Charleston Race Week
Charleston Race Week takes place Mid-Apr 2027 (usually the third weekend of April; the 2026 edition ran Apr 16 - 19) in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. The dress code is Southern spring casual with sun protection and light layers. Evening regatta-village socials are relaxed, though Charleston itself dresses up more than most US sailing towns. Free to attend; budget up to 1400 EUR per person for hospitality and extras.
One of the largest keelboat regattas in the Americas, now based at Patriots Point across the harbour from downtown Charleston. One-design and handicap fleets race inshore and harbour courses in a reliable spring sea breeze, and the shoreside village is a large part of why crews come back. The 2026 edition marked its 30th anniversary.
- When
- Mid-Apr 2027 (usually the third weekend of April; the 2026 edition ran Apr 16 - 19)
- Where
- Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- Dress code
- Southern spring casual with sun protection and light layers. Evening regatta-village socials are relaxed, though Charleston itself dresses up more than most US sailing towns.
- Cost
- Free to attend; budget up to 1400 EUR per person for hospitality and extras.
- Weather
- 20 - 26C, pleasant Lowcountry spring, usually sunny with a sea breeze and occasional passing showers
- When to book
- Charleston hotels are expensive in April - book 4 - 6 months out; entry opens on the official site in the winter and popular one-design classes fill early
- Getting there
- CHS (Charleston), 25 min to Patriots Point and downtown
- Where to stay
- Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina (at Patriots Point, closest to the regatta hub), The Charleston Place (grand, in the historic downtown), The Vendue (boutique art hotel with a rooftop over the harbour)
- Official site
- https://www.charlestonraceweek.com
How to attend
Harbour racing can be seen free from the Charleston waterfront, Patriots Point and the Ravenel Bridge walkway, and the shoreside regatta village with food, drink and live music is open to spectators. To compete, enter an eligible one-design or handicap keelboat through charlestonraceweek.com, with registration opening in the winter. The regatta is notably welcoming to club-level crews and crew places are commonly listed in the weeks before, which makes it one of the easier top-tier US regattas to actually sail in.
Harbour racing is free to watch from the Charleston waterfront and the shoreside regatta village is open to spectators; entry through the official site is for competing boats only.
Insider tip
The hub is now at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant rather than downtown, so stay on that side or use the water taxi. The Ravenel Bridge pedestrian path gives a free aerial view of the harbour courses.
Get inside Charleston Race Week
Booking matters here: charleston hotels are expensive in April - book 4 - 6 months out; entry opens on the official site in the winter and popular one-design classes fill early. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.
Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.