Racers come to slow finish in Chicago to Mackinac Race

(July 17, 2013) – There was nothing quick about getting to the finish line in the extreme light wind conditions sailors faced in the 105th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Veuve Clicquot.

But the hot and tired crews emerging from the 150 or so boats that finished on Tuesday afternoon made a fast exit from the docks to the Sailor’s Celebration in the garden of the Grand Hotel to cheer for the winners in this year’s race.

Race commentator Winn Soldani said this year’s race is similar to that of 2009, which also brought very slow wind conditions.

“It is years like these that show us how hard the final miles can be. Several boats I saw or spoke to took hours – as many as 6, and perhaps a few even spent more – between the bridge and the finish,” Soldani said. “But for what was sort of an ‘ugly’ race, the ending could not have been prettier with the boats coming in under spinnaker, going fast under clear blue skies.”

As of 10:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday all but one boat had finished. There is typically just one post-race awards ceremony held on Mackinac Island, but  due to the late arrivals, the Chicago Yacht Club and the Club’s Mackinac Committee chose to add an evening ceremony as well this year.

Chicago Yacht Club Commodore Gerald Bober said although the winds were not ideal, the reactions he has gotten from many participants is that they a great time. It was important, he added, to provide a chance for them all to accept their awards.

“Our outstanding race committee was able to put together a lot of data needed for the scheduled award ceremony at the Grand Hotel,” Bober said. “Everybody was happy about the second award party scheduled for later in the evening that allowed us to recognize everyone fully for their accomplishments.”

Race Chairman Lou Sandoval said the 105th Race to Mackinac goes down in the history books as a memorable race for all.

“Each Mac holds memories for all contestants, and it speaks to the special nature of the race and is one of the reasons why sailors return year after year,” Sandoval said.

The 105th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Veuve Clicquot, is a 333-mile invitation-only race from Chicago Yacht Club to Mackinac Island. There were 301 boats and 2,472 crew registered in this year’s race.

The 106th Race to Mackinac will start on July 19, 2014.

RESULTS:
Winner of the Chicago-Mackinac Trophy Division was Sufficient Reason, a J122 owned by Mitchell Padnos and Tracy Brand, representing Macatawa Bay Yacht Club. Sufficient Reason won the division with a corrected time of 47:05:21. This division included boats from Sections 1 – 4, Beneteau 40.7, J111, J109, J120, Farr 40 and Turbo.

Winning the Mackinac Cup Division was Providence, an Ericson 35 owned by Jerry and Greg Miarecki of the Chicago Yacht Club. Providence won the division with a corrected time of 57:16:27. This division included boats from Sections 5 – 8, Beneteau 36.7, J105 and Tartan 10. Last year, Providence won the Chicago-Mackinac Trophy Division.

Windquest, a Max Z86 owned by Dick and Doug DeVos of Macatawa Bay Yacht Club, was first to finish in the racing divisions and the winner of the Royono Trophy. Windquest had a corrected time of 49:57:52.

Infinite Diversion, a Hanse 630e owned by Joseph Haas of the Chicago Yacht Club, was first to finish and first overall in the Cruising Division, crossing the line Sunday evening with a corrected time of 49:26:16. Infinite Diversion wins the Vanenna Cup for the division win and also wins a new trophy – the Ile Aux Galets Cup – just established this year, for first to finish in the cruising division.

For the multihull division, first to finish and winner of the Manitou Passage Trophy was Lucky Strike, a Newick 50 owned by Fred Ball of Little Traverse Yacht Club. Lucky Strike – who also won the Martin D. Rieck Trophy for line honors in the multihull division – won with a corrected time of 50:08:07.

Safir III, owned by Robert E. Radway of the Chicago Yacht Club, winner of the double-handed division and the Harold L. Ashton Trophy, with a corrected time of 55:58:24.

Click the following link to see the full divisional results – http://competitor.cycracetomackinac.com/results.cfm.

Photo by Randy Hull Mac.

About the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac: At 333 miles (289.4 nautical miles), the Race to Mackinac is the oldest annual freshwater distance race in the world. ‘The Mac’ starts at the Chicago Lighthouse, just off Navy Pier and continues to Mackinac Island.  2012 marked the 104^th running of the Race to Mackinac, in which 330 boats and about 3,500 sailors competed. The Race has also amassed a strong following using technology and social networking; it can be followed virtually using Facebook, Twitter and its race-tracking interface. The 104^th race and yacht club site was visited by over 300,000 website visitors. Our Facebook page has been visited by well over 2.5 million visitors to date.  For more information, visit www.cycracetomackinac.com.

About Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin: Since its creation in 1772, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin played an instrumental role in establishing and evolving the champagne industry as we know it today. Located in Reims, France, Veuve Clicquot prides itself on utilizing only the most distinct grapes from their vineyards for each bottle. Now, over 200 years later, Veuve Clicquot Champagne inspires the world to ‘Be Clicquot’: modern, audacious and premium quality. These values, set forth by the ground-breaking and extraordinary Madame Clicquot and maintained by generations of Clicquot drinkers, promise a remarkable experience with each sip of Veuve Clicquot Champagne. www.veuve-clicquot.com.

About Yellowbrick Tracking Ltd:  Yellowbrick is the largest provider of tracking solutions to yacht races, covering around 100 yacht races a year around the globe, Yellowbrick has been the tracking provider for  Rolex Fastnet Race, the Sydney Hobart , Barcelona World Race, Velux 5 Oceans and numerous others. With years of specialized experience providing tracking for high-end events, they have both the technology and the expertise to cope with the demands of Chicago Yacht Club’s flagship race, and look forward to doing an excellent job for the race organizers and the followers of the race. Learn more about Yellowbrick at www.yellowbrick-tracking.com.