J's Prevail In Stormy Race To Mackinac Island
(Port Huron, MI)- A total of 206 sailboats in 22 classes raced in the 2010 Pure Michigan Bayview Mackinac Race that started under blue skies and a light 12 knot breeze and ended with a rainstorm and 20-knot gusts on Saturday in Lake Huron. A storm swept in with rain and 20-knot winds for the last two starts of the largest boats around 1:40 p.m. and managed to hit most of the fleet. The Mackinac racing boats, ranging in size from 28 to 86-feet in length with approximately 2,500 sailors, set sail on two separate courses from Port Huron to Mackinac Island.The J/120s sailed as a class and David Hudak's CAPERS won, with Bill Bresser's FLYIN IRISH second and Bob Kirman's HOT TICKET in third. For most of the race, the J/120s were always racing within sight of one another as if strung out on a string together!
Sailing an impressive race were two very experienced "Mac Racers", the J/35s FALCON and MR. BILL'S WILD RIDE. In fact, the J/35s nearly eclipsed the entire IRC fleet in overall handicap honors, attaining 6th, 7th and 9th overall! In their J/35-T35 Class, Bayers and Barne's FALCON was first, but only by beating Bill Wildner's MR BILL'S WILD RIDE by just seven minutes! FALCON is owned by Ed (42 Macs) and John
Rounding out other J's sailing the race were the father-son team of Dick and Dan Synowiec sailing their J/33 SHENANIGAN, getting a 3rd in IRC E class. Gary Gonzalez's J/42 DOS MAS got a 3rd in Cruising A. Dean Balcirak and Tom Burleson's venerable light-air flyer, the J/34 IOR SEA FEVER was second in the large PHRF A class-- this was Dean's 47th Mackinac and Tom's 34th. It is sailed by a crew of family and close friends.
Finally, David and Lyndon Lattie sailed Doublehanded Division and got 3rd overall in their J/29 PATRIOT. For more Bayview Mackinac Race information.