Trophies and honors bestowed at CYC Race to Mackinac Awards Dinner

by Rachelle Treiber on 11 Nov 2011 At the 2011 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Awards Dinner, a sell-out crowd of close to four-hundred sailors, guests, and other sailing community members turned out to honor fellow sailors. The evening’s theme was ‘A Celebration of Our Community’ with the Dinner taking place on the 5th November in the Crystal Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

The evening started out with a trophy hugging ceremony at the Chicago Yacht Club’s Monroe Station, where many of the winners were able to take photos with the perpetual trophies. The fun then moved on to the Crystal Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Chicago, for a dinner and awards ceremony hosted by the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation.

Among the award-winners were the First to Finish Royono Trophy (monohull), which went to the Windquest crew (Dick and Doug DeVos). The multihull First to Finish winner was Sundog (Paul and Kathleen Parks).

The Chicago – Mackinac Trophy was won by Windancer (John Nedeau), and the Mackinac Cup was won by Fast Tango (Tim Prophit and Peter Wenzler).

The 2011 Clark – DeRoy Trophy and the Point Betsie Trophy, which goes to the boat with the lowest combined corrected time for the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac and the Bayview Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, was won by Dr. Philip D. O’Niel III’s Natalie J from the Bayview Yacht Club.

The Point Betsie Trophy, awarded to the winner of the Yacht Club Challenge, was won by Bayview Yacht Club. The St. Joseph River Yacht Club took second and third place went to the Macatawa Bay Yacht Club.

First place in the Multihull Division – earning the Manitou Passage Trophy – went to Sundog (Paul and Kathleen Parks). The Vanenna Cup, for first place in the Cruising Division, went to Jug Band (Harry Simmon), and first in the Double-Handed Division, winning the Harold L. Ashton Trophy, was Och! (Brendon Docherty and Patrick Hilliard).

For a full list of the other award winners, click here.

Aside from awarding the keeper trophies for the 2011 race, this year we had a very special honor. The crew of the yacht Sociable was awarded the Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal for their emergency response that saved the lives of six crewmembers of WingNuts after the boat capsized during the 103rd Race to Mackinac.

The esteemed award was presented to the twelve members of Sociable by past US Sailing President Janet Baxter. The crew also received awards from the US Coast Guard and the Charlevoix County Sheriff.

The celebratory evening also was a chance to kick off the 104th Mac with the introduction of the chairman for the 104th and 105th, Lou Sandoval, and the unveiling of the new logo.

The 2012 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Veuve Clicquot, will take place July 21st. Visit www.cycracetomac.com for more information on the race.