Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race

The Port Huron to 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.

There have been at least three changes to the course throughout the race's history. All of the race's courses start in the waters of Port Huron, Michigan, 4.5 miles north of the Blue Water Bridge near the American shoreline, traverse the length of Lake Huron, and finish in the Round Island Channel off Mackinac Island, Michigan. Starting in 2007, all participating boats have been required to make a key course change at a NOAA weather buoy northeast of Alpena, Michigan.

History

The first race was held in 1925 with the sloop Bernida skippered by Russ Pouliot winning against 12 yachts. Dozens of divisions and classes of boats added over the years.

The inaugural race course was 235 statute miles up the Michigan shore line. In 1935, the course was lengthened to 290 miles and required participants to round Cove Island Light in Canada's Georgian Bay. Fog created confusion and the longer course was abandoned as dangerous and slow in 1936. In 1972 the 290-mile Cove Island course was restored. Twenty years later, participating yachts were divided into two separate fleets, with one heading east to round Cove Island and the other following the original shore course. After the Canadian government's decision to decommission the Cove Island buoy in 2000, the longer course was replaced with the Southampton Course in which sailors are directed toward Southampton, Ontario and then to the finish line at Mackinac Island.

In 2007, the Bayview Yacht Club announced a new course in which all boats round at NOAA Weather Buoy 45003, located about 43 miles northeast of Alpena, Michigan. Longer than the shore course but not quite as lengthy as the Southampton or Cove Island courses, it marks the first time in 15 years that all Port Huron to Mackinac racing yachts will be following a unified course.

The Race

The two Port Huron race courses allow for maximum participation from yachts ranging in size from 26 feet to more than 80 feet.

The Port Huron to Mackinac Race is often confused with the Chicago to Mackinac 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 Chicago-to-Mackinac race is older, starting in 1898, and slightly longer.

The Friday night before the start of the race is called Boat Night. Thousands of people, sailors and those who wish they were, line the banks of the Black River, Port Huron to view the yachts. The parties will last until well after dawn on Saturday. The race begins Saturday afternoon with the smallest boats staring first and the largest the last to cross the starting line. Boats traditionally begin finishing at Mackinac Island Sunday evening through Tuesday morning. The finish line can be viewed from a number of places including Fort Mackinac and Mission Point Resort.

Boats are measured to determine hadicaps. The fastest boat in the fleet is the scratch boat and has no time allowance. All other boats have time allowance handicaps which are subtracted from the elapsed sailing time. As of 2007, handicapping systems used in various classes include PHRF and IRC (sailing)

The last boat to finish the race is called the "pickle boat." The origin of the name comes from English yachting, where the last boat was called the "fisher." The boats used to stop to fish for herring and then pickle them, thus "pickled herring." The pickling required the boat to take even longer to come into port.

The race and an awards celebration is held on the lawn of Mission Point Resort. Flags and trophies are presented to all the winning skippers of each division and class.

Tradition

Racers who have completed 25 of the annual Port Huron to Mackinac races are called "Old Goats", while those who have completed 50 are called "Grand Rams".

External links

* [http://www.byc.com/mack/ Official site]
* [http://www.mainstreetph.com/Mackinac%20Race%20Information.htm Unofficial website]
* [http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=220&category=sports Detroit News: Race History]