Game On: The Snakes & Ladders Challenge
Day 1, Charleston Race Week at Patriots Point
Charleston, SC – April 19, 2024 – When the going gets tough, the tough get going and today was no exception on Charleston Harbor where 16 classes proved that the smart tactic no matter the weather was to put your best sail up, keep moving forward, and have as much fun as possible. Racing was tight as sailors pushed each other across the fleet; in the Melges 20 class 3 teams tied for second, and a 4-way tie in the J88 fleet ensures that all bets are off for Saturday's racing.
PRO Taran Teague noted, "When we came out this morning, we knew it was going to be a tough day due to lighter air building after 11am but we didn't know quite when. It was going to be coming from the west and was anticipated to back to the south, south-west for a sea breeze. We were looking for puffy clouds to indicate backing of the wind, the sunshine and land heating but it was delayed because we had too many clouds." Nonetheless, most classes got at least two races in and a shipload of smiling faces at the post racing party on the USS Yorktown told today's real story.
Elite Sailors Up the Ante at Charleston Race Week 2024
Charlie Ogletree, collegiate All-American, four-time Olympian, and Olympic silver medalist in the Tornado class (2004 Athens, with partner John Lovell), is a first timer at Charleston Race Week, lending his skills aboard the Melges 24 Lucky Dog, owned, and skippered by three-time CRW winner Travis Weisleder. Ogletree joins many other top-level sailors also competing at CRW this year enjoying the camaraderie on water and festivities on shore.
Over the past year Ogletree has been competing on his long-time record-setting ride, the Mod 70 Argo, recently winning Multihull Line Honors in the RORC Caribbean 600. He's also been coaching with American Magic and its Youth and Women's America's Cup teams, and a lot of coaching with Lucky Dog on the M32 (formerly known as the Marstsrom 32).
"Travis and his crew have sailed three events in the M32 and in the last event they got third and won the first race, so they went from last in the first event to third in the third event, so that was a pretty steep curve. The goal is the World Championship in Lake Garda this summer on the M32."
Competitor Profile: John Porter Back to Defend VX One Title
After sweeping the VX One class in his boat Far Side in 2023 to finish with a massive 25-point lead over second place, John Porter is back in town ready to do it again. Porter (Savannah, GA) grew up sailing in the Charleston area with a bunch of buddies on Sunfish. "We were ten-year-old kids racing around with our moms freaking out! " Porter laughed.
Porter, who competed in three U.S. Olympic trials and is a two-time U.S. National, North American Champion and a four-time U.S. Sailing Team member heading into the 1996 Olympic Games, is still very much racing around, having enjoyed solid midwinter racing this past season on the VX One in Florida taking a lot of seconds.
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