February 9, 2012
Big turnout expected for Sperry Top-Sider
Charleston Race Week 2012
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
Bright, sunny skies and 70-degree temperatures across much of South Carolina must be catching
the eyes of sailors around the country, reminding them that Sperry
Top-Sider Charleston Race Week begins in fewer than three months. What
has become the country’s fastest growing regatta in recent years is on
track for another year of record attendance. As of early February, 193
boats had registered from all over the U.S. and Canada, with 54 of
those signing up during the final week of January.
Links:
1. http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=8ed53033938649d67491665c9&id=66097d85c7&e=832977c897
For six straight years, this regatta has experienced remarkable growth.
Last year, 234 boats competed on Charleston Harbor, the largest fleet
ever assembled in the 15-year history of this regatta. For 2012,
organizers within Charleston Ocean Racing Association – the event’s
organizing authority – are making plans to accommodate additional
growth. In the thick of those plans is Brian Swan, a longtime
Charleston racer who is co-coordinating logistics for the event’s
steering committee.
”We’re not surprised to see such a big number of entries at this
stage,” explained Swan. “Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week has
become a bucket-list event for racers across the country, and we all
know how popular Charleston is. Conde Nast Traveler magazine named it
the No. 1 destination in the U.S. not long ago.”
Swan notes that the event’s popularity doesn’t just appeal to the
owners of trailerable one-design sailboats such as the Melges 24 and
the Viper 640. “We’re seeing very strong interest from the larger
offshore boats, and when you couple that with the huge participation of
smaller boats, it adds up to a logistical challenge.”
To address that challenge, Swan and his fellow organizers are adding
two new launching and hauling sites on Charleston Harbor. “We’ve
arranged for nearly 50 boats to be launched right downtown at Union
Pier. We’ve got a staging site nearby to prep the boats, then a crane
will splash and haul boats just south of the Charleston Maritime
center. We’ll also have a site nearby to store the trailers. We’ve also
made arrangements with the James Island Yacht Club to launch and haul
all of the J/22s. Along with support from the other yacht clubs on the
harbor, I think we’ve now got sufficient capacity to make this aspect
of the regatta run very smoothly.”
Swan explained that the primary focus of the organizers is to make
participation in the regatta more convenient for competitors, and
ultimately, more enjoyable. “Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week is a
phenomenal experience, and we want all the participants to be able to
soak up the key elements of this event – great racing, superb
hospitality, and a fantastic venue. And we want them to be able to do
that with minimal distraction.”
So far, the formula appears to be sound. Not only is the event
attracting strong numbers of trailerable one-design entries, but growth
among the larger offshore boats is solid, including three IRC entries,
among them Austin Fragomen’s brand new TP 52 Interlodge. Says Swan,
fully one third of all the entries at this stage are offshore boats.
”We’re really gratified to see such strong interest in the regatta,” he
adds. “It tells us that we’re making all the right moves to produce a
first-class event that’s fun, competitive, accessible and smothered in
Southern hospitality.”
The deadline for entry is April 13, 2012. Sperry Top-Sider Charleston
Race Week runs from April 19 through 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
Sperry Top-Sider as title sponsor, the Charleston Harbor Resort and
Marina, Vineyard Vines, Gosling’s Rum. Additional sponsors include The
Town of Mt. Pleasant, Gill, Coral Reef Sailing Apparel, North Sails,
South Carolina State Ports Authority, Interlux/Awlgrip, and Charleston
Community Sailing, along with West Marine, Pierside Boatworks, College
of Charleston Community Sailing, Azalea Moving and Storage, and Lewmar
Navtec.
|
