HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Catamaran racing returns to the ocean off Coligny Beach on Hilton Head Island on Friday as the Hilton Head Multihull Regatta opens three days of competition, marking the event’s 51st anniversary.
Hosted by the South Carolina Yacht Club, the regatta is open to any multihull boat able to race off the island’s beaches in the Atlantic. Some 40 boats had signed up so far, with sailors traveling from across the country. Fleets will include formula 18 catamarans along with Hobie cats and other designs.
Racing begins each day at 11 a.m., with Friday’s medium distance race running 10 to 15 nautical miles. On Saturday and Sunday, crews will sail buoy-marked courses just offshore. Race officials set the daily skipper briefing for 9 a.m. for all sailors.
Watching costs nothing. Boats launch near Pool Bar Jim’s, steps from the Coligny beach access, where parking is free, and crews start rigging and launching around 10 a.m. each morning.
Scoring works low-point style: first place earns one point, second earns two, and the lowest total in each class wins. The top three boats in every class take home awards. Forecasts call for sunny skies and highs in the low 70s all weekend. Organizers are also offering a pre-race clinic, plus social tickets and regatta merchandise for non-competitors.
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