Jonathan Bamberger and his team drove over 1,000 miles from Toronto to Charleston this week, with their Melges 32 boat disassembled in tow behind them.
After winning a class title last year, this will be his second year competing in Charleston Race Week. Bamberger is an amateur racer who has been sailing a variety of boats for the last 15 years, even in far-off locations such as the UK, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
“It takes a well-prepared crew and a tiny bit of luck thrown in to win,” Bamberger said. “For me, it's not just the joy of sailing, it’s the joy of sailing with a crew.”
Charleston Race Week kicks off April 18 from a fitting and historic home port that is in the center of the action: Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant. The annual spring regatta, now in its 28th year, draws mariners from across the globe April 18-21. This year, 181 boats are registered to compete across 16 classes throughout the weekend.
Charleston Race Week sailors navigate the harbor in 2023.
Sailors, their support teams and spectators will have a front seat to the action in Charleston Harbor aboard the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Yorktown, but there are vantage points across the harbor at spots like White Point Garden along the Battery, Hog Island Trail and Observation Deck, Ocean Walk at Pitt Street Park Bridge, Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park and the Cooper River Bridge. The Yorktown will remain open during the events.
Longtime event director Randy Draftz said the annual event is “not just a sailboat race, it’s a community” of sailors across the globe with a passion to compete in and grow the sport.
This year they have more space to utilize aboard the Yorktown, which Draftz hopes will increase the event’s exposure to locals and visitors. The ship's 280-seat Smokey Stover Theater cinema will host daily race debriefs.
A map of the best spots to watch Charleston Race Week competitions.
Bamberger's team rented an Airbnb in downtown Charleston this year. When they’re not racing throughout the weekend, they plan to catch up with other sailors over dinner and explore the Charleston area. The Canadian team is one example of how economic impact spreads throughout Charleston and Mount Pleasant during the regatta week. Organizers have estimated that Race Week’s annual economic impact for the Charleston area exceeds $5 million, with an impact that extends past the four-day window of competitive tacking and jibing. Many sailors tend to stay longer to rest their sea legs and get to know what the area can offer on land.
The event for years had been based at Patriots Point at the privately operated Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, but that changed in 2023 when the Yorktown was called to serve as the emergency backup location. Now, it’s the permanent home slip.
The competition typically attracts upward of 200 boats and 1,500 sailors, as well as family and fans from beyond the region. The regatta was on track to break a record of over 300 competing boats in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic caused a devastating blow to recreational and tourism activities. Rising travel costs, inflation and boat-related logistical expenses added additional pressure. It’s a challenge Draftz said the organization is still recovering from, but organizers remain optimistic as the event evolves. Despite participation leveling out post-pandemic, the regatta remains the largest in the country for keelboats.
“We’ve got a bit of catching up to do, but we feel the event is back at full strength with new live music, plenty of food and plenty of liquor,” he said jokingly.
Draftz said that one of the most important aspects of Race Week is the ability to grow the sport through the pro-am races that pair high school sailors with sailing veterans, partnerships formed with local sailing organizations and the exposure of the event. He hopes to expand the regatta in the coming years in terms of offerings and strengthening the future sailor pipeline by connecting those interested with organizations like the College of Charleston, Charleston Ocean Racing Association and others. The goal is to grow overall participation in the years ahead, especially to draw more of the international competitors back.
“With 1,200 visitors to the Yorktown daily, there’s an opportunity to spark an interest in sailing within new audiences,” Draftz said. "If someone asks, 'How can I get into this?' we want to be able to connect them with organizations that can direct them. It's about connecting those dots."
Interactive STEM stations were installed throughout the ship to further promote sailing to all ages.
Bamberger and his team spend a lot of time on Lake Ontario back home but said Charleston Harbor is more challenging. For the team, Charleston Race Week is more than just a competition. It’s the start of their season, it brings the team back together and it’s an opportunity to be surrounded by like-minded racers with the same passion and grit. Bamberger joked about the logistical challenges of getting the team and boat here, saying, “You know it’s fun when it’s worth the work.”
“We come to the regatta for a good level of competition,” Bamberger said. “We put the boat away for the winter in October, so we haven’t sailed together as a team since. It’s special to kick off our season in Charleston.”
