The annual Rockville Regatta on Aug. 7-8 will bring thousands of sun-bathing,partying onlookers aboard a flotilla of power boats to watch sailboat races along Bohicket Creek, a far cry from the inaugural event 120 years ago. The first race in 1890 involved a handful of boats, with a small audience of well-dressed ladies and gents observing from shaded banks of the creek.
Rockville is the site where English explorer Robert Sandford claimed this land in 1666, for his King, Charles II, calling it “Carolina”. Named for deposits of iron ore that protrude from subterranean beds, the breezy bluff at the southern tip of Wadmalaw Island would become a seasonal respite for wealthy Charlestonians to escape the summer heat.
Established as a village in 1835, Rockville is still a tiny community of fewer than 200 residents, and is famous for the historic homes that still sit elegantly under the shade along Bohicket Creek.
The sailboat race, although a long-standing tradition, has long distanced itself from the staid image of yesteryear, however. Since the 1960’s, it has drawn massive crowds by car and by boat, and the party fervor around the old Sea Island Yacht Club pavilion is highlighted by bands and dances ‘til the wee hours. Sleek power craft anchor in a massive floating infield astride the sailing course, where partying patrons have the choice of ogling tanned bodies aboard or watching the sailors’ battle. Guess which is more popular.
Some people these days go to the Rockville Regatta and never see a sailboat, but the old tradition of a summer escape still holds on very well.
