Countdown to Bayview Mackinac Race

Bayview Yacht Club prepares to host the 2023 Bayview Mackinac, which will be the 99th consecutive running of the race up Lake Huron to Mackinac Island. The 2023 race starts July 15 in southern Lake Huron, just north of the Blue Water Bridge. This is the longest consecutively run freshwater yacht race in the world.

More than 200 boats are scheduled to participate in this year’s Race, an increase of 15% over last year, with 50 new or boats returning after taking at least one year off. Again, this year, sailors will race either of the two courses on Lake Huron: the 259 nautical mile Cove Island Course which takes boats into Canadian waters, or the 204 nautical mile Shore Course along the Michigan shoreline. The first race took place in 1925 with 12 yachts participating.

Boats and crews sailing on the Cove Island Course will compete for the overall J.L. Hudson Trophy, while the Shore Course races compete for the overall Canadian Club Classic Trophy. The Corinthian Trophy will be awarded to the boat with an all-amateur crew who achieves the best corrected time in seconds per mile on either course.

“With the anticipation for the 100th BYC MACK next year, we have witnessed a boost in both participants and in sponsor interest,” said Paul Hulsey, 2023 Bayview Yacht Club Commodore. “We already have 202 boats preregistered for the 2024 race and new and returning brands are signing up and inquiring about partnering with the Race.”

Race information – Entry list – Tracking