Shem Creek Park finally opened this morning without much fanfare, never the less, it will be heavily visited by many a passer by for years to come.

Unfortunately, they are calling for heavy thunderstorms later on this afternoon, but the good news is that we will be having some awesome Fall weather here in Mt. Pleasant for the rest of the week, so come on out and checkout Shem Creek’s newest digs!

Sometimes Charleston Harborfest has slow, Tall Ships and sometimes it has sleek, small sailboat yachts – this time we get the round-the-world racers!

So, if you have any interest in sailing whatsoever, you’ll definitely want to be in town two weeks from now for the fifth and final leg of the VELUX 5 OCEANS around-the-world sailboat race that coincides with Harborfest 2011.

The 3,600 nautical mile final leg will be leaving Charleston May 14th, racing to the finish line in La Rochelle, France.

‘Sprint’ really encapsulates what the finale to the VELUX 5 OCEANS will be: an all out adrenaline-fueled race across the North Atlantic and back into the Bay of Biscay, where La Rochelle will celebrate the unique achievements of the skippers in completing The Ultimate Solo Challenge. They are expected to arrive in La Rochelle in early June 2011 with prizes presented June 11.

“I have a lot of incentives to get to Charleston first, my kids are there, my family is there and my home is there. The sooner I get there the longer I get to spend at home. Mentally that is a bit of a liability, and it will be important for me to keep my head straight and not get too excited about sailing home.” – Charleston’s own Brad Van Liew, skipper of Le Pingouin.

Charleston Harborfest 2011 Schedule

Thursday, May 12th

• VELUX 5 OCEANS Vessels and Race Village Open to Public >> 1:00 – 6:00 PM

Friday, May 13th

• Festival Grounds Open to Public >> 1:00 – 6:00 PM
• Skipper Bon Voyage Party >> 5:00 – 8:00 PM

Saturday, May 14th

• Festival Grounds Open to Public >> 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• VELUX 5 OCEANS Parade of Sail >> 12:30 PM
• VELUX 5 OCEANS Race Restart >> 3:00 PM

Sunday, May 15th

• Festival Grounds Open to Public >> 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM