the event’s Race Director.
Long billed as one of the most inclusive of all major sailboat regattas, the event required some creative thinking to safely accommodate the over 200 competing boats registered for the inshore courses. “We worked nonstop last week to find a solution that would benefit everyone involved,” said Logistics Manager Danny Havens. “Charleston is one of the busiest commercial ports on the East Coast, so that meant building consensus with both Charleston Branch Pilots Association and United States Coast Guard Sector Charleston in order to create a third course.” The event has seen a 40% surge in entries just from 2010 to 2011 spread across all fleets, though only the inshore courses face space limitations.
The new course for the J/22 and J/24 classes is laid out close to downtown Charleston’s waterfront. Organizers expect it to provide exciting viewing from the Battery and Waterfront parks for locals and tourists alike, who “should be able to see and hear tons of racing action, almost as if they were on the boats,” said James Island High School sailing coach Ryan Hamm.
Havens urged Charleston Race Week competitors to carefully observe all maritime regulations when they encounter commercial traffic. “We can’t emphasize enough how grateful we are to have such supportive Pilots and Guardsmen to work with here, but it’s a two-way street,” he said. “We expect our racers to respect all commercial operators inside and outside the harbor – for us it’s a sailboat race, but for them it’s a job and livelihood.”
2011 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week runs from April 14th through 17th, and includes five separate race courses for more than a dozen inshore and offshore one-design, PHRF and IRC handicap racing classes for boats from 20 to 70 feet. To see a full scratch sheet that includes each of the 271 registered competitors and preliminary course and class splits, go to http://yachtscoring.com/event_scratch_sheet.cfm?eID=407.
DANIEL ISLAND REAL ESTATE ADDS SUPPORT TO CHARLESTON RACE WEEK
Organizers Charleston Ocean Racing Association and South Carolina Maritime Foundation are proud to welcome the real estate sales arm of the award-winning master-planned Town of Daniel Island to the esteemed group of local, national, and international supporters of 2011 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week.
Located within the City of Charleston, Daniel Island is a 4,000-acre master planned community featuring traditional neighborhoods, world-class golf, tennis and soccer facilities and a growing collection of amenities. Access to 23 miles of rivers and creeks, hundreds of acres of parks and a private country club provide residents with a myriad of recreational options. The island’s downtown is home to schools, churches, boutiques, restaurants, a modern supermarket and many other conveniences. Daniel Island Real Estate represents the island’s largest selection of homes, townhomes, condominiums and homesites, including the deepwater homesites at Mitchell Wharf, a special collection of properties with private docks on the Wando River. For more information, visit http://www.danielisland.com/real-estate/.
NORTH SAILS TO OFFER DAILY FORECASTS, OVERNIGHT SAIL REPAIR, CLINIC & PANEL
North Sails is the exclusive sailmaker partner to 2011 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week and their commitment to the CRW fleet even includes a dockside drop-off for overnight sail repair right at Race Week headquarters. North Sails is also pleased to help all competitors sail faster and smoother by providing detailed daily weather forecasts to all teams that register at the North Sails Event Weather Center. Register today at http://www.na.northsails.com/tabid/7240/Default.aspx. Reports will be made available via e-mail by 0730 daily.
Along with former North Sails sailmaker and current College of Charleston Head Coach Greg Fisher, North is also planning an informal on-water clinic on Thursday April 14th for competitors to brush up on local tidal and wind conditions, while discussion panels with some of the sport’s top athletes are planned for Friday and Saturday after racing. Stay tuned to the event website for more information on these exciting new additions to Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week.
HUGE CIVIL WAR SESQUICENTENNIAL TO WELCOME EARLY RACE WEEK ARRIVALS
Early arrivals to 2011 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week can add a wonderful and educational cultural event to their trip when Charleston’s Sesquicentennial commemoration kicks off the week before America’s biggest inshore keelboat regatta. More than 250,000 visitors are expected for this wide-ranging event, which commemorates the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the war. Racers and their families can view special expositions at various downtown photo galleries and attend outdoor showings of documentaries, concerts, and historic reenactments from April 9th through the 12th. The long weekend will wrap up in the early morning hours of April 12 – when the first shots were fired from James Island 150 years earlier – with a candlelight concert at White Points Gardens at 4 a.m., including the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Brass Ensemble. “The firing on Fort Sumter was a pivotal moment in the history of America and we feel it is important to mark this significant milestone with dignity, respect, and mutual understanding for all sides involved,” said Mayor Joe Riley in an article from the Charleston City Paper.
