2024 Press Releases

Alumni and students take podium places across the fleet

Charleston, South Carolina, April 25, 2024. The 28th edition of Charleston Race Week at Patriots Point was a time for celebration for the College of Charleston Sailing Team; it can be proud of the depth of talent that it fielded at the prestigious regatta, one of the largest held annually in the country. Some seventy alumni and students were a force to be reckoned with, taking podium places across the 180-strong fleet.

“We were proud when our teams sailed their best and we were of course always thrilled when they won,” Greg Fisher, former College of Charleston Sailing Director 2010-2018, said. “But what has always been so important to our coaches and staff is that when our sailors graduate, they stick with the sport with the same passion and commitment. The number of alumni and members of the sailing team present at racing Race Week was amazing and speaks to that commitment. Among them are world and national champions, Rolex Yachtsman of the Year finalists, and of course, weekend warriors who just love sailing.”

Spectrum of conditions put the best to the test.

Charleston, SC – April 20, 2024 – Charleston: a wonderful place to completely turn off before turning onto some of the nation's most challenging sailing conditions, to get excited for the upcoming sailing season, see your friends, escape the cold, and simply have a great time, all at Charleston Race Week. And, if you don't win the regatta, there are always four nights of post racing parties on the USS Yorktown.

On Sunday, race committees on all three inside circles executed two races in variable conditions for all one-design fleets. Classes on Circle 1 (Melges 20, J24, J22) completed eight races, (PHRF Inshore sailed seven races), Circle 2 (Melges 24, J70, VX One ) sailed seven races, Circle 3 (J/88, Melges 32, J/105, ORC D) all completed six races for the regatta. In the Offshore Racing Pursuit division distance courses were sailed for Non-Spinnaker, Spinnaker A, B, and C classes who enjoyed solid racing in a range of conditions.

The 28th edition of the "regatta like no other" came through for some 180 boats racing in sixteen classes, with multiple lead changes determining final places right up until the last race.

Lead changes across all fleets sets up for a thrilling final day

Charleston, SC – April 20, 2024 – The great news on day two of Charleston Race Week was that the wind came in, albeit late, but it came in strong with starts after 2pm, except the pursuit fleets which started with a small delay around 11am. With a ton of sunshine and 80 degrees, conditions could not have been better once that breeze kicked in and racing was fast, exhilarating, and just plain fun. Lead changes across all fleets kept the racing exciting all day for a thrilling set up going into day three.

The action at the pinnacle of the 28-strong VX One fleet couldn't be tighter with a battle between Trevor Parekh on Bro Safari and SDR, skippered by Jack Jorgensen. Parekh and his crew Marc Farmer prevailed finishing with a lead of just one point over SDR, skippered by Jack Jorgensen, however the delta between second place and third is a substantial twelve points.

One thing we're observing at Charleston Race Week 2024 is the number of teams comprised of family members, which is awesome. Charleston is a wonderful place not only to sail but for those in the family who don't sail, there is just so much otherwise to do.

On the water this week is the J70 Microburst from the Soloman's Island area in Maryland, owned by Tom Moulds racing with his two sons Everett and Xander, and their two high school sailing friends Grace and Sam. Microburst replaces the Moulds' family previous boat (ironically) named Natural Disaster, an Olson 80, which was wrecked when a microburst storm ripped through the yard where she was up on the hard.

"With a young team and our first time in a big fleet we are really excited just to see what it's like to be with 40+ boats and get some experience," Moulds noted. "Of course, our number one rule is just to have fun…" Time off school didn't really come into the conversation; as Xander commented, "This is fun AND educational!"

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.

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."