Battle returns to Charleston Harbor

Over 180 teams have entered the 2024 Charleston Race Week on April 19-21 in Charleston, SC. The 28th edition will host a variety of one-design classes, many of which have been clashing during the winter circuit season.

Trevor Parekh, on the VX One Bro Safari, has been chasing John Porter on Far Side in the Florida winter series after losing to Porter at CRW last year. Parekh will go again with his good friend Marc Farmer. “We went back and forth with John all winter, and after taking second last year, we are totally prepared to apply what we learned and take it to the limit.

“There’s only one option for us, and that’s to win! I absolutely love Charleston Race Week; I love the city, I love the complexity of the racecourse, I love all my friends, and I love the Goslings after-race party – it’s an all-in-one for me.”

With 28 boats signed up, Porter knows it’s going to be tough to defend his title. Last year, he raced with his Olympian training partner David Himmel (Finn, 1992), and this year he’ll be racing with his son Collin, 24.

“David and I have done well this winter, but I’m excited to race with my son, who has just moved to Charleston for his job. I am even more excited because I can stay at his place and don’t have to pay for a hotel! The racing will be tough; Trevor is really good.

“They were challenging us on the last day at CRW last year, and I don’t expect him to back off the gas pedal. The VX is a boat where we have ten or twelve at the top of the class, which really mixes it up but makes it challenging.”

With a 42-strong fleet, Briane Keane, owner/skipper of the J70 Savasana, is also back to defend his title, sailing with his steady crew: two-time Olympian Thomas Barrows (tactician), Ron Weed (trimmer), and Conner Harding (bow). Savasana won almost every J70 regatta last year that they sailed and took fourth in the Worlds.

“We do regattas all around the world, but Charleston is unique; you’re right there in the harbor with dynamic wind shifts and currents that are some of the most complex and strong currents that we experience anywhere. We are the defending champions, but we know that it is going to be hard as heck to repeat; there are probably six different teams that could win.”

After taking second in the North American’s last year in a tightly contested regatta, Bill Zartler, owner/skipper of the J/105 Deja Voodoo, is dusting off the cobwebs and using Charleston Race Week as a warm-up to the Sailing World Regatta Series next month in Annapolis. This is his second time racing CRW, and first time in the J/105, a fleet that has grown significantly at CRW this year.

“It looks like we have a good solid one-design fleet to start the season with,” Zartler said. “This is our first race for the season in the J/105. I haven’t been on a one-design racecourse this year, so we’re really looking forward to unpacking the boat, which has been packed away since the NAs, and dusting off the cobwebs.

“Our goal this year is to have the same crew through to the North Americans, although we have a few substitutes this week. We know the boat really well; our boat handling is very good, and in a fleet this tight, it’s about the boat that makes the fewest mistakes.”

George Masson, owner/skipper of Temeraire, is back to defend his winning J/105 title, cognizant of the contest he’ll have with Zartler and his crew now in the mix.

“We have a bigger fleet, and it’s going to be more competitive than last year with Deja Voodoo, but I’m looking forward to three fantastic days of racing,” Masson commented. “It looks like the weather is going to cooperate, and we’ll have a great time; it’s a great way to kick off the season in Charleston!”

Just a point separated each of the top three finishers in the J/88 fleet in 2023, with Justin Scagnelli, owner/driver of the J/88 Albondigas, prevailing. He claims he hasn’t raced a lick over the winter and that most of his racing last year was with remote-controlled boats. He’s excited to get back among it with rivals Iris Vogel on Deviation, and Andy Graff on Exile.

“We’re going in cold, but it should be fun,” Scagnelli laughed. “I’m hoping for the same results as last year. We have a good crew again, I have a new mainsail, and we did some work on the boat this past summer.

“Iris, Andy, and I swapped places at the North Americans last year, with Andy taking first, Iris second, and myself third. The breeze looks like it will be in the lower teens, with gusts in the mid to upper teens, which is good for us.”

The Melges 32s are back in larger numbers, making CRW the highlight event for the class in North America, commented Canadian Jonathan Bamberger, owner/driver of Spitfire and also back to defend his title.

“The success of the event last year has encouraged more of the Melges owners to turn up, which is great,” he said. “I don’t think there is another event that competes with it. We really enjoyed the event last year, and the proof of that is we’re willing to pack the boat up and drive a thousand miles.

“We have two vehicles with eight of us driving down from Canada, towing the boat. We’re looking forward to the combination of wonderful sailing, spending time in the city, and the weather, because it’s cold in Toronto right now. We’ll get in a few days of practice beforehand; after all, we have a title to defend!”

Also having growth is the sixteen-boat Melges 24 fleet which include Olympian Bora Gulari, driving Kingspoke, and Anthony Kotoun with his brand-new boat, Stepping Razor. Three-time Charleston Race Week Champion Travis Weisleder will be helming Lucky Dog, with his crew including four-time Olympian Charlie Ogletree.

Returning is the Melges 20s fleet with three teams coming from the San Francisco Bay Area, with Ron Epstein helming Baccanal, who is not only a newcomer to CRW but also a relatively new racer. Epstein was challenged to take on CRW by friends Daniel Thielman and Jennifer Canestra, who are also competing.

“My first sailboat race as a skipper was literally two years ago,” Epstein smiled. “It’s too late in life to learn the slow way, so I’m trying to learn by throwing myself into the middle of a heated battle! I’m up against some really experienced sailors, but my crew are skilled Melges 20 sailors, and I’m hoping to get enough out of it to become a better sailor and enjoy the camaraderie of my friends.”

Event information – Race details – Entry list

Source: Michelle Slade