Billed on its website as the “world’s longest continuously run long-distance freshwater yacht race,” the 100th Bayview Mackinac Race is set to start Saturday.
A record-setting 334 boats have registered for the 100th year of the race, shattering the record of 316 in 1985 and a huge contrast compared with the 200 boats that raced last year, said David Stoyka, spokesman for the Bayview Yacht Club, which puts on the race.
The course
Bayview Yacht Club says boats start leaving the Black River in Port Huron around 8 a.m. on race day and will continue leaving until around noon. From the Black River, they will proceed up the St. Clair River, under the Blue Water Bridge, into Lake Huron.
The first scheduled start time in Lake Huron is 11:30 a.m., with starts every 10 minutes until approximately 1:30 p.m. The starts may be delayed due to weather conditions.
This year, for the 100th running, the race will follow the original 1925 route and span 204 nautical miles. From the starting point, the boats will head north along the Michigan shoreline, passing south of Bois Blanc Island, sailing west to east at the finish line between Round Island and Mackinac Island, organizers said.
The range of boats are expected to finish in between 30 and 60 hours.
The sailors
Teams at all skill levels have entered the race, which draws competitors from around the world. The highly skilled racers know they will cross the bow of competitors within inches. Still, there's always risk of a crash with the slightest miscalculation.
"Everybody recognizes this is super intense," said champion sailor Tim Prophit, 65, of St. Clair Shores, past commodore of Bayview Yacht Club and owner of Fast Tango, a North American 40 sailboat.
The teams are vying for trophies and flags to show their accomplishments.
The J.L. Hudson Trophy is awarded to the boat with the best corrected time in Division I, and the Canadian Club Classic Trophy is awarded to the boat with the best corrected time in Division II.
How can spectators follow the race?
Spectators may visit bycmack.com during the race and click on “RaceTracking” link to watch real-time GPS positioning of all the race boats, or on your mobile device download the free app YB Races and select the current race.
Boats will start arriving at Mackinac Island on Sunday afternoon and continue until Monday evening, all dependent upon the wind.
Finishes can be seen from Windermere Point on Mackinac Island at the south end of Main Street.
Lingo
Sailors who have completed 25 Bayview Mackinac Races are called “Old Goats,” according to the club, while those who have completed 50 are called “Grand Rams.”
"Double Goats" are sailors who have completed 25 Bayview Mackinac Races and 25 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Races. This year’s Chicago to Mackinac race encountered strong winds in Lake Michigan, snapping some boats’ masts and tossing one sailor overboard. No one was hurt.
Volunteers who have served for 15 years on the Race Committee are honored with the title “Old Forts,” as designated by the Race Committee.
This story includes material from a staff report by former Free Press reporter Phoebe Wall Howard and from the Bayview Yacht Club.
Most Popular
Comments / 0