ABOUT SPERRY TOP-SIDER
Since 1935, Sperry Top-Sider has been the leading brand of footwear for those with a Passion for the Sea. From its introduction of the World’s first siped rubber outsole for non-marking traction to advanced technical fabrication to combat the elements, Sperry Top-Sider remains at the vanguard of high-performance amphibious footwear. Available around the globe in independent, marine, outdoor and department stores, Sperry Top-Sider is the official footwear of the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regattas, US SAILING, the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, and the National Safe Boating Council.
Based in historic Lexington, Massachusetts, Sperry Top-Sider supports a wide range of ocean-related activities through its many sponsorships, including Key West Race Week, the New York Yacht Club’s Invitational Cup, the Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week and the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regattas. Sperry Top-Sider was also recently recognized for its recent brand transformation by industry trade magazine Footwear News by being named 2009 “Brand of the Year.” Sperry Top-Sider is a division of the Collective Brands Performance and Lifestyle Group, a subsidiary of Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE: PSS). For more information, please visit www.sperrytopsider.com or www.passionforthesea.com, or email beverly.antunes@sperrytopsider.com.
ABOUT NEWPORT SHIPYARD
Newport Shipyard (RI) welcomes sailors from all over the world with a hefty dose of southern hospitality. Newport Shipyard is the epicenter for the sailing community in New England, all the while doing serious work on yachts up to 300 feet. We serve as home base to the Volvo Ocean Race’s PUMA, and are sponsors of upcoming regattas such as the 1930′s J-Class Regatta, the Transatlantic Race, the Newport/St.Barts Bucket, and Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week. Charleston and Newport have long been sister cities with many ties. We happily continue this tradition in welcoming a number of Charleston boats as they come through, including a regular, the Spirit of South Carolina. http://www.newportshipyard.com/indexCRW2011.asp
ABOUT VINEYARD VINES
vineyard vines®, a company best known for its whimsical neckties and smiling pink whale logo, was founded in 1998 on Martha’s Vineyard when brothers Shep and Ian Murray cut their ties with corporate America to start making ties that represented The Good Life. In addition to signature neckwear, vineyard vines offers a variety of clothing and accessories for men, women and children. Products are sold in over 600 specialty and department stores worldwide, through a seasonal catalog at 1.800.892.4982, online at vineyardvines.com and at 13 free-standing stores in Boston, MA; Edgartown, MA; Greenwich, CT; Mashpee, MA; McLean, VA; Memphis, TN; Nantucket, MA; Nashville, TN; Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Southampton, NY; The Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, FL; Washington, DC; and Westport, CT.
ABOUT GILL NORTH AMERICA
Gill North America and its 2011 Charleston Race Week retail partner Coral Reef Sailing Apparel (CRSA) have partnered again with Charleston Race Week in support of South Carolina Maritime Foundation. Gill is world renown for carrying the most-innovative and highest-performing sailing gear. CRSA will have a special collection on hand during CRW; please contact CRSA for special colors or sizes. To preorder customized technical event apparel for your crew, contact CRSA at info@coralreefsailing.net, or visit the online store here: http://coralreefsailing.net/charleston_race_week1.
ABOUT CHARLESTON RACE WEEK
2011 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week is an event of \ South Carolina Maritime Foundation and Charleston Ocean Racing Association. All profits from the event support educational programs aboard the Spirit of South Carolina, a traditional tall ship serving South Carolina’s youth. 2011 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week is sponsored by Sperry Top-Sider, Gosling’s Rum, vineyard vines, Gill, North Sails, Newport Shipyard, Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, Daniel Island Real Estate, West Marine, OnDeck, Azalea Moving & Storage, Charleston Yachting, Pierside Boatworks, Photoboat.com and Rising High Café.
Check out the event site at http://www.charlestonraceweek.com/ for more information, including Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions, Entry List, Media Information, Logistical Support, Available Charters, News, Video and Photos, and become a fan of the Charleston Race Week Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/CharlestonRaceWeek.
# # #
If you’d like more information about 2011 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week, or to schedule an interview with one of the event staff, please call South Carolina Maritime Foundation at 843/722.1030, or send an e-mail to dhavens@scmaritime.org.
