Bayview Mackinac Race Preview

(Port Huron, Michigan) – When it comes to sailboat races, few are more personality-packed than the Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race, which starts Saturday, July 18 (first class at 11:30).  To begin with, 250 teams are entered; that’s a number many race organizers would die to show on their rosters, yet it’s one that doesn’t surprise host Bayview Yacht Club as the event grows in popularity. Additionally, the teams get to sail either a 259 nm Cove Island Course (for faster, bigger boats) or a 204 nm Shore Course (for all others) over fresh water from lower Lake Huron to a finish on Michigan’s magical horse-and-carriage island of Mackinac. The celebration at the end of the race, including a giant awards party at the Grand Hotel’s Woodfill Park on the Tuesday after the start, is only matched by a week of pre-race festivities in Port Huron, including Friday’s famous Boat Night, when the entries gather along the banks of the Black River for last-minute fun with fellow sailors. On the big day, the fleet parades to the start with thousands of spectators set up on shore to watch, just as if it were the Fourth of July and fireworks were next on the agenda.

“As a sailor, I’ve never experienced anything like it,” said Race Director Peter Wenzler, who has 32 Bayview Mackinac races under his sailing belt. “The Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race is a major event for Port Huron and the region here. It coincides with the Bluewater Festival, and our boats in the race are the centerpiece of that week. Besides the bands and partying on both sides of the river the night before, when you leave on Saturday morning, you hear bagpipes playing at Port Huron Yacht Club, and on the opposite shore, groups of people are sitting there, holding up score cards like you would for a diving competition. Motoring out to the start, you tend to hug the Canadian shoreline, because the current is ripping under the Bluewater Bridge, and as you’re doing that, just 50 feet away on the shore are literally thousands of people who have come to see all the colors, the boats, the crews…hooting and hollering, waving you off to sea. Then, of course, there’s Mackinac Island at the other end; it’s just an idyllic place to be in the middle of summer: the harbor scene is awesome, there are no cars! There’s a reason why sailors build their whole summer around this event.”

This is the 91st running of the annual competition, and 2015 counts as extra special, since it’s the Bayview Yacht Club’s 100th anniversary. That milestone has contributed, in part, to an unprecedented 38 first-timers having signed up.  While approximately 82% of the fleet sailed the Shore Course last year, the fleet is more or less split down the middle this year, due to changes in policy that allow the bigger boats only to sail the Cove Island Course.

The largest contingent of J’s are sailing the longer Cove Island Course.  Leading the way with the largest class are the ten J/120s that include their long-time cheerleader Frank Kern on CARINTHIA from Bayview YC.  They will be joined by other teams like Bill Bresser’s FLYIN’ IRISH, Mike & Bob Kirkman’s HOT TICKET, Ed Vermet & John Hughes NAUTI BOYS and Henry Mistele’s NIGHT MOVES.

The next largest fleet of J’s are the classic J/35s that have amassed over time on the Great Lakes.  Amongst the leading boats will surely be Bill Wildner’s MR BILLS WILD RIDE from North Star Sail Club, Ed & John Bayer’s FALCON from Detroit YC and Greg Whipple’s WHIPLASH from Tawas Bay YC.

Next up is the fleet of six J/105s, with notable teams in the mix like last year’s class winner PTERODACTYL skippered by Mark Symonds from Grosse Pointe YC.  Giving them a run-for-the-roses will be Don Harthorn’s SNAKE OIL and Mark Denuyl’s GOOD LOOKIN.

After setting the pace in the Chicago-Mackinac, watch for the top J/111s to do the same in the Bayview version.  Amongst the four 111 teams will be Don Hudak’s CAPERS from Mentor Harbor YC, Dan Kitchens’ SKULL CRACKER from Chicago YC, Tim Clayson’s UNPLUGGED from Port Huron YC and Brad Farber’s UTAH (fresh of the Super Mac!) from Macatawa Bay YC.

In addition, the J/88 SARALYSIA from Bark Shanty Sail Club is racing the long course along with the J/44 SAGITTA sailed by Jon Somes & Larry Oswald from Bayview YC, the J/145 VORTICES skippered by Chris Saxton, the J/133 SIROCCO 3 sailed by Bob Klairmont of Chicago YC, the J/130 WILLE J helmed by Doug Petter of Macatawa Bay YC, the J/33 SHENANIGAN led by the duo of Dick & Dan Synowiec of Ford YC, and the J/109 PHOENX sailed by Bill Hamilton from Lake Shore YC.

The shorter Shore Course is now reserved for the smaller boats like the J/29 RED DOG sailed by Cliff Ruchstuhl from Port Clinton YC, the J/30 CONUNDRUM skippered by Don King from Lake Shore YC, the J/34 IOR KNEE DEEP sailed by Brett Langolf from North Star YC and the J/92 KOHATSU helmed by John Stromberg from the Sandusky Sailing Club.  For more Port Huron Mackinac Race sailing information