Bayview Mackinac: Fast and Furious

Mackinac Island, MI (July 20, 2015) – Ninety percent of a 250-strong fleet has finished the Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race, which began Saturday, July 18 from the starting line in lower Lake Huron.

According to Chairman Peter Wenzler, who sailed aboard Bill Alcott’s (St. Claire Shores, Mich.) 65-foot Equation, a “white squall” hit the fleet shortly after the start, making a whole lot of wind out of what started as a light downwind breeze. While some spinnakers became streamers at the tops of masts, others were locked and loaded or temporarily switched out for easier-to-handle headsails before the wind calmed and then elevated again to a more sustainable and “for the most part wonderful” 22 knots over flat, waveless water.

Equation was fourth over the line on Sunday afternoon, after the Orma 60 Arete, the Volvo 70 Il Mostro and the 86-foot Windquest (the largest boat in the fleet), in that order. They sailed the 259 nm Cove Island Course for faster, bigger boats, while the smaller boats sailed the 204 nm Shore Course, with both courses finishing at Mackinac Island.

The bigger boats enjoyed a strong beat home in 18-22 knots after turning the corner at Cove Island. The bulk of the Shore Course fleet enjoyed a mid-morning finish today, reaching in a solid 20-25 knots. “From 5:45 to 8:00 a.m., there was a cannon going off every few seconds, as they came in fast and furious,” said Wenzler.

The big winner was Il Mostro, owned by Peter and Christopher Thorton (Bay Harbor, Mich.), taking Overall and Division I honors as well as winning Class A. Division II (Shore Course) and Class Q was won by Flying Buffalo, a Declercq 36 owned by Al and Bob Declercq (Clinton Township, Mich.), and Multihull Division went to the Corsair F-31R AC Triceratops, owned by Jonathan Alvord (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.).

Event website – ResultsReport by Barby MacGowan, Media Pro International