Charleston Harbor Sailboat Racing Local Knowledge

Charleston Harbor Sailboat Racing Local Knowledge

Charleston Harbor is the site of the 2017 E-Scow Nationals and many keelboat and dinghy events. It is also the venue for the annual Sperry Charleston Race Week (CRW), and the sponsoring authority has published two videos about wind, currents, and racing strategies in the harbor.

2017 Sperry Charleston Race Week Pre-Regatta Webcast

This recorded webcast features a conversation between Scott Nixon (Quantum Sails), Allen Terhune (Quantum Sails), Clayton Walters (Charleston Harbor Pilot), and Randy Draftz (Sperry CRW Event Director), discussing sailing strategies based on wind and tide patterns. The audio in the introduction (first few minutes) is a little hard to hear, but this clears up once the key speakers begin.  Key segments and their time markers include:

4:10 – the dynamic nature of the conditions – swift tides, shifty winds

4:50 – effects of the tide on starting, judging laylines, room to round marks

6:15 – typical tide patterns and current speeds

12:00 – typical racing areas with specific tide effects

16:30 – typical wind patterns

20:00 – wind patterns and strategies with inshore breezes

25:00 – need for the whole team to help ensure clean roundings

Miller’s Tides & Currents

Produced for the 2012 CRW, this video is by local sailor, pro racer, obsessive fisherman, and sailing coach Michael Miller.  Key sections for inshore sailing:

1:00 – good overview of the harbor and key landmarks

2:00 – inshore navigation dangers

4:35 – inshore courses, outgoing tide patterns

7:30 – course by course tips

10:30 – single fleet course: magic right hand diamond

12:40 – another potential single fleet course

14:00 – inshore courses, incoming tide patterns

15:30 – layline issues: “don’t be that guy”