2023 Bayview Mackinac Race starts July 15

Bayview Mackinac Race © Martin Chumiecki

Bayview Yacht Club (BYC), widely considered a premier Great Lakes sailing Club, is pleased to present the 2023 Bayview Mackinac Race (BYC MACK), the 99th consecutive running of the race up Lake Huron to Mackinac Island.

• More than 200 boats registered to participate with 50 boats new to race or returning
• Wagoneer by Jeep, The Long Drink, Griffin Claw Brewing Company, Precision Garage Door, Dickie McCamey, South Bay Supply and Flagstar Bank join the list of sponsors as anticipation for the 2024 event, the 100th consecutive running of the race builds

The 2023 race starts Saturday, July 15, with the first boats crossing the starting line at 11:30 a.m. in southern Lake Huron, just north of the Blue Water Bridge. The BYC MACK is the longest consecutively run freshwater yacht race in the world.

More than 200 boats are scheduled to participate in this year's Race, an increase of 15% over last year, with 50 new or boats returning after taking at least one year off. Again, this year, sailors will race either of the two courses on Lake Huron, the 259 nautical mile (298 statute mile) Cove Island Course which takes boats into Canadian waters, and the 204 nautical mile (235 statute mile) Shore Course along the Michigan shoreline. The first BYC MACK took place in 1925 with 12 yachts participating.

"We welcome back all the boats and sailors who have been away, as well as all the first-time competitors in this year's race. It is good for the sport we love to see such a strong field of entries for the 2023 Bayview Mackinac Race," said Kevin Thomas, 2023 Bayview Mackinac Race Chair. "Skippers and crews are practicing and preparing to take on Lake Huron once again. There is a lot of energy, and we all can't wait until the race starts on July 15th."

Boats and crews sailing on the Cove Island Course will compete for the overall J.L. Hudson Trophy, while the Shore Course races compete for the overall Canadian Club Classic Trophy. The Corinthian Trophy will be awarded to the boat with an all-amateur crew who achieves the best corrected time in seconds per mile on either course.

For the second year, the Island Awards Party, where flags and trophies are presented to the winning skippers of each division and class, will take place at Mission Point Resort on Tuesday, July 18.

The Bayview Mackinac Race Foundation is the presenting sponsor. And, as the Race nears its 100th consecutive running of the BYC MACK July 24 2024, interest from new sponsors has increased. New sponsors for 2023 are Wagoneer by Jeep, the official vehicle; The Long Drink; Griffin Claw Brewing Company, the official craft beer and craft vodka seltzer; Dickie McCamey; South Bay Supply; Flagstar Bank and MicroCODE. Returning sponsors are Precision Garage Door; Faygo, the official pop/soft drink; Aperol/Campari America; Tito's, the official vodka; Mission Point Resort, the official hotel; Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry, the official ferry; Sika Corporation; Pink Pony; Marx Layne and Co.; High Winds Graphix; and Aitken & Ormond Insurance and Frankenmuth Insurance, as co-sponsors of the "Kids Club" at the Island Awards.

According to Paul Hulsey, 2023 Bayview Yacht Club Commodore, "With the anticipation for the 100th Bayview Mackinac next year, we have witnessed a boost in both participants and in sponsor interest. We already have 202 boats preregistered for the 2024 race and new and returning brands are signing up and inquiring about partnering with the Race."

More than 1,600 sailors and 1,100 shore crew will take part in this year's Race. Sailing fans worldwide can track individual boats or the entire fleet on the official race site, www.bycmack.com through Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices on each boat provided by YB Tracking.

Each year the economic impact of the Race on the communities involved is approximated between $30 and $59 million (depending on weather conditions), making it one of the premier events hosted in the State of Michigan, and one with a significant economic impact to a host of local Michigan businesses, especially in tourism.