Countdown to Chicago Mackinac Race

The 109th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac has 301 entrants preparing for 289.4 course from the Chicago Lighthouse, just off Navy Pier, to Mackinac Island. Considered to be the oldest annual freshwater distance race in the world, the Cruising Division will start July 14 with the racing fleets to start on July 15.

Pyewacket, a Reichel Pugh 75, owned and skippered by Roy Disney, set the monohull record in 2002 with an elapsed time of 23 hours, 30 minutes and 34 seconds. This broke the 14-year record of 25 hours, 50 minutes and 44 seconds established by the yacht Pied Piper, a Santa Cruz 70 owned and skippered by Dick Jennings.

For multihulls, the record of 18 hours 50 minutes and 32 seconds was set in 1998 by Steve Fossett on Stars and Stripes, the catamaran previously sailed by Dennis Conner in the America’s Cup.

Race details – Entry list – Tracker – Facebook