sailboat race on lake michigan

Countdown to the 114th Race to Mackinac - July 22, 2023

July 13, 2024

Registration for the 115th chicago yacht club race to mackinac opens february 1st.

At noon (12:00 p.m. CST) on Thursday, February 1, automatic invitations for the 115th CYC Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust will be sent out and invited competitors will be able to register their entry. Remember that your docking preference for Mackinac Island, St. Ignace, or Straits State Harbor are honored as best as possible according to entry and payment order, so enter soon!

What’s New in 2024?

As we look forward to warmer temperatures and this year’s race, we plan to begin sharing a series of updates regarding changes to the competition we think you’d like to hear about. If you are new to the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, and interested in learning more about how to enter the race, please visit our new FAQ page.  

Read on for recent updates to the 2024 race and remember that official race changes will be made when the new NOR and CMSR documents are available on February 1, 2024, when registration opens at noon (12:00 pm CT). 

That’s a wrap! 114th Race to Mackinac is in the books

CHICAGO and MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich., July 25, 2023 – Another successful Race to Mackinac is in the books, with today’s award ceremony taking place on the great lawn of Mission Point Resort. The race known as ‘America’s Offshore Challenge,’ delivered a spectacular race yet again with its mix of squalls, calms and most of all, new memories for the 240 teams competing.

For the Mackinac Cup, awarded this year to the large racing boats overall winner, first-timer Final Final won Section 2 and the Cup. Owner Jon Desmond of Cohasset, Mass., admitted they had more than a few moments of angst when early on in the race they made a tactical decision to split from the fleet. 

“We had this moment where it was like, ‘you realize we have just separated from the teams that have how many Macs under their belt’?” he said. The decision paid off, and the East-coast based Mills 41 is already planning its return to defend the victory. 

Light-air woes stall the fleet

CHICAGO and MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich., July 24, 2023 – The dreaded “light and variable” wind forecast has descended upon the boats still racing in the 114th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust, stalling the fleet in northern Lake Michigan. 

As of 3 pm EDT, there are 155 of 240 boats still on the race course, reporting boat speeds of 0.00 to five knots according to the YB Tracker. Just two of the 103 boats in the Chicago-Mackinac Trophy section (boats under 40 feet) have been able to finish, and with a bleak forecast for the afternoon, this year’s edition is quickly turning into a test of patience, and potential food and water rationing. 

Race Starts July 12, 2024

2024 notice board, ** important dates **.

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The Race to Mackinac: WBEZ’s guide to the world’s longest freshwater sailing competition

• Culture & The Arts

This weekend, 245 boats carrying 2,000 sailors set sail from the Chicago Lighthouse in the annual event’s 114th running.

The Race to Mackinac, the longest and oldest freshwater annual sailing competition in the world, is here. On Friday and Saturday, roughly 245 boats carrying more than 2,000 crew members will sail for Mackinac Island, the resort destination off the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

Here’s your primer.

Race basics

For 333 miles — or 289.4 nautical miles — 245 entrants, give or take last-minute dropouts, will traverse the route from Navy Pier to Mackinac Island in this year’s event, according to Sam Veilleux, chairman of the 2023 race committee. The first Mackinac race took place in 1898, with just five boats, and the second was in 1904. With the exception of several years during World War I and 2020 during the pandemic, the race, organized by the Chicago Yacht Club, has happened every year, marking its 114th running this year. Competitors may enter the race, classified as an amateur event, by invitation only.

• RELATED STORY

Sisters to sail the Race to Mackinac 100 years after their great-grandfather’s win was overturned

The majority of entrants travel to the race start via water — meaning they’re coming from harbors in or near Chicago or traveling from cities along connected lakes, mostly Michigan and Huron.

“Every year, we do have a few out-of-town boats that come from the coast, but it is quite an endeavor,” Veilleux said, noting that delivering a large yacht on a truck involves reassembling the boat in Chicago after shipment. Past races have included crews and boats from Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

As described by Veilleux, the route starts at the Chicago Lighthouse, near Navy Pier, and runs the entire length of Lake Michigan, passes through Grays Reef, enters Lake Huron through the Straits of Mackinac, ducks under the Mackinac Bridge and finishes at Mackinac Island.

How a crew wins and what they get

First to the island wins, right? Not quite.

The Chicago Yacht Club describes the Race to Mackinac as “a unique race, where the boat equivalent of ‘family sedans’ compete against ‘Formula One cars.’ ” What this means in practical terms is that boats, which range widely in technical capability, must be assessed in advance in order to be properly grouped by similar ratings. An algorithm takes boat measurements — including weight, size, sizes of the sails and more — to produce the standardized ratings.

The entrants compete in two divisions: cruising and racing. Boats in the cruising division are, according to Veilleux, “generally more comfortable” equipped with cabins, galleys and full accommodations.

“Boats that you’d go on, for example, a family cruise around the Great Lakes or around the Caribbean,” he said. There are three sections within this division, each based on speed.

Yachts in the racing division are built for speed — lightweight carbon-fiber hulls, sparse interiors — and compete in two section types: one in which the boats have identical specs, and another in which boats are handicapped, as in golf, based on relative performance characteristics.

Roughly split in half into “faster” and “slower” groups, the racing division is then further divided into similarly rated sections — this year there are 18, each with around 12-15 boats. The winner is determined by calculating time against a boat’s rating.

Sailors compete for three main honors: the Mac Trophy and the Mac Cup for the racing division, and, new this year, the Whitehawk Trophy for the overall winner in the cruising division. Each year, the two groups in the racing division — one faster, one slower — alternate between competing for the Trophy and the Cup so crews could possibly have their names engraved on both if they raced in consecutive years. The first three places in every section also receive a brag flag to display on their boat.

To be invited to the exclusive Island Goats Sailing Society, racers must have competed in at least 25 Chicago-to-Mackinac races, for a total of about 8,325 miles. Founded in 1959 by Hobart “Red” Olson, the society was named after sailors’ “appearance, aroma and behavior upon reaching Mackinac Island,” according to the Chicago Yacht Club website.

When can we expect results?

Most of the fleet takes from 40 to 60 hours to finish the race. Cannons will fire to release the cruising sections at 3 p.m. Friday, and the rest of the sections start from 11 a.m. Saturday every 10 minutes until 3 p.m.

To race around the clock, the crews sail in shifts. The multihull record was set in 1998 at under 19 hours, and the monohull record was set in 2002 at under 24 hours. Ideally, racers finish on or before Monday so they have time to rest before the awards ceremony Tuesday. While there’s no publicly available record of the longest time a boat has taken to finish the race, Veilleux said the club has a system for sailors to submit their final times even after the finish line is taken down on Wednesday.

During last year’s race, Veilleux said wild storms battered the fleet for about 12 hours on Lake Michigan, causing 29 boats to drop out. Veilleux competed last year in the cruising division and, although only sailing on the edge of the storm, experienced wind in excess of 55 knots.

“That’s like sticking your head out of a car window at highway speed,” he said.

Chuck Nevel, the club’s on-the-water director, stays on the island to direct boats as they complete the race. Once the boats start streaming in, they don’t stop. Neither do their supporters.

“If it’s 2 a.m. or if it’s 10 a.m., there are people out there cheering their family members on, their friends on, especially if it’s their first Mac,” he said.

“Everyone stinks, hasn’t taken a shower, sweating in their weather gear,” Nevel notes of the state of the crews as they disembark. But he concedes the members of the race committee, who work through the day and night to make sure everyone arrives safely into port, aren’t the freshest smelling bunch either.

One word for the atmosphere of the awards ceremony? “Jubilation.”

How to watch the race

From 2:30-3:30 p.m. on Friday, the start of the race for the cruising division will be livestreamed on CBS .

On Saturday, you can watch the parade of boats in the racing division off the end of Navy Pier from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. An announcer will provide details of the vessels as they sail toward the start. Viewers should also be able to see the rigs from anywhere along the lakefront north of Navy Pier.

Race updates will be available on the Chicago Yacht Club’s Facebook , Instagram and Twitter feeds. But perhaps the best way to follow the race is to view each boat’s progress through the event’s race tracker website or via mobile app, which will become available on Thursday of race week. Download the YB Tracking app and “buy” the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac (it’s free).

Finally, why is it spelled “Mackinac” but pronounced “Mackinaw?”

Originally named Michinnimakinong by the Ojibwa tribe, the indigenous translation refers to the large crevice in the island: “mish” meaning great, “inni” meaning connecting sound, “maki” meaning fault and “nong” meaning land or place. The name was shortened to Mackinac by the French, and the British transcribed it phonetically as Mackinaw. Edgar Conkling, founder of Mackinaw City in 1857, was the one to spell it with a “w.”

Either way, the pronunciation is “ MACK-in-awe .”

Ysa Quiballo is the digital news intern at WBEZ. Courtney Kueppers contributed.

Welcome to the 2024 Queen's Cup Race!

The 2024 south shore yacht club queen’s cup® race.

Plan now to enter the 85th challenge of one of the most storied yacht races on the Great Lakes. This year’s night race across Lake Michigan departs from Milwaukee, WI for South Haven, MI on June 28, 2024. Both Milwaukee’s South Shore Yacht Club and the South Haven Yacht Club will provide an experience worthy of this 85th Queen’s Cup Race. The race is open to all boats with a valid 2024 Midwest Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (MW-PHRF) rating certificate and ORC rating certificates. We will continue to have starts for the shorthanded fleet (with a limit of two crew per boat) and a cruising fleet for non-spinnaker monohulls. We are looking forward to increasing the participation of one design boats such as the GL52, J/111, Beneteau 40.7, Beneteau 36.7, and Tartan 10s. The racing between these boats and other one design boats has been close in prior years. The fee structure is based on boat length. This helps to make the fee schedule more affordable for smaller boats.

Queen's Cup Links Registration, Race Documents, Boats Entered Follow the Queen's Cup on Facebook 2024 Queen's Cup ® Race Results 2023 Queen's Cup ® Race Results Race Results Archive Queen's Cup ® Race Photos Sign up for the Queen's Cup ® 101 Seminar

Individual registration.

"Sailing the Queen's Cup ® Race 101 Seminar" will be held on April 9th  at 7 PM at South Shore Yacht Club

Queens Cup Sponsors

South Shore Yacht Club

2300 e nock street, milwaukee, wi 53207, (414) 481-2331.

[email protected]

The Mackinac Blog

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Chicago Yacht Club – Race to Mackinac – July 21 – 25, 2023

Sailors from 15 different U.S. states as well as Ontario, Switzerland, and as far off as Hong Kong, are preparing for the race of a lifetime – the 333 mile Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Wintrust.

The Mac, as it is affectionately known, kicks off Friday, July 21, 2023 (cruising division) and Saturday, July 22, 2023 (racing division) with 3,000 sailors competing in this world-class sporting event. Although The Mac remains primarily an amateur event, this race has a proven track record of attracting some of the finest sailing talent in the sport.

The Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac is the longest, annual freshwater sailing race in the world. It takes place on Lake Michigan.

Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Quicklinks: (Look for updates as racetime approaches)

• Race to Mackinac – FAQ – Basic questions (and answers) about the race

• Online Race Tracking

• Mackinac Bridge Call-Ins Page (Keeps track of boats that have passed the bridge)

• Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Facebook Page • Follow the Race to Mackinac Via Twitter • Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Website

Visit Race To Mackinac Website >>>>

Chicago Yacht Club – Race to Mackinac On Facebook

Below are the latest postings from the Chicago Yacht Club – Race to Mackinac Page On Facebook.

Race To Mackinac

Visit Chicago Yacht Club – Race to Mackinac on Facebook >>>

Chicago Yacht Club Race To Mackinac – Photos via Instagram

Here are the latest photos of Chicago Yacht Club Race To Mackinac via instagram . If you have an instagram photo to share of Chicago Yacht Club Race To Mackinac, tag it with #cycrtm and your photos will appear in the photo stream below.

A bit overcast out there today, but the Race to Mackinac is in full swing. I missed the earlier divisions. Still fabulous! #chicago #chicagolakefront #racetomackinac #cycrtm #citylife #lakelife

A bit overcast out there today, but the Race to Mackinac is in full swing. I missed the earlier divisions. Still fabulous! #chicago #chicagolakefront #racetomackinac #cycrtm #citylife #lakelife ...

What a ride it was! racetomackinac

What a ride it was! racetomackinac ...

23 Favorite Moments from 2023 (not ranked) 4. The Race to Mackinac started with beautiful sunny skies, but near the end of the starts a storm broke out like no other. The rain was big, cold and fierce. The rain was so thick you swear it was snowing. Waterproof gear got tested.

23 Favorite Moments from 2023 (not ranked) 4. The Race to Mackinac started with beautiful sunny skies, but near the end of the starts a storm broke out like no other. The rain was big, cold and fierce. The rain was so thick you swear it was snowing. Waterproof gear got tested. ...

The Longbow makes it’s way to the finish line in the 114th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac! 🌊⛵️🌊

The Longbow makes it’s way to the finish line in the 114th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac! 🌊⛵️🌊 ...

Quin and I are racing to Mackinaw. Follow us racetomackinac Kinship makes their first Mac race with Quin on board. I’m joining xuberancesailing #cycrtm

Quin and I are racing to Mackinaw. Follow us racetomackinac Kinship makes their first Mac race with Quin on board. I’m joining xuberancesailing #cycrtm ...

We don’t always win the race, but we ALWAYS win the party…. #cycrtm

We don’t always win the race, but we ALWAYS win the party…. #cycrtm ...

Rough Waters. This afternoon on Lake Michigan for the Race To Mackinac

Rough Waters. This afternoon on Lake Michigan for the Race To Mackinac ...

Congratulations to the crews who have crossed the finish line of the 112th Chicago Yacht Club racetomackinac. Welcome to #PureMichigan! 📷: greendrinks #CYCRTM #LakeMichigan #LakeHuron #sailing #summer #MyMackinac #OnePureMichigan

Congratulations to the crews who have crossed the finish line of the 112th Chicago Yacht Club racetomackinac. Welcome to #PureMichigan! 📷: greendrinks #CYCRTM #LakeMichigan #LakeHuron #sailing #summer #MyMackinac #OnePureMichigan ...

Our merry band of Gypsies… #cycrtm #gypsy2022

Our merry band of Gypsies… #cycrtm #gypsy2022 ...

You’re a bad ass sailor if you go from the podium straight to taking the rookie plunge. #cycrtm #kinship

You’re a bad ass sailor if you go from the podium straight to taking the rookie plunge. #cycrtm #kinship ...

And they're off! Pretty cool to watch the Race to Mackinac kick-off from #AshoreThing at the east end of Navy Pier. The bonus was getting on top of the East End Ballroom to shoot it // #cycrtm #Chitecture

And they're off! Pretty cool to watch the Race to Mackinac kick-off from #AshoreThing at the east end of Navy Pier. The bonus was getting on top of the East End Ballroom to shoot it // #cycrtm #Chitecture ...

Great night photographing the yachts crossing the finish line! Welcome to Mackinac sailors! ⛵️ #cycrtm

Great night photographing the yachts crossing the finish line! Welcome to Mackinac sailors! ⛵️ #cycrtm ...

Chicago Yacht Club – Race to Mackinac Photo Gallery (Click on photos for slideshow view)  

Archive – 2018 Race To Mackinac

Monday afternoon live drone coverage of the finish line of the 2018 chicago yacht club race to mackinac.

