2025 GL52 Macatawa Challenge - Overall
by Windlass Creative 8 Oct 06:20 AEDT
It was down to the wire on the final day of racing in the GL52 Great Lakes Series (GLS) 2025 at the GL52 Macatawa Challenge sailed on Lake Michigan last weekend.
Unseasonably warm weather with mostly steady wind ranging from 9-14 knots created excellent conditions for the seven boat fleet. John Huhn's KATANA started the day at the top of the regatta leaderboard and after second and first place finishes in Races 7 and 8 respectively, clinched top of the podium in both the Macatawa Challenge and the 2025 GL52 Great Lakes Series Championship. Huhn's KATANA team is to be congratulated for excellent results throughout the season; they won three of the four in-shore series events and scored just 13 points over the seven-event season.
Regatta and Series contenders, Laura and Bob Hughes' HEARTBREAKER won Race 7, but were over-early in Race 8, requiring a penalty turn and a restart that left them at the back of the pack with too-little course to catch-up. Adding a third place finish at the Macatawa Challenge, Hughes' HEARTBREAKER team took second place in the Great Lakes Series where they were strongest in the three off-shore events, winning both the Bayview-Mac and Chicago-Mac races. Peter Askew's WIZARD started the last day in second which they held onto despite a third-place finish in Race 7 and being over-early in Race 8. By covering HEARTBREAKER Askew's WIZARD team locked in two podium positions, 2nd place at the regatta and 3rd overall in the 2025 GL52 Great Lakes Series.
Macatawa Challenge scorecard:
1. KATANA: 3,1,4,3,1,2,2,1=17
2. WIZARD: 4,3,1,4,2,4,3,6=27
3. HEARTBREAKER: 1,5,2,2,3,7,1,7=28
4. WINDQUEST: 6,2,3,7,5,1,5,2=31
5. NATALIE J: 2,6,6,5,4,3,6,4=36
6. MOCKINGBIRD: 5,4,7,1,6,5,7,5=40
7. PROSPECTOR: 7,7,5,6,7,6,4,3=45
Great Lakes Series Overall Championship:
1. KATANA
2. HEARTBREAKER
3. WIZARD
Next up is the GL52 Southern Series 2026 which includes the GL52 Pensacola Cup (March 19-22) and the GL52 Southern Showdown (April 9-12). In the meantime, stay tuned for a GL52 2025 season wrap-up with a best of photo gallery and more.