Little Traverse Yacht Club wins Chicago Mackinac Race yacht club challenge

Chicago, IL (October 30, 2014) – Little Traverse Yacht Club (Harbor Springs, Michigan) won the Yacht Club Challenge in the 106th Running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac.

The eight entrants representing Little Traverse raced in three separate divisions and had some great showings, including Dave Irish’s Nosurprise finishing second in the Mackinac Cup Division and a second place in the Multihull division from Fred Ball’s Lucky Strike.

“We are thrilled that our friends at Little Traverse Yacht Club won the Yacht Club Challenge in 2014,” said Race Chairman Matt Gallagher. “Every year, our friends from our sister clubs around the Great Lakes send their racers to Chicago to race the Mac. Through the Yacht Club Challenge, we hope to recognize those clubs that are particularly successful. Their members at home, friends and families can all be proud of their winners.”

The Yacht Club Challenge is awarded to a yacht club based on the success of its members in the annual Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. Any club with five or more entrants is automatically entered into the Challenge. The winner is determined by a formula based on how well its entrants did in their respective divisions of the Race.

“The Little Traverse Yacht Club flag officers and members are proud to accept the honor of first place in the 2014 CYC Race to Mackinac Yacht Club Challenge,” said Little Traverse YC Commodore Corky Weber. “We are grateful to be included amongst the prestigious winners from the previous years and look forward to seeing you out on the lake next summer.”

Repeating its performance from 2013, Muskegon Yacht Club again came in second place in the 2014 Challenge. With 14 racing yachts entered the 106th Mac, Aftershock led the Muskegon YC team effort with a third place finish in the Cup Division.

Muskegon YC Commodore Andrew J. Price commented: “Thank you to the CYC for continuously hosting and running such a great race. As a yacht club rich in racing history, the Muskegon Yacht Club is honored to take second place in the yacht club challenge for the 2014 race. We look forward to the 2015 race and are hopeful we will be the next Yacht Club Challenge Champion!”

Third place in the Challenge went to the Milwaukee Yacht Club, which was the winner in 2013. Milwaukee YC sent nine boats to race in the Mac. Sociable was its top-finishing boat, coming in seventh in the Cup division and winning the Beneteau 40.7 class.

“I am proud to see many of our competitive sailors perform well in the Chicago Mac race. It truly is evidence that reflects our tradition of producing great sailors,” said Milwaukee Yacht Club Commodore Bill Walker.

“One of the great things about the Mac is getting the chance to see our friends from all over the Great Lakes each summer. We’re very happy that our friends at Little Traverse, Muskegon and Milwaukee were so successful in the 106th Mac,” said Gallagher.

Awards will be presented to the three yacht clubs as well as to the section and overall winners at the Mac Awards Celebration at the Chicago Yacht Club on Saturday, Nov. 1.

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. In the 105th running of the Race to Mackinac in 2013, 301 boats competed in the fifth consecutive sellout of the Race. The Race can be followed online via Facebook, Twitter (#CYCRTM), Instagram, and the race tracking app. See more at cycracetomackinac.com.

Source: Susan Kantor, Chicago Yacht Club