Countdown to Chicago Mackinac Race

The 2025 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, with starts on July 18 and 19, features its largest fleet in recent years with nearly 300 boats, driven by a surge in first-time entries, the return of the Multihull Division, and a rare running of the ‘Ultra Mac’—a 548-nautical mile offshore challenge from Port Huron, MI to Chicago sailed in advance of the main event.

Additionally, to celebrate CYC’s 150th anniversary in 2025, a new course addition – the “Skyline Sprint.” – provides a five nm leg wich gives fans a chance to watch the fleet race close to shore, as both the racing and cruising divisions sail along Chicago’s north lakefront toward a turning mark just off Montrose Harbor. The fleet will then continue the 333-mile adventure up Lake Michigan and finish in Lake Huron at Mackinac Island, MI.

“We created the Skyline Sprint as a way to bring the racing closer to spectators and to the City of Chicago, who, for the first time, will be able to watch hundreds of boats sailing near the skyline,” said Winn Soldani, Chair of the Race to Mackinac.

First Timers
While the Mac Race is rich in tradition, it continues to lead through innovation—especially in how it attracts and welcomes first-time competitors. Launched in 2024, the ‘First Timers’ program puts added focus on supporting new skippers and crew, encouraging broader participation and culminating in a celebratory First Timers Brunch on Mackinac Island.

As a result, 60 first-time Mac skippers will be on the starting line next weekend – 20 percent of the fleet and double that of last year’s ‘newbies.’ Of last year’s 28 first-timers, half will return to tackle their second Mac. Additionally, more than 500 sailors will experience their first Race to Mackinac this summer.

Ultra Mac
The Ultra Mac is held once every 25 years. It’s a grueling 548 nautical miles that coincided with the start of the Bayview Mackinac race on July 12. Eleven boats are registered and will sail up Lake Huron, pass by Mackinac Island and under the Mackinac Bridge, sail down Lake Michigan and finish off of Chicago Yacht Club’s Monroe Harbor, just prior to the start of the Race to Mackinac

Return of the Multihulls
Multihulls return to the Mac Race this year with 11 entrants seeking to claim the first boat to finish title. The fastest elapsed time belongs to a multihull – Steve Fosset’s Stars & Stripes – set in 1998.

Event information – Race details – Facebook

Source: CYC