Charleston Race Week: Twenty years of change

Published on April 15th, 2015

Charleston, SC (April 15, 2015) – It seems unlikely that any of the competitors at the first edition of Charleston Race Week in 1996 would have expected that a small, local event started by a few friends would become one of the world’s most celebrated and influential regattas.

This year’s edition of Sperry Charleston Race Week caps off an incredible 20 years of change – change that’s seen the regatta evolve from an old-school handicap yacht race to the most modern and vibrant regatta of its kind.

On April 17-19, Sperry Charleston Race Week takes the crown as the biggest keelboat regatta in the Americas with 286 boats registered. CRW is also the largest gathering of modern sportboats in the entire world, and this year the sportboat contingent welcomes a brand new player – the ultra-quick VX-One fleet, making its Race Week debut for 2015.

To celebrate this 20th anniversary, the organizers have planned a few special offerings. Renowned America’s Cup veteran and TP 52 ace Ed Baird will be on hand as a guest expert to offer post race analysis each day on the Jumbotron at the Regatta Village. He’ll be assisted by the work of aerial videographer Keith Brash. Also on tap is Volvo Ocean Race veteran Brian Carlin of Team Vestas Wind, who will present his firsthand take on the grounding Vestas Wind suffered in the Indian Ocean earlier this year on Leg II of that race. And America’s Cup commentator Tucker Thompson will be joined on stage by Andrew Campbell of Oracle Team USA to offer a presentation on the 35th America’s Cup.