RS Sailing
Premier Way, Abbey Park
Romsey Hampshire SO51 9DQ
01794 526760
RS Sailing
Premier Way, Abbey Park
Romsey Hampshire SO51 9DQ
01794 526760

A Scotsman in Charleston Race Week

May 16, 2022
RS21 Charleston Race Week

Written by Jack Fenwick, RS21 International Class Manager

An Englishman in New A Scotsman in Charleston Race Week. Racing in a new country is always a challenge, and as my first event in the USA, it was always going to be interesting.

Getting off the plane at lunchtime in late April in Charleston, South Carolina, two things hit you: the heat; and the warm welcome. Everyone I have met while here has been so friendly and helpful, but this is about Charleston Race Week.

Distances in America are almost inconceivable to a Brit, even one who is used to travelling from Edinburgh to Southampton for a weekend’s racing, but that means you have to get creative with transport solutions. The RS21 will stack three high is a big help when you have to move nine charter boats around the country, but the team at RS Sailing in the US has got some great solutions (including a massive box trailer complete with winches for lifting boats).

After a few days of prep work putting the boats on their keels and rigs up, we had eight charter boats ready to join Jonas from Charleston and Neil from North Carolina, eager to line up against the teams who had chartered.

Thursday at Charleston Race Week is practice day, great for all competitors but especially helpful to those who have never raced there or in the RS21. After a few practice races and some time getting to grips with rig set-up, the teams ventured ashore to Patriots Point to enjoy the festivities and get ready for the next day’s racing and the first of ten races.

‘Circle 2’ was to spend three days racing inside the harbour, a short sail from the marina at Patriots Point. As the teams arrived at the race area they were greeted but blue skies and a warm 10-12 knot breeze, much less than I was expecting but glamourous sailing nonetheless. The efficient race management team got us away on a one-mile beat. Some smart sailing by Adam Corbin earned him and his team from Canada their first win of the day. While the breeze was reasonably stable, the tide was quite tricky. In the second race, Ryan Walsh and his team, veterans of Charleston Race Week, got the best of the racecourse and picked up their first win.

Races 3 and 4 went the same way, with Corbin taking the 3rd race and Walsh taking the 4th. After four races, Ryan led the day with a 2nd and 3rd. Despite winning two of the races, Adam’s 3rd and 6th place finishes put him in third place behind Paul Adam, whose consistent scoreline of three 2nd places and a fourth gave him a one-point advantage.

For me, sailing with two crew I had only met the day before, I was happy to walk away from the day tied in 4th place with twice Rolex Yachtswoman of the year, Cory Sertyl. I hadn’t got my head around the forecast, and while we were quick downwind, I’d done a lousy job of setting up the rig, definitely too tight, and all too often rounded the weather mark last. Oh, and hitting the rocks in the middle of the racecourse didn’t help much either…

Once back on the dock, we took the opportunity to grill the winners of the day on exactly how they’d managed to eke out that three-point advantage. There was a lot of lively discussion around rig set-up, sail trim, and the right amount of backstay versus mainsheet. Everyone left planning their attack for the next day.

Day two dawned, and while the racecourse looked very similar to the day before, it had a trick up its sleeve. The breeze was probably 40 degrees further right. It was now coming straight off James Island, not a massive geographical feature but enough to add some pretty significant and random shifts to the already challenging tidal conditions. Still, we had sunshine, breeze, and competition getting ever closer. The shifty breeze meant that no race was ever over, and so it was 45-50 minutes of tight racing the entire way around, with places changing rapidly. The only exception to this was Ryan Walsh and his team, who earned three 1st places and one 2nd. Another solid day by Paul Adam, stealing the first place in the last race of the day would keep them in touch with first overall and now six points ahead of third-place Adam Corbin. Cory Sertyl had started to get into her groove and was just one point behind the third place for the day. Local legend, Selden US boss, Jonas Berg, had a much better day, tied in fifth place with the Walsh family. It was a more frustrating day for us, the shifts proving hard to read and everyone else having taken the lessons of the previous day’s debrief on board, the fleet was getting tighter.

The final day would see two more races in conditions almost identical to Saturday. Ryan Walsh picked up where he’d left off, taking the opening race despite starting at the pin on a right hand favoured course, which saw Cory Sertyl lead at mark 1. Keen to challenge for the top, Adam Korbin chased Walsh to the finish and managed to sneak past Cory with Paul Adam in fourth. The final race saw a great battle all around the race track. As Walsh and Korbin battled each other down the last run, they started to overtake boats in the J/70 fleet that had started five minutes before them. Despite trading places around these boats, Korbin took the final win of the event. With Paul Adam managing an uncharacteristic 5th place, Korbin could leapfrog to second place overall.

With the majority of the fleet having chartered boats for this event, teams could sail back to the dock, quickly pack up, and then jump on a plane home, no de-rigging or craning needed.

