Chicago to Mackinac Boat Race
Encyclopedia
The Chicago to Mackinac Sailboat Race is run by the Chicago Yacht Club
. It is one of the longest fresh-water races in the world, with hundreds of boats entering the race each year. It starts off the mouth of the Chicago River
in Chicago
, crosses Lake Michigan
, barely enters Lake Huron
, and finishes in the Round Island Channel
, off Mackinac Island, Michigan
. The race course runs 333 mi (535.9 km). 294 boats completed the 2005 race with finishes ranging from 33 to 69 elapsed hours. Steve Fossett
set the overall race record, 18 hours, 50 minutes, in 1998 with the yacht, the Stars and Stripes
. Roy E. Disney
set the monohull record, 23 hours, 30 minutes, in Pyewacket in 2002.
The Chicago to Mackinac Race is often confused with the Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race
. They were held on the same weekend until 1939, when both clubs agreed to alternate the date of their Mackinac races, scheduling them a week apart.
The first race was run in 1898, with the sloop Vanenna winning against four boats. The 100th Running was completed in July 2008.
Sailors who have completed 25 of these annual races are called Island Goats. In 1959, The Island Goats Sailing Society was formed with 10 of these sailors to perpetuate and commemorate the Chicago to Mackinac Race, along with its legends and lore. By 2008, the society had grown to 270 members in good standing.
The 103rd running of the Race began on July 16, 2011. 361 boats were entered in the race. Two sailors died in the 2011 race when WingNuts (berthed in Saginaw, Michigan) capsized in 75 mile per hour winds. These were the first directly "weather caused" deaths in the history of the race; however, numerous boats have been lost in other races.
Chicago Yacht Club
The Chicago Yacht Club is located in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Yacht Club is best known for organizing the Chicago to Mackinac Race each July. It also hosts dozens of other races and regattas throughout the season.- History :...
. It is one of the longest fresh-water races in the world, with hundreds of boats entering the race each year. It starts off the mouth of the Chicago River
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, crosses Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, barely enters Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
, and finishes in the Round Island Channel
Round Island Channel
The Round Island Channel is a navigable Lake Huron waterway located between Mackinac Island and Round Island in the Straits of Mackinac. It forms a key link in the lake freighter route between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, on which millions of tons of taconite iron ore are shipped annually...
, off Mackinac Island, Michigan
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Mackinac Island is a city in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. In the 2010 census, the city had a permanent population of 492, although there are thousands more seasonal workers and tourists during the summer months. From 1818–1882, the city was the county seat of the former...
. The race course runs 333 mi (535.9 km). 294 boats completed the 2005 race with finishes ranging from 33 to 69 elapsed hours. Steve Fossett
Steve Fossett
James Stephen Fossett was an American commodities trader, businessman, and adventurer. Fossett is the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon...
set the overall race record, 18 hours, 50 minutes, in 1998 with the yacht, the Stars and Stripes
Stars & Stripes (yacht)
Stars & Stripes is the name of a series of racing yachts operated by Dennis Conner to compete in the America's Cup. The name "Stars & Stripes" refers to the nickname often used for the flag of the United States.- 12-metre class yachts :1987 America's Cup...
. Roy E. Disney
Roy E. Disney
Roy Edward Disney, KCSG was a longtime senior executive for The Walt Disney Company, which his father Roy Oliver Disney and his uncle Walt Disney founded. At the time of his death he was a shareholder , and served as a consultant for the company and Director Emeritus for the Board of Directors...
set the monohull record, 23 hours, 30 minutes, in Pyewacket in 2002.
The Chicago to Mackinac Race is often confused with the Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race
Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race
The Bayview Mackinac Boat Race is run by the Bayview Yacht Club of Detroit, Michigan. It is one of the longest fresh-water races in the world with over two hundred boats entering the race each year....
. They were held on the same weekend until 1939, when both clubs agreed to alternate the date of their Mackinac races, scheduling them a week apart.
The first race was run in 1898, with the sloop Vanenna winning against four boats. The 100th Running was completed in July 2008.
Sailors who have completed 25 of these annual races are called Island Goats. In 1959, The Island Goats Sailing Society was formed with 10 of these sailors to perpetuate and commemorate the Chicago to Mackinac Race, along with its legends and lore. By 2008, the society had grown to 270 members in good standing.
The 103rd running of the Race began on July 16, 2011. 361 boats were entered in the race. Two sailors died in the 2011 race when WingNuts (berthed in Saginaw, Michigan) capsized in 75 mile per hour winds. These were the first directly "weather caused" deaths in the history of the race; however, numerous boats have been lost in other races.