Race to Mackinac 2012-Congratulations to All- especially...

First 36.7 1st Place Winners: As You Wish (photo credit -Mike Arzt, Ian Fohrman-The Public Works)

First 40.7 1st Place Winners: La Tempete (photo credit- Mike Arzt, Ian Fohrman-The Public Works)

104th Race to Mackinac -One for the Books

by Karma Yacht Sales Media Desk

There is a saying among Mac racers that 'slow starting races finish fast' and the 104th held true to the formula.  As sections were sent off starting at 1100 hours, the light breeze filled in for many of the sections as they made their departure from Chicago.  Much of Saturday was spent working the West or East sides of the rhumbline up the lake.  Boats varied in their approach to crossing the lake but most picked up a path to make their way accross the lake at the height of Kenosha to Port Washington, WI.   By Sunday morning, the offshore breeze filled in for most of the boats that stayed off the Michigan shore.  

Two Paths up the Lake of lead boats in the 36.7 Section Courtesy Yellow Brick Tracking

 Sea breeze compacted the fleets into concentric groups all along the rhumbline from Point Betsie to Sleeping Bear Dunes.  They stretched along the Michigan coast as the sun started to set Sunday Evening.  Strong pressure from the West outside the Manitou's lured a few boats outside the Manitou passage into what some might consider the "Hail Mary pass" of sailing.    Going outside the 'tous' (as they are called), paid off for the 40.7 leaders La Tempete and Das Boot.  

Six-time 36.7 Mac Winner Karma accompanied by Grizzly from Bayview Yacht Club also played the 'odds' and worked the outside of the islands between 930pm on Sunday to the early Monday morning hours.   Gamblers bets that catapaulted both boats from 14th and 15th in fleet position to 4th and 7th place finishes respectively.   Both boats reported sailing in breezes gusting to 21 knots under a beatiful starlit sky and average boat speeds in the early double digits. 

The kite work continued for the fleet through Grey's reef passage as the lead boats rounded Can #3 to enter the Straits of Mackinac- the breeze increased with gusts up to 19 knots for the great spinnacker parade down the straits and under Mac bridge. For a sample of just how much fun it was click on the enclosed you tube link.

It has been written that 271 boats finished in a compressed amount of time between 0400 hours and 1200 hours on Monday July 23rd.

Line Honors went to the Volvo Ocean 70 il Mostro owned by Mr. Peter Thornton who triumphantly brings the Royono Trophy back to Chicago Yacht Club after a four year hiatus with an elapsed finishing time of 35:38:19. 

The Mackinac Cup was won by Realt Na Mara a J109 owned by Tom and Joe Longdrigan of Springfield, IL tops in the 121 boat division.

The Mackinac Trophy was won by Providence an Erickson 35 owned by Jerry and Greg Miarecki of Chicago, the top boat in the 146 boat division.

In the Doublehanded Division, TFWB Relentless owned by George Petris of the Grand Traverse Yacht Club won the division for the second year in a row.

The Cruising Division Overall was won by Intuition an S2 9.2A owned by Kershner, Hynes, Gillespie, Burns and Macainag. 

The Multihull Overall went to Pterodactyl and Line honors for first to finish were won by Ron White's Cheekee Monkee. 

Of the 54 Beneteaus that competed in the 104th Race to Mackinac, the top boats in the highly competitive eighteen boat  36.7 fleet  and the eleven boat 40.7 fleet were as follows:

First 36.7 Section:

1.  As You Wish  - John Heaton 
2.  Tried and True- Robert Foley
3. Tequila Mockingbird- Chris Duhon

First 40.7 Section:

1. La Tempete -  Tom Weber
2. Das Boot-        Jay and Cindy Muller
3. Spanker-         Dennis J. McDonnell and James McDonnell


The 105th Running of the Race to Mackinac leaves on July 13, 2013 if you are a racer or cruiser you will not want to miss this race.  Mark your calendars now.

For detailed results by Section visit: www.cycracetomackinac.com

Overall Results: http://competitor.cycracetomackinac.com/results-overall.cfm
Section Results: http://competitor.cycracetomackinac.com/results.cfm

For More Information Ask Karma Yacht Sales by email  or call 1-877-KARMA-Y-S (527-6297)