I have to say, Charleston Race Week was a great experience, and I would recommend it to anyone who will listen. The racing is first class, the facilities are excellent, but most of all, the welcome is as warm as the mercury. I will be back next year; time to get in training now.

 

Share this!

 

SUBSCRIBE

  • Sign up for RS stories, offers, epic wipeout videos and much more!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club announce that Mercedes Belfast will be the title sponsor of the RS400 Eurocup & National Championship

The Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club is delighted to announce that Mercedes Belfast, in association with the Agnew Group, will be the title sponsor of the RS400 Eurocup and UK/Irish Nationals, set...

Australian Sailing & Sailing Raceboats announce partnership

Australian Sailing & Sailing Raceboats, our RS Dealer in Australia, announce their new partnership with the clear goal of expanding opportunities for sailing participation in Australia. The...

The Evolution of the RS Catamaran Range: A Journey of Design, Innovation, and Multihull Success

At RS Sailing, the pursuit of creating world-class catamarans began over a decade ago, with a vision to develop boats that were not only fun to sail but also offered exceptional engineering and...

7th RS Aero World & Youth World Championship – Entry now open!

The International RS Aero Class Assoication are excited to confirm that online entry is now open for the 7th RS Aero World & Youth World Championship!   Head to the event page for full...

Share Your RS Quest Photo: Enter the 10-Year Anniversary Competition!

The RS Quest has been an integral part of the sailing community for a decade, and 2025 marks 10 years of training adventures, personal stories, and fun family moments on the water. As we celebrate...

RS Fest Miami 2025

RS Fest Miami 2025 promised a true celebration of all things RS, and it didn't disappoint! From Friday, March 28th, to Sunday, March 30th, the RS Tera, RS Feva, RS Aero, and RS21 fleets, absolutely...

RS Fest Miami 2025 – The celebrations have started and racing kicks off tomorrow

Racing at RS Fest Miami kicks off in the morning, with festivities already in full swing at Coconut Grove Sailing Club. Sailors have been taking part in the pre-regatta clinics, gaining...

Rooster, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, sponsors RS Fest Miami

RS Sailing are excited to announce a new event sponsor onboard for RS Fest Miami 2025, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, Rooster. The second edition of RS Fest Miami, our multi-class...

The Eric Twiname Trust RS Tera & RS Feva Scheme 2025

RS Sailing is honoured to collaborate with the Eric Twiname Trust again in 2025 for the 14th RS Tera ET Scheme and the 1st RS Feva ET Scheme to facilitate junior racing classes...

RS Sailing Store – 15% off any combo of racing sails with early-bird nationals entry

The RS Sailing Store is proud to support the UK RS Class Associations, and this year, they are sharing an exclusive offer of 15% off* any combo of racing sails to all sailors who enter and pay for...

Australian Sailing & Sailing Raceboats announce partnership

Australian Sailing & Sailing Raceboats, our RS Dealer in Australia, announce their new partnership with the clear goal of expanding opportunities for sailing participation in Australia. The...

The Evolution of the RS Catamaran Range: A Journey of Design, Innovation, and Multihull Success

At RS Sailing, the pursuit of creating world-class catamarans began over a decade ago, with a vision to develop boats that were not only fun to sail but also offered exceptional engineering and...

7th RS Aero World & Youth World Championship – Entry now open!

The International RS Aero Class Assoication are excited to confirm that online entry is now open for the 7th RS Aero World & Youth World Championship!   Head to the event page for full...

Share Your RS Quest Photo: Enter the 10-Year Anniversary Competition!

The RS Quest has been an integral part of the sailing community for a decade, and 2025 marks 10 years of training adventures, personal stories, and fun family moments on the water. As we celebrate...

RS Fest Miami 2025

RS Fest Miami 2025 promised a true celebration of all things RS, and it didn't disappoint! From Friday, March 28th, to Sunday, March 30th, the RS Tera, RS Feva, RS Aero, and RS21 fleets, absolutely...

RS Fest Miami 2025 – The celebrations have started and racing kicks off tomorrow

Racing at RS Fest Miami kicks off in the morning, with festivities already in full swing at Coconut Grove Sailing Club. Sailors have been taking part in the pre-regatta clinics, gaining...

Rooster, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, sponsors RS Fest Miami

RS Sailing are excited to announce a new event sponsor onboard for RS Fest Miami 2025, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, Rooster. The second edition of RS Fest Miami, our multi-class...

The Eric Twiname Trust RS Tera & RS Feva Scheme 2025

RS Sailing is honoured to collaborate with the Eric Twiname Trust again in 2025 for the 14th RS Tera ET Scheme and the 1st RS Feva ET Scheme to facilitate junior racing classes...

RS Sailing Store – 15% off any combo of racing sails with early-bird nationals entry

The RS Sailing Store is proud to support the UK RS Class Associations, and this year, they are sharing an exclusive offer of 15% off* any combo of racing sails to all sailors who enter and pay for...

