Race to Mackinac 2011 – A Record cruising fleet

by Race to Mackinac - event media on 2 Jul 2011 Fleet numbers in the Chicago Yacht Club's Race to Mackinac, presented by Veuve Clicquot, have increased significantly in recent years.

Mac Committee Chair Greg Freeman is a past chairman in of the Chicago Yacht Club’s Cruising Fleet and it is that Cruising fleet that has provided a big boost for this iconic sailing event.

He explains: ‘In recent years there has been an overall jump of around fifteen percent in the fleet. The one big growth has been in the Cruising division, which started out at 16 boats on 2007 and now stands at 50 boats for 2011.

‘Before that year's event we set out to try to define a cruising boat - we have said a cruising boat is a boat that has its jib on a roller. It can carry up to two jibs, but whichever headsail it uses, has to be attached to the roller furler. They can carry no more than two asymmetrical spinnakers and no symmetrics. They can have autopilots.

‘I really thought that between 25 to 30 boats would be the limit. We have a lot of new boats this year that joined the race in the Cruising division and that has been really interesting. Typically these are not boats that have been on the racecourse every weekend but they are bringing the family Catalina 34, doing the Mac with their buddies and familes waiting to celebrate with them on the Island. It’s terrific.’

The fleet will sail up Lake Michigan, continue just over four miles into Lake Huron and finish between Round Island Lighthouse and Windermere Point off Mackinac Island, in Northern Michigan.

Amongst those cruisers who have been strong supports is Bob O’Brien, who sails his Hunter 37.5, Friendly Confines in the Mac.

‘I did the Cruising division race in 07, its first year. We took off at about 10 in the morning; maybe a couple of hours before they started the other racing focussed classes in the race. By Saturday evening, 10 hours later, the fastest boats in the race were passing us. We struggled to get up to the Island as there was very little wind and we ended up having to turn the engine on about 25 miles from the Island. But we’d all had a great time.

In 2008, the same thing happened. By Saturday evening most of the boats were passing us. We had light winds and we finished late Tuesday evening. We had a great time but it still felt a little bit anti-climatic.

‘It was a big step forward for the Cruisers in 2009, when Greg Freeman asked ‘do you want to start on Friday afternoon instead of Saturday morning, get a big, almost 24 hour lead on the fastest boats in the race and get up to the Island at a more reasonable time?’

'The vast majority of people said yes, so we would skip the pre-race party on Friday night and start earlier to make sure we make it to the party on the Island. After all, a sail boat race is nothing more than a slow way up to a great party.

‘We did that in 2009, the 101st running. We got up to the Mackinac Straits, hung the big right turn around Can Three to start racing towards the Island, the last 25 miles or so of the race, when all the Turbos and Great Lake 70s and the fastest boats in the race were coming around that turn too.

‘What we became was a spectator fleet watching some of the greatest boats in the race finish. But we were racing with them. It was an incredible experience.

‘That year we were tacking with and finishing right behind, Flash Gordon 4, one of the truly celebrity boats so it was really exciting and everybody was really pumped up about it. We finished late Monday night about midnight. It was really a rewarding race.’

Todd Freese, owner of a Beneteau 423, Confluence has been cruising for over a decade. ‘I first sailed Confluence in 2006 in a racing division. When they announced the Cruising division for the 2007 race, I was really excited. All of a sudden I am racing with a whole bunch of boats like mine, you know, big and heavy with lots of amenities. We still loved to race and we were still competitive, just all slower. But starting just a few hours ahead of the racing boats was not enough, we straggled in late.

‘In the three years since they did the early start, we are always far enough along the course to enjoy the excitement.

‘Most people don’t get to see those big boats out on the water. It’s nice seeing some of these really fast race sleds come screaming by. We are all sailors and we are all here for the same reasons, it’s just we get more quality time on the water than the racers.’

There are first timers joining in the fun now. Amongst those is Matt Gallagher, a Mac Committee member, sailing his first Mac as owner or crew. His boat Endeavour is a 2008 Beneteau 37. Matt said ‘This is our first distance race, for my wife and me. We've done a fair amount of long-distance cruising in Lake Michigan including overnights, with the kids 3 1/2 and 1 1/2 years old. We have an experienced crew with plenty of Mac experience and a fair amount of ocean sailing, so I am not terribly apprehensive in terms of safety. My biggest fears are (a) sitting with no wind for days and (b) the flies. Lake Michigan flies are something terrible to behold.’

[Sorry, this content could not be displayed] Since 1898, the Chicago Yacht club has been staging the 333-mile sailing race to Mackinac Island, in northern Michigan. This year 'The Mac,' as the race is affectionately known, will see around 3,400 sailors competing in this world class sporting event.

The Race starts in downtown Chicago, two miles east of Navy Pier. Pre-race events will begin Wednesday, July 13, 2011. The Cruising fleet will set sail at 3:00pm Friday, July 15th and the Racing fleets will start at 11:30am Saturday, July 16, 2011.

For more news and information on the race go to www.cycracetomackinac.com