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.
Fierce by Nature, Next Level Fun. The Melges 24 Rocks CRW!
If you’re a Melges 24 team that hasn’t signed up for Charleston Race Week, what are you waiting for? Melges 24 sailors LOVE CRW...
Read on & register now at Yachtscoring.
Sailboat racers have been having a blast on the Melges 24 for over 30 years and the boat’s popularity is as hot as ever, as Peter McClennen, from Newport, RI, can attest. A relative newcomer to the Melges 24 since 2020, McClennen also races VX One, Melges 20, J70s, C&C 30 OD, and the IC37. However, he loves the challenge that the M24 brings to the party.
“For me, the Melges 24 has been a project of learning the boat,” he said. “The M24 slots in between a number of similar boats I sail but no boat I sail brings the complexity of the helming position even close to the Melges 24. While similar with the asymmetrical kite and powerful sail plan to the other boats I sail, the M24 is very different than all of those boats and that’s what keeps it interesting!”
They. Just. Keep. Coming. Back.
How the VX One Fleet Races CRW!
This year promises to be an epic Charleston Race Week experience for the VX One fleet. The event responded to the fleet's request to be moved farther out in the harbor away from the shallows so VX One racing will take place on the same course as the J70s and Melges 24s. Twenty-five boats are registered and the fleet hopes that there'll be at least 30 on the start line. It's not too late to register!
Three boats competing shared their stories about getting into the VX One, the joy of racing Charleston Race Week and why they keep returning year after year to race.
2024 Gear Is Here — Charleston Race Week Apparel by Team One Newport
The Charleston Race Week 2024 at Patriots Point store is officially open. Choose from 40+ items to complete your regatta look. Order by Monday, April 8th to ensure you receive items prior to the event.
Charleston Race Week Welcomes Support from New Community Partnership
2024 Race Entries Growing Fast!
Between April 18-21, hundreds of sailors from all corners of North America and beyond will descend on one of the finest sailboat racing destinations in the US - Charleston, South Carolina - for world-class racing and fun parties. A new partnership between Charleston Race Week and Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum was recently announced and we are excited to share with our competitors, friends, and supporters the following video which highlights the partnership:
Now in its 29th year, many of our regular competitors are already signed up for the 2024 edition of Charleston Race Week at Patriots Point. For those of you who haven’t yet, be sure to take advantage of Early Bird Pricing which ends January 31. To date, over one hundred boats are registered and we’re aiming for two hundred!