10 days to go – RS Fest Miami 2025

It's just 10 days until RS Fest Miami 2025! RS Fest Miami is a three-day regatta, celebrating the RS Sailing racing classes in North America! Hosted by Coconut Grove Sailing Club, regatta racing...

The Evolution of the RS Catamaran Range: A Journey of Design, Innovation, and Multihull Success

At RS Sailing, the pursuit of creating world-class catamarans began over a decade ago, with a vision to develop boats that were not only fun to sail but also offered exceptional engineering and...

7th RS Aero World & Youth World Championship – Entry now open!

The International RS Aero Class Assoication are excited to confirm that online entry is now open for the 7th RS Aero World & Youth World Championship!   Head to the event page for full...

Share Your RS Quest Photo: Enter the 10-Year Anniversary Competition!

The RS Quest has been an integral part of the sailing community for a decade, and 2025 marks 10 years of training adventures, personal stories, and fun family moments on the water. As we celebrate...

RS Fest Miami 2025

RS Fest Miami 2025 promised a true celebration of all things RS, and it didn't disappoint! From Friday, March 28th, to Sunday, March 30th, the RS Tera, RS Feva, RS Aero, and RS21 fleets, absolutely...

RS Fest Miami 2025 – The celebrations have started and racing kicks off tomorrow

Racing at RS Fest Miami kicks off in the morning, with festivities already in full swing at Coconut Grove Sailing Club. Sailors have been taking part in the pre-regatta clinics, gaining...

Rooster, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, sponsors RS Fest Miami

RS Sailing are excited to announce a new event sponsor onboard for RS Fest Miami 2025, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, Rooster. The second edition of RS Fest Miami, our multi-class...

The Eric Twiname Trust RS Tera & RS Feva Scheme 2025

RS Sailing is honoured to collaborate with the Eric Twiname Trust again in 2025 for the 14th RS Tera ET Scheme and the 1st RS Feva ET Scheme to facilitate junior racing classes...

RS Sailing Store – 15% off any combo of racing sails with early-bird nationals entry

The RS Sailing Store is proud to support the UK RS Class Associations, and this year, they are sharing an exclusive offer of 15% off* any combo of racing sails to all sailors who enter and pay for...

10 days to go – RS Fest Miami 2025

It's just 10 days until RS Fest Miami 2025! RS Fest Miami is a three-day regatta, celebrating the RS Sailing racing classes in North America! Hosted by Coconut Grove Sailing Club, regatta racing...

Top 10 Features of the RS Quest

2025 is a pretty special year – 10 years of the RS Quest! This training dinghy has become the go-to for sailing schools and youth programs all over the world. Initially created in partnership with...

7th RS Aero World & Youth World Championship – Entry now open!

The International RS Aero Class Assoication are excited to confirm that online entry is now open for the 7th RS Aero World & Youth World Championship!   Head to the event page for full...

Share Your RS Quest Photo: Enter the 10-Year Anniversary Competition!

The RS Quest has been an integral part of the sailing community for a decade, and 2025 marks 10 years of training adventures, personal stories, and fun family moments on the water. As we celebrate...

RS Fest Miami 2025

RS Fest Miami 2025 promised a true celebration of all things RS, and it didn't disappoint! From Friday, March 28th, to Sunday, March 30th, the RS Tera, RS Feva, RS Aero, and RS21 fleets, absolutely...

RS Fest Miami 2025 – The celebrations have started and racing kicks off tomorrow

Racing at RS Fest Miami kicks off in the morning, with festivities already in full swing at Coconut Grove Sailing Club. Sailors have been taking part in the pre-regatta clinics, gaining...

Rooster, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, sponsors RS Fest Miami

RS Sailing are excited to announce a new event sponsor onboard for RS Fest Miami 2025, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, Rooster. The second edition of RS Fest Miami, our multi-class...

The Eric Twiname Trust RS Tera & RS Feva Scheme 2025

RS Sailing is honoured to collaborate with the Eric Twiname Trust again in 2025 for the 14th RS Tera ET Scheme and the 1st RS Feva ET Scheme to facilitate junior racing classes...

RS Sailing Store – 15% off any combo of racing sails with early-bird nationals entry

The RS Sailing Store is proud to support the UK RS Class Associations, and this year, they are sharing an exclusive offer of 15% off* any combo of racing sails to all sailors who enter and pay for...

10 days to go – RS Fest Miami 2025

It's just 10 days until RS Fest Miami 2025! RS Fest Miami is a three-day regatta, celebrating the RS Sailing racing classes in North America! Hosted by Coconut Grove Sailing Club, regatta racing...

Top 10 Features of the RS Quest

2025 is a pretty special year – 10 years of the RS Quest! This training dinghy has become the go-to for sailing schools and youth programs all over the world. Initially created in partnership with...

International Women’s Day 2025 – Accelerate Action

It's International Women's Day 2025, and the theme this year is #AccelerateAction.    "At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five...

Pin It on Pinterest