#Bayview Mackinac Race

[johnschneiderblog]

Neck and neck

Riding a stiff northeast wind, the two leaders in the Bay View Mackinac race (Wizard and Mockingbird, top photo) sailed past our backdoor at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

I know this because of a sweet app (middle photo) that allowed us to track and identify the boats as they drifted by - all day Sunday and into Monday morning. As I write this around 8 a.m., I can count 16 stragglers on the horizon.

While fishing Sunday evening, I got a closer look (bottom photo) of one of the boats.

This year a record-setting 334 boats entered the 204-mile sprint from Port Huron to Mackinac Island on Lake Huron. It began Saturday morning with a staggered start.

According to preliminary results, Mockingbird won the Class A Division by a nose; Wizard finished third.

[johnschneiderblog]

A day at the races

One July morning about 25 years ago, when I was only dimly aware of the Bayview Mackinac sailboat race, I was trolling on Lake Huron, 6 or 7 miles off shore, when I saw a couple of sailboats coming my way.

Soon a few more approached, then a few more. Suddenly they were all around me - a whole flotilla of silent sailboats, poised to pounce on my growling gas-guzzler.

Back on shore, I discovered that I had just witnessed a little piece of what's commonly known as the Port Huron-to-Mackinac race - a 204-mile sprint from Port Huron to Mackinac Island, which takes boats right past our back door.

A record-setting 334 boats will compete in this year's race - the 100th since the first, in 1925. It will launch Saturday morning with a staggered start.

I'm looking forward to the show.

[johnschneiderblog]

'Over the bounding main '

I looked out onto the lake Wednesday morning and saw a half-dozen sails scattered along the Lake Huron horizon, on a leisurely float southward.

That could only mean one thing: The annual Bayview Mackinac Race - from Port Huron to Mackinac Island - was over and the sailors were bound for home.

The loosely-knit parade continued for much of the day. No wonder; about 200 boats competed this year in what is considered one of the most challenging freshwater boat races in the world.

The race started on Saturday and covered either 204 nautical miles , or 259 miles, depending on which route a boat takes, which is determined, I guess, by prevailing winds.

The winner was Fast Tango with a crew of 10 out of St. Clair Shores.