New Thunder Bay course records - Mackinac race

by PRNewswire on 19 Jul 2008 New 'Thunder Bay' course records were set by both a mono-hull and catamaran yachts in the 84th sailing of the 2008 Chrysler Jeep Superstores Bayview Mackinac Race race. The 60-foot twin hull Earth Voyager and single hull 86-foot Windquest rocketed to finish the 254-mile course from Port Huron to Mackinac Island.

The overall race winner -- Windquest -- a maxi 86-footer won after corrected time adjustments were made in the IRC division. The overall winner in the cruising class division was Solutions, owned by Mark Craig of Grosse Pointe Park. The last to finish, known as the 'pickle boat' or bottom of the barrel was Sacre Bleu, owned by Dennis Dudley of Mason, Michigan.

The catamaran Earth Voyager was the first to arrive on Mackinac Island at 4:57 a.m. on Sunday just 14 hours and 55 minutes after its 2:00 p.m. Saturday start in Port Huron. The first mono-hull to cross the line was FUJIMO, aka Windquest, owned by Dick Devos and chartered to the Schostak family in honor of Jerome Schostak's 75th birthday. The blue-hulled boat rocketed to Mackinac Island in just 16 hours and 50 minutes. The 86-foot yacht reached speeds of 18 knots just one mile from the starting line propelled by stormy winds that raked across lake Huron.

A total of 235 sailboats in 19 different classes registered and 223 boats started in the race that began under billowing cloud-filled skies with storms threatening and winds blowing 20 knots and seas kicking up 3-to-5 foot waves. The first class to start did so under sunny skies before the massive westerly storms ripped across southern Lake Huron.

While an official total of 223 boats started in the race, 8 boats retired from the race due to mechanical or other issues. Notably the 1998 America's Cup winner Stars and Stripes dropped out around 1 a.m. Sunday after its rigging was stripped down while the boat was making 26-knots and its mast sank to the bottom of the lake. The custom rigging was valued at more than $250,000.

'This is one of the fastest races in recent memory and a record setter for the new Thunder Bay course in its second year,' said Race Chairman John Burke. 'It was an amazing race in every respect -- especially the speed of the start and overall race with storm winds propelling these boats at maximum speeds to make for a fast race.'

'Michigan's variable weather conditions provided sailors a rapid variety of high winds, rain and 5-foot waves,' said Burke. 'This made for a very challenging race for the sailors whose skills were put to the test throughout the race.'

Burke said the pre-race favorite, Stars and Stripes, was leading the race when an equipment failure caused the mast to fall. The crew took 2 hours to cut the rig away from the boat and dump it over the side to enable the boat to be towed. A buoy was tied to it in an effort to locate and salvage it at a later date.

Starboard green bow lights dotted the straits of Mackinac as a parade of boats finished in succession in the minutes before midnight on Sunday as crews braced and raced for last call at the historic Pink Pony bar on Mackinac Island. The bulk of the fleet -- some 100 boats -- arrived through the morning hours on Monday.

Bayview Commodore Timothy LaRiviere, captained his 45-foot Sparkman Stephens 'Eagle One' to a near record pace, missing first place in the IRC D class by just a few minutes.

'It all had to do with weather conditions,' said LaRiviere. 'It was blowing Saturday night in excess of 30 knots across the deck. Those that pushed their boats fared very well. Those that decided to use less sail did not fare as well because of the heavy wave action and gusting winds. This will be a race to remember for a long time to come.'

LaRiviere said the fast race was a stark contrast to the first year of the new Thunder Bay course. 'This year everyone pretty much stuck to the rhumb line given the heavy winds. We were always at 20 knots of breeze and faster as we sailed toward the NOAA buoy. Eagle One pushed equipment gear and crew beyond expectations. It was a great Mackinac race.'

'The Thunder Bay course is outstanding -- as challenging as any race course we've ever had,' said LaRiviere. 'What makes this race course interesting is the smaller boats are now on the same course and they start first and are very much a part of the race and mark their progress against the big boats as they approach.'

The newly renovated docks at Mackinac Island became a virtual forest of masts with race pennants and colored flags flying. An array of sails were set on the docks and lawn drying in the light breeze.

The 'Thunder Bay' course marks its second year -- only the fourth course change in race history. The sailboats will head due North on a single course toward a National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather buoy located about 43 miles Northeast of Alpena, Michigan.

The U.S. Coast Guard vessel Biscayne Bay rescued one sailor who was injured Saturday while in a boatswain's chair. Sailor Jim Rodgers was injured aboard Night Train and taken by helicopter to a hospital in Alpena. He was badly bruised and released from the hospital after treatment.

The 2008 Mackinac race awards flags will be presented to the top three winners in each class at a party on the grounds of Mission Pointe resort at noon on Tuesday.

Chrysler Jeep Superstores is the title sponsor for the second year in a row. Also returning as a major Presenting Sponsor is Flagstar Bank and more than a dozen other sponsors are also supporting the 2008 'MAC' race.

Bayview Yacht Club donated a portion of all race entry fees to the Great Lakes preservation effort. The Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives Tour for 2008 features a catamaran and Mackinac Racer called Earth Voyager. The boat will sail to ports in each of the Great Lakes states over the summer to raise awareness of the social, economic and environmental benefits of restoring and protecting the Great Lakes. The tour is affiliated with the Healing our Waters Great Lakes Coalition that is comprised of more than 100 organizations dedicated to water preservation.

Bayview, founded in 1915, is widely regarded as the premier sailing club in Michigan and the Midwest. The private club is located on the Detroit River near the mouth of Lake St. Clair and has more than 1,000 members.

The '2008 Chrysler Jeep Superstores Bayview Mackinac Race' is organized by the Bayview Yacht Club, http://www.byc.com

Source Bayview Yacht Club