Il Mostro First To Finish in the 2018 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

Il Mostro – according to online tracking – is near the Mackinac Bridge and on track to be the first to finish in the Chicago Yacht Club Race To Mackinac… – https://t.co/H2Cy7zbbeN #cycrtm pic.twitter.com/fSKt777y4U — North Guide (@NorthGuide) July 22, 2018

Congratulations Il Mostro! #cycrtm pic.twitter.com/6dq2tXiqUw — North Guide (@NorthGuide) July 22, 2018

Boats set sail from Monroe Harbor for annual Race to Mackinac

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Boats set sail Saturday morning from Monroe Harbor for the annual Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac.

"This is super exciting," said John Desmond, a sailor in the race. "I don't think there's a lot of places in the world where you can have this kind of a view of the city."

230 boats are traveling well over 300 miles to Michigan's Mackinac Island in Lake Huron.

This year is the 114th running of the famed regatta, known by many as 'the Mac.'

"When you leave, you always look at the skyline to see how far away you're getting," said Michael Schultes, a sailor in the race. "And when it's gone, you say my goodness, we're in the race."

2,100 sailors from around the world and across the country set sail.

RELATED | Race to Mackinac returns on Lake Michigan after 2020 COVID-19 cancelation

"Year-after-year, I keep saying, this is the last one, but I keep coming back," said Jamal Alwattar, a sailor in the race. "It's really challenging. It's an endurance race."

This year is Alwattar's 31st time in the regatta.

Boat crews range in size from just two members to as many as 22 people, depending on the size of the boat.

"There is a lot more communication going on, as opposed to just like two people, you have to talk to everybody so everybody understands what's going on," said Luci Ramirez, a sailor in the race.

For 15-year-old Ramirez and 16-year-old Lauren Gullo, this is their first time in 'the Mac,' and they were eager to get sailing.

"I'm very excited about getting there and celebrating with my family once I get there," Gullo said.

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Racing Season In Chicago Commences With High Speed Sailboat Grand Prix On Lake Michigan [PHOTOS]

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NAVY PIER — The first of two large scale races to come to Chicago’s Downtown set sail over the weekend as Chicago hosted its second Rolex United States Sail Grand Prix.

The race series, which took place Friday and Saturday, started SailGP’s Season 4 global championship.

It drew thousands of spectators along Chicago’s lakefront, many of them milling about Navy Pier to watch the competition and soak in the sailing scenes. The eastern end of the pier turned into a race village, with bars, grandstands, activities and spots to watch the race.

“[It’s an] awesome place to sail, especially here in Chicago. This city is sick,” said Canada’s SailGP Team’s Phil Robertson after disembarking his vessel Friday.

“The sort of backdrop on the race course and the breeze blowing up and down here, the fans on Navy Pier, it doesn’t get much better,” he said.

New Zealand’s team placed first in the weekend’s races, followed by Australia in second. Roberston’s Canada team placed third.

Following SailGP, Chicago will next host the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, which will take over Downtown July 1-2. The controversial race series is currently being set up in and around Grant Park.

Read more: NASCAR Pledges Safety — And Big Money For City — Ahead Of July Street Race

The catamarans are known to travel more than 60 miles per hour as they cut through the race course. The vessels made an almost jet-like hissing sound while they maneuvered in the harbor.

The weather over the weekend proved a challenge for the sailors.

Though Friday’s windy conditions were ideal for race day, Saturday’s light breeze made it so that the lightweight, high-speed boats could not execute their trademark foiling.

Canada’s Robertson noted that sailing in Lake Michigan — the only freshwater course in the racing series — makes for a different racing experience, too.

“There’s a little less density than saltwater, so there’s not much lift in the water. So you sort of take off speeds quite a lot later,” he said. “It’s a bit harder.”

Jimmy Spithill is the CEO and driver of the home team, USA SailGP Team, which placed second to last on Lake Michigan.

“On the bright side, it was great to see and hear the huge crowds at Navy Pier this weekend. Chicago is an iconic sports city and it’s an incredible place to race,” Spithill said.

“Navy Pier was buzzing with anticipation and excitement all weekend,” Marilynn Gardner, Navy Pier President and CEO, said in a press release. “We’re grateful for this rewarding partnership with SailGP and the Chicago Sports Commission.”

See more photos from Friday’s racing:

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• Grand Rapids/Muskegon
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Private Lake Michigan yacht club will open to public for finish of summer sailboat race

• Updated: Jan. 16, 2024, 9:06 a.m. |
• Published: Jan. 16, 2024, 9:05 a.m.

The sun sets over Lake Michigan off South Haven, Mich., Aug. 18, 2022. (Garret Ellison | MLive)

• Audrey Whitaker | [email protected]

SOUTH HAVEN, MI -- The finish line of an overnight sailboat race across Lake Michigan will return to South Haven this summer.

The 85th annual Queen’s Cup will depart from South Shore Yacht Club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on June 28. Racers sail toward a different club on Lake Michigan’s eastern shore each year.

South Haven Yacht Club will host finish line festivities this year. SHYC hosted the event in 2012, 2015 and 2017, according to city documents. The club expects about 100 boats to enter the harbor throughout the evening of Friday, June 28, and early hours of June 29.

Normally, the club at 401 Williams St. is only open to members and their guests. During this event, anybody will be welcome, co-organizer Lisa Kozicki said. There will be no charge for admission, but food and drinks are available for purchase.

SHYC will welcome racers and the South Haven community with a celebration from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, June 29. Many details are still in the works, Kozicki said, but there will be awards, live music and food trucks.

“Events that involve our beaches, harbors or downtown are always exciting for our community,” Assistant City Manager Griffin Graham said. “This is an event we’ve hosted several times in the past. It’s good for the reputation of our harbor and continues to show the welcoming nature of our community.”

The city of South Haven has approved the club’s request to house boats and race officials at the Southside Municipal Marina during the event.

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Levitating sailboat race returns to Chicago in June: ‘Not your grandfather’s sailing’

Sailgp kicks off its second year in the water off navy pier on father’s day weekend, racing 50-foot catamarans that reach highway speeds..

A SailGP boat races near Navy Pier on June 18, 2022. The race returns to Chicago on Father’s Day weekend this year, with nine boats from different countries competing.

Bob Martin for SailGP

A high-speed race is coming to Chicago’s downtown lakefront in the next few weeks, but it’s not NASCAR’s Street Race .

This one is happening on Lake Michigan.

SailGP, short for Sail Grand Prix, kicks off its second year in the water by Navy Pier on Father’s Day weekend, racing 50-foot catamarans that appear to float above water.

They’re not levitating — just balancing on a below-boat foil, like an airplane wing, that reduces drag and allows them to reach 60 mph.

“This is not your grandfather’s sailing,” said Tod Reynolds, event director for SailGP in Chicago.

Nine boats, each representing a different country, will zoom across the lake from the pier to the Adler Planetarium in SailGP’s fourth season opener June 16 and 17. The race is officially called the Rolex United States Sail Grand Prix.

Julie Giese, president of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, and Cooper Dressler of SailGP’s USA Team, exchange helmets at a news conference at Navy Pier. NASCAR is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

SailGP publicized the race at a press event with NASCAR officials Wednesday at Navy Pier, challenging racers from each franchise to try each other’s sport.

Julie Giese, president of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, exchanged racing helmets with SailGP USA team member Cooper Dressler.

Giese called the NASCAR race, set for July 1-2 around Grant Park, NASCAR’s “boldest initiative” in its 75-year history.

• NASCAR to close southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive 6 days, other major streets
• NASCAR to use mufflers in Chicago, keep lakefront accessible

Dressler said the high speeds of the SailGP-style boats can be dangerous for crew members, but that there are extensive safety training and measures to account for that: safety knives, tethers and oxygen bottles in case crew members get stuck under wreckage.

The Chicago race is unique to sailboaters because it’s the only freshwater course in SailGP’s international circuit. The boats can go quicker in fresh water because there’s less drag than in salt water. But freshwater is also less buoyant, so the boats must reach higher speeds to rise up on their foils.

SailGP’s season 4 calendar

Chicago’s weather is less predictable than in ocean-side races. Last year, racers had to move farther out onto the lake because the lake breeze wasn’t reaching the shores.

“Chicago is very unpredictable — which makes it actually really interesting,” Dressler said.

• Summertime festivals and special events offer fun for all ages

Reynolds said the race weekend was moved a day earlier on the weekend, over Friday and Saturday, so it wouldn’t interfere with Father’s Day, as it had during the Chicago race last year.

The race was also pushed later into the afternoon, starting at 4 p.m., when winds are expected to be stronger along the shore, he said.

A SailGP boat races near Navy Pier on June 18, 2022. The race returns to Chicago over Father’s Day weekend this year.

Jon Buckle for SailGP

SailGP’s Chicago race map

Lake Michigan Clipper Cup

Race to the party!

The 2024 Lake Michigan Clipper Cup / 38th Running

The annual Clipper Cup race is administered jointly by Muskegon Yacht Club in Muskegon, Michigan and Port Washington Yacht Club in Port Washington, Wisconsin.

The start is off of the Muskegon, Michigan pierheads on Lake Michigan's east side with the finish in Port Washington, Wisconsin on the lake's west side for a distance of 66.9 miles.

August 9, 2024

Muskegon, Michigan to Port Washington, Wisconsin

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114th annual Race to Mackinac sets sail Friday afternoon

By CBS Chicago Team

July 21, 2023 / 11:35 AM CDT / CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- More than 240 boats are getting ready to set sail for a 333-mile trek across Lake Michigan.

The 114th annual Race to Mackinac kicks off Friday afternoon.

More than 2,100 sailors from around the world will sail from Navy Pier to Mackinac Island in Michigan.

The event will begin with the more leisurely cruising division on Friday afternoon.

"We're a little slower, but we're serious racers," said Wayne Titus, who's on the eight-man crew of the Jug Band out of Tower Harbour Yacht Club in Michigan.

As one of three watch captains on the boat, his job is to oversee the rest of the crew on his shift.

"My job is to basically to keep the crew trimming the sails. If we have to take down a sail, or make a sail change, directing them to do that. Sometimes to be on the helm, steering the boat across the lake," he said.

The faster racing division sets sail Saturday morning.

The race takes most boats 40 to 60 hours to finish, with the fastest and smallest boats able to finish in less than a day.

"It's a competition. It's a ton of fun, and it's a test of your skills and your sailing knowledge to go out there on open waters and race," said Adam Collins, a race organizer who also will be on the crew of the Perspicacity, out of Columbia Yacht Club. "Our boat will take somewhere around a little under 48 hours is our expected race."

We'll take you along for the action Friday afternoon with a special livestream at 2:30 p.m.

The CBS Chicago team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSChicago.com.

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Mackinac Island's historic sailboat race is making a big comeback

While lakes are still filled with ice, summertime plans for the historic around-the-clock sailboat race from southern Lake Huron to the Straits of Mackinac are underway with a sense of early celebration.

Canadians get to compete again. And COVID-19 deaths have dropped dramatically.

A tradition that began in 1925 is seeing a surge of enthusiasm fed by lifted pandemic restrictions and relief about the return to tradition and a sense of normalcy.

"There's pent-up energy and people are anxious to get out," said Chris Clark, chairman of the 2022 Bayview Mackinac Race organized by Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit.

"We have a 50% to 70% increase in new requests," he told the Free Press.

Organizers say the bounce is a response to two years of struggle that altered the race course, safety protocols and the island celebration. Now, the whole event is returning to what people loved. Planners say they expect more than 200 participants.

The race starts in Port Huron on July 16 and can last two or three days, depending on the sailing skill of the racers from all over the world. It is the world's longest consecutively run long-distance freshwater yacht race.

Already 170 boats had registered by Tuesday with four months until the window closes, a pace about 10% higher than normal with more newcomers than usual. The deadline to