2015 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week - Final wrap up

by Sperry Charleston Race Week on 20 Apr 2015 2015 Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week - The 20th anniversary edition of this annual spring mega regatta wound to a close today with east-southeast winds buffeting the waters around Charleston, SC, offering the competitors some of the best racing of the entire three-day event. The rainy forecast didn't produce any significant moisture until the end of the awards ceremonies when most of the competitors had already started to head home.

This event presents three overall awards. The Palmetto Cup, which is awarded to the best performing boat among those competing in the handicap rating divisons went to Teamwork, Robin Team's J/122 out of Lexington, NC. The Charleston Race Week Trophy, which is awarded to the top performing boat in the most competitive one-design class, went to Alexi Michas and his Melges 24 crew on board Midnight Blue, who race out of Long Island City, NY. (This was also the National Championship in that class.) And the Jubilee Sportsmanship Award was presented to longtime Charleston sailor Jay Cook for his steadfast support of the sport.

The tight J/24 fleet goes five abreast at their upwind finish in the final race of Sperry Charleston Race Week — Day 3 of Sperry Charleston Race Week 2015.

J/70s try to blanket each other with their sails to make a pass as they head downwind toward the Charleston waterfront on the final race of Sperry Charleston Race Week — Day 3 of Sperry Charleston Race Week 2015.

John Brown’s Melges 20 Blind Squirrel finds a nut as they round the bottom mark ahead of Melges 24 World Champion Brian Porter with the boat’s builder - Harry Melges calling tactics. — Day 3 of Sperry Charleston Race Week 2015.

US Sailing’s Olympic Team High Performance Director Charlie McKee shows off the kind of intensity it takes to get a podium finish at the Audi Melges 20 National Championship aboard Richard Davies' Section 16 out of Washington state. Davies finished one point out of first place for the second straight year in Charleston. — Day 3 of Sperry Charleston Race Week 2015.

It’s a Midwest battle as the crew of Mike Keefe’s Flannel (Lake Geneva, WI) looks back at a hard-charging Bob Hughes aboard the Michigan-based Heartbreaker. — Day 3 of Sperry Charleston Race Week 2015.

Bruce Ayres showed near-perfect form on the final day, hanging on to the overall victory in the hotly contested Melges 24 fleet. It was Monsoon’s second straight victory at Sperry Charleston Race Week.

Max Buerman’s brand new C&C 30 Salt gets back in the groove in Class A PHRF after a tough Saturday on the water. — Final Day of Sperry Charleston Race Week 2015.

Douglass Curtiss' Wicked 2.0 (left with the green hull) and Rob Ruhlman's Spaceman Spiff (middle right), fight for the final podium spot in the hot J/111 Class on the final day of Sperry Charleston Race Week 2015.

Robin Team and the Team family show the teamwork that’s gotten their J/122 Teamwork an incredible three Palmetto Cups for top overall regatta performance among the handicap rating divisions at Sperry Charleston Race Week — Final Day of Sperry Charleston Race Week 2015.

John Cooper’s Mills 43 Cool Breeze is one of the fastest boats to grace Charleston this year; the Missouri-based skipper grabbed second place in PHRF A. Sperry Charleston Race Week — Final Day of Sperry Charleston Race Week 2015.

The bow crew on Jim Grundy’s extreme Melges 32 Element scoops up the massive spinnaker on the PHRF A offshore course on the final day of Sperry Charleston Race Week.

Angus Davis' Nyabinghi (Bristol, RI) heads upwind as the PHRF B Class winner Mad Cow 2 (Tampa, FL) leads Island Flyer and Corsair downwind to the bottom mark on the final day of Sperry Charleston Race Week.

The Arthur Ravenel Bridge provides a spectacular Charleston backdrop for the ultra-competitive Audi Melges 20 National Championship fleet as they race downwind against the outgoing tide and each other on the final day of Sperry Charleston Race Week 2015.

The Team family wins their third overall Charleston Race Week award - the historic and beautiful Palmetto Cup - for their awesome performance in PHRF Class A aboard Robin Team's Teamwork.

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Lifelong Charleston sailor Jay Cook won big at Sperry Charleston Race Week this year. He had the chance to sail together with his two sons Adam and Travis for the first time in over five years aboard his 42 foot Beneteau Tohidu, and he received the well-deserved Jubilee Sportsmanship Trophy for his tireless efforts and generosity in promoting and building Charleston Race Week and the Charleston sailing community. Cook is a true bastion of the sport here in the Lowcountry.