Sperry Charleston Race Week ready to rock and roll

Sperry Charleston Race Week 2014 © Meredith Block

Hindsight may be 20-20, but none of the competitors at the first edition of Charleston Race Week in 1996 would ever have expected that a small, local event started by a few friends would become one of the world's most celebrated and influential regattas. A quick look at two photographs, 20 years apart, tells the story.

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.

Sperry Charleston Race Week is proud to once again take the crown as the biggest keelboat regatta in the Americas, and with 286 boats registered and more than 2,500 sailors and support staff swarming on the water and shores of Charleston and Mount Pleasant, SC, anticipation is at an all-time high for the fabulous Charleston sailing that begins on Thursday with practice races.

CRW is also the largest gathering of modern sportboats in the entire world. These are light, fast, trailerable racing yachts that sail faster than the wind and have revolutionized one-design racing since the turn of the millennium. And this year, the sportsboat contingent welcomes a brand new player - the ultra-quick VX-One fleet, making its Race Week debut for 2015.

In honour of the hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours and tens of thousands of miles driven en route to Charleston to compete over the years, and in honour of the hundreds of injuries, thousands of trophies, and tens of thousands of crew who've raced here, we offer you this wonderful contrast between then (photo below) and now (photo above).

Charleston Race Week 1996 - photo © CORA

To celebrate this 20th anniversary, the organizers have planned a few special offerings. Renowned America's Cup veteran and TP52 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. (The Baird and Brash show is being presented courtesy of Race Week sponsor Quantum Sail Design Group.)

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.

"We're really honoured to have such talented presenters this year," said Event Director Randy Draftz. "Already, a lot of good buzz is building with the sailors who are in town, and we're looking forward to another fantastic year on the water and on shore here in Charleston.

www.charlestonraceweek.com.