2015 Sperry Charleston Race Week - Boats and racers ready for action

by Sperry Charleston Race Week on 17 Apr 2015 2015 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week - Tax day. For most of America, that’s a worry. For the 2,500 or so sailors participating in Sperry Charleston Race Week, not so much. In fact, for them, today was a breeze – literally. In 15-knot easterly winds, hundreds of sailors launched their boats at marinas, yacht clubs and boat yards around Charleston, while nearly 100 crews took to the water to enjoy some serious tune-up racing. They're all prepping for the tomorrow’s start of this annual mega regatta – the largest event of its kind in both North and South America.

The competition starts in earnest tomorrow (Friday, April 17), with the on-the-water action covered via livestreaming on the event's Website. Tomorrow’s broadcast will feature professional analysis from US Sailing Team member and multiple national champion John Casey, with colour commentary by Sailing Anarchy Senior Editor Alan Block. For now, we'll let today's photos tell the story:

Charleston definitely isn’t short of landmarks! Here, Jamie Walker's Swan 56 Azura (competing in the Pursuit Class) heads upwind under the Ravenel Bridge on a practice beat.

It may look like chaos, but this dance of top J/70s practicing spinnaker work is like a finely choreographed ballet at times.

Brazilians love J/boats, and Haroldo Solberg's team on board Viking heads upwind on a tuning run in 15 knots of northeast breeze.

Some 600 skippers and tacticians from every racing yacht in Charleston crammed into the massive Charleston Harbor Pavilion this afternoon to hear opening remarks from Sperry Charleston Race Week Event Director Randy Draftz.

Twin Melges 20s get ready for a practice race on Registration Day of Sperry Charleston Race Week. This spring classic will serve as the Audi Melges 20 2015 US National Championship regatta.

This team’s got SOUL! Running five abreast is just an ordinary day for the incredibly tight fleet racing in the J/70 Class.

Olympic Laser sailor Mark Mendelblatt, right, hoists the mast of a Melges 20 before that class' National Championship at Sperry Charleston Race Week.

Without polishing the hull to a mirror shine and ensuring perfect mast tune, you don’t stand a chance in the ultra-competitive one-design classes at Sperry Charleston Race Week.

La Casa de Sperry is a sanctuary of peace; here the Sperry team prepares for the onslaught of footwear-seeking racers at Sperry Charleston Race Week.