Sperry Charleston Race Week celebrates 20 years

Viper 640s and Melges 20s line up on their way toward the city front on the final day at 2014 Sperry-Top Sider Charleston Race Week © Meredith Block / 2014 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week

What began as a local regatta with 29 entries nearly two decades ago has evolved to become the largest keelboat gathering of its kind in North and South America. Sperry Charleston Race Week turns 20 this spring and the organizers are putting a special emphasis on the two elements that have been pivotal to the regatta's success – superb race management and exceptional shoreside fun. That's apropos for an event taking place in what has been deemed the country's friendliest city.

Each year, the organizers assemble the most experienced – and respected – team of credentialed race officers possible to manage the on-the-water activity. The officials who preside over the inshore activity on three separate race courses have to manage roughly 180 boats. And offshore, race officers orchestrate the activity of roughly 100 additional vessels. Collectively, their outstanding management in past years has earned the event US Sailing's One-Design Award for Regatta Excellence (2013).

On shore, the story is no different. Race Week's regatta village – where all of the shoreside activity takes place – is situated within one of the most desirable venues around. The Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina features a palm-tree-lined beachfront setting enclosed by a four-story hotel overlooking the harbour. Every day of the regatta is followed by a festive evening here, and in past years, Race Week's organizers have arranged for a Mardi Gras-style parade, a 13-foot video screen, panel discussions featuring the sport's luminaries and even an appearance by the America's Cup trophy. Of course, the appropriate libations are always on hand, courtesy of longtime sponsor Goslings Rum.

And sponsors – or just the right combination of sponsors – is another vital factor in this event's success. Just ask longtime Event Director Randy Draftz: "We are grateful to have such committed sponsors, specifically Sperry, Vineyard Vines, Quantum Sail Design Group and Goslings Rum. They partner with us to offer financial support, but they also share the vision of supporting sailors by making this a unique experience for the competitors. Without their support, we wouldn't be able to hold true to our official tagline: 'a regatta unlike any other.'"

To celebrate the event's 20th anniversary, Draftz and his fellow organizers are planning a special evening for Saturday, April 18. "We haven't finalized everything just yet, but rest assured, you definitely don't want to miss the celebration," he said.

As a way of further enhancing Race Week's offerings, Draftz and the other organizers who represent Charleston Ocean Racing Association – the regatta's owner – have devised a unique feeder race. The Fort Lauderdale to Charleston Race will enable sailors to make their way to Charleston in competitive fashion and enjoy the advantage of those offshore days as a tune-up for Race Week. That 408-mile race, which is being managed in partnership with the Lauderdale Yacht Club, the Storm Trysail Club and the Carolina Yacht Club, begins on Saturday, April 11.

In addition, the Fort Lauderdale to Charleston Race will serve as the first in a three-leg series that has been dubbed the East Coast Offshore Series (ECOS). Legs two and three will take competitors from Charleston to Annapolis (starting on May 22) and from Annapolis to Newport, R.I. (starting on June 5). For additional information regarding the Fort Lauderdale to Charleston Race and ECOS, visit here.

For more information, please visit www.charlestonraceweek.com. You can also follow the event on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About Sperry Charleston Race Week

Sperry Charleston Race Week runs from April 16-19 this year and is open to all sailboats 19 to 80 feet in length. (The offshore classes accept boats from 24 to 80 feet, but only those capable of sailing offshore.) The event is owned and managed by Charleston Ocean Racing Association, and is supported by Sperry, the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, Vineyard Vines, Gosling's Rum, and Quantum Sail Design Group. Additional sponsors include the Town of Mt. Pleasant, Gill, Coral Reef Sailing Apparel, and Torqeedo Outboards, along with Roper St. Francis Healthcare, Newport Shipyard, West Marine, B&G/Simrad, Dimension Polyant, Bainbridge, and US Sailing, with additional support from Francisco Davila's Signature Coffee, Charleston Community Sailing, Farr One Design 280, Pierside Boatworks, Other Brother Entertainment, Cricket, Boating Basement, Stage Presence Event Rentals, College of Charleston Sailing Association, SailFlow, Azalea Moving and Storage, Charleston Yacht Club, Sailors for the Sea, and Zip2Water.com.