Mackinac Race - Karma Sailing Group reaches new milestone

by Allison Vallas on 21 Jul 2015 Few sports teams can maintain a winning average of .500, yet the Karma Sailing Group found a way to do just that this past week by winning their eighth Mackinac Race in 15 attempts. Karma Sailing Group, a sailboat racing program owned by accountant Martin Sandoval and Karma Yacht Sales Co-owners Jack Buoscio and Lou Sandoval has made winning the “Mac” a regular event in their summer itinerary.

“Every year has been a learning process” says Jack Buoscio “it wasn’t too long ago that the team completed their first race with seven newbies finishing second to last”. Much has changed since then as team Karma has become no stranger to the winner’s stand. Jack and business partner Lou Sandoval are also the local Beneteau dealers in Lake Michigan which poses logistical challenges in taking the time off to compete.

The hard work and experience paid off this past week as they won their section in the 107th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. They finished the 333 mile race in 50:26:29 crossing the finish line fifth in the Mackinac Cup Division (15th on corrected time). This victory marks the eighth win for Karma Sailing Group in a race that saw the lead exchanged a few times. “We went to work most of Saturday on the fleet with a majority of boats in shore of us” said Lou Sandoval “there were a few boats that stuck to us like glue and made us earn it right up to the Mac Bridge”.

Team Karma worked the fleet up with West side of the Rhumbline to gain the lead into Sunday morning, a position they fought to keep through a storm squall that drenched the fleet before the storied Mackinac Bridge. “We left it all on the water and saw multiple challenges to the win” said Sandoval who serves as Rear Commodore of Chicago Yacht Club.

In addition to Messrs. Buoscio and Sandoval, Team KARMA includes crew members Cristina Cordero-Chadwick, Jason Veatch, Phil Toth, Steve Mathias and Konstantine Stamatis. KARMA’s name will be added to the Fred A. Price Memorial Trophy which is on display at Chicago Yacht Club and will be presented with this honor at the annual awards ceremony in November.