Racing begins Friday in the 28th edition of Charleston Race Week at Patriots Point
Growth across one design fleets draws top level sailors
Charleston, SC - April 15, 2024 - Sailors, boats, families, and friends are rolling into town for their first major regatta of 2024: Charleston Race Week at Patriots Point. In some one-design classes where competitors have lined up against each other during winter racing, CRW is often a time for retribution and to set the wheels in motion for the 2024 racing season.
Trevor Parekh, on the VX One Bro Safari has been chasing John Porter on Far Side, in the Florida winter series after losing to Porter at CRW last year. Parekh, who races with his best friend Marc Farmer, said, "We went back and forth with John all winter, and after taking second last year, we are totally prepared to apply what we learned and take it to the limit. There's only one option for us, and that's to win! I absolutely love Charleston Race Week; I love the city, I love the complexity of the racecourse, I love all my friends, and I love the Goslings after-race party – it's an all-in-one for me."
With twenty-eight boats signed up, Porter knows it's going to be tough to defend his title. Last year, he raced with his Olympian training partner David Himmel (Finn, 1992), and this year he'll be racing with his son Collin, 24.
Vakaros RaceSense Technology Returns to Charleston Race Week at Patriots Point
The VX One Class continues to push the envelope in race management and at Charleston Race Week at Patriots Point 2024, it will once again implement Vakaros RaceSense technology. For sailors in other classes looking to catch a glimpse of this technology, the Charleston Race Week Pro-Am event on Saturday evening of the regatta will also use RaceSense to run races from the deck of the USS Yorktown.
Event director Randy Draftz, said, "One of Charleston Race Week's goals is to have sailors leave better than they arrived. Using Vakaros' technology and data to improve one's performance is a great step in that direction." Vakaros' revolutionary RaceSense technology has been used at over one hundred events worldwide over the past year, from the recent Etchells World Championship to Kiel Week in Germany and local club racing around the world. Last year's Charleston Race Week was one of the first events to implement this technology, equipping the RS21 fleet and PRO Chip Till with what was then a brand-new innovation in sailing.
Countdown to Charleston Race Week at Patriots Point is ON!
April 18-21, 2024
Charleston, SC – April 4, 2024 - The countdown for the much-anticipated Charleston Race Week 2024, which starts in just two weeks, is underway. Sailors are gearing up for an exhilarating competition with entries spanning 16 classes, including a robust turnout in one-design fleets: 41 J/70s, 26 VX Ones, and 16 Melges 24s.
Building upon 2023 and the regatta's first event aboard the USS Yorktown, Charleston Race Week will expand its festivities aboard the historic aircraft carrier at Patriots Point. Participants and guests will enjoy access to the entire vessel, which will be complemented by award-winning Southern Bear Catering, Gosling's cocktails, beer from Westbrook Brewery, and live music. The ship's 280-seat cinema will host daily race debriefs, continuing the event's legacy of camaraderie and learning.
WHAT'S NEW
- Event Tickets available on site starting Thursday
- Special Accommodation Rates
- 2024 Event Schedule
- 2024 Registration
- 2024 Launch, Haul and Trailer Storage
- Sail Repair Services
- Web App Installation