Larchmont Sailors Invade
Charleston Race Week
Apr. 19-22, 2012
Charleston, SC
The 40-boat strong Viper 640 fleet was the largest at Charleston
Race Week and had seven LYC teams competing.
Photo courtesy Meredith Block
Charleston Race Week has become one of the country’s most popular and competitive annual regattas, known for its competitive racing, large sportboat population and post-race beach parties. Five different race circles were created to manage the 250 boats entered: two offshore and three inside highly tide effected Charleston Harbor. A total of 19 LYC sailors made the trek south for an unseasonably cool and often rainy weekend of racing.
LYC made its mark on the inside circles. In the 16-boat J/80 fleet, Kerry Klingler finished fifth aboard Nizar Abuzeni’s Arrow, while John McAndrews, driving Mike Zupon’s Juggernaut, with LYC Waterfront Director Lincoln White aboard, finished 13th. Danny Pletsch hooked a ride on the Melges 20 Blink 20/20 for an exciting regatta, helping his crew finish 8th in the 30-boat fleet.
Finding a hole on the Viper starting line was no easy task.
Photo courtesy Meredith Block
The real LYC action, however, was in the 40-boat Viper 640 fleet, the largest division in the regatta. A total of seven LYC Vipers made the trek south for the class’s Atlantic Coast Championship. LYC teams were frequently found at the front of the fleet. Jason Carroll, Chad Corning and John Baxter teamed up on Argo to win the title by 11 points, overcoming a Did Not Finish in the second race when the team found a sandbar while skirting the shallows to avoid the Charleston current. Jay Rhame, sailing with Weston Friedman, finished eighth overall in his first Viper regatta, the Peter Beardsley/David Owen co-skippered Vicious Panda with Rachel Beardsley crewing, took 12th, while the Dragon Fire syndicate led by Andrew Weiss finished 14th. Also in the mix were Vipers sailed by Peter Bauer and Buttons Padin, Bob Matthews and Frankie Egan, and Cam McKnight.
For LYC, Charleston Race Week 2012 was a touch of glory, three days of shore-side entertainment and the level of sailing camaraderie that makes the sport of sailboat racing what it is today.
Event website with photos and videos
