Charleston-Bermuda

Biennial event kicks off this May

Sailing enthusiasts from the British Virgin Islands to Virginia and Bermuda are ramping up for the Charleston to Bermuda Race (C2B). This biennial blue water adventure begins in Charleston, South Carolina and ends 777 nautical miles to the east in Bermuda.

John H. Hofford and his wife Susan Ford are avid sailors who recently purchased a Santa Cruz 70 which will debut at the C2B 2005 as Midnight Rider. The yacht has a rich pedigree, previously sailing under the name Silver Bullet and Renegade, and claiming two first-to-finish trophies in the Long Beach to Honolulu Transpac Race.

Ken Sawyer will bring his custom built Seguin 52S to the start line, launched October 15, 2004, designed by Sparkman & Stevens and built by Lyman-Morse. It should be a spectacular sight on the water with its teak decking and carbon fiber helm. Teddy Turner will be at the helm of his Schock 40, which has competed in a variety of coastal events such as Key West. Australian James Wilmot will compliment the fleet with his Swan 44, venturing from the yacht’s home port in Rhode Road Town, BVI.

Other dynamic entries include the first ever Bermuda racer, Richard Hartley, sailing his Hinkley B40 Mark III, and a total of three all-student crewed boats entered by the Ocean Sailing Academy.

The C2B has launched a new website to accommodate everything from entry forms, to schedule of events, latest news and an interactive forum for sailors to find crew positions and skippers to find crew .

The PRHF rating system will be used. All classes are scheduled to begin racing on Saturday, 14 May, 2005 at 1200 Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDT). The Charleston Ocean Racing Association (CORA) will conduct the race management.

The owner and organising authority for the race is the South Carolina Maritime Heritage Foundation (SCMHF). SCMHF is a nonprofit 501c3 organization with a mission to offer a unique educational platform for students, encouraging responsibility, teamwork, and other attributes necessary to become future leaders, while unearthing South Carolina’s maritime past. Other programs include construction of a tall ship, the Spirit of South Carolina, and the Charleston Maritime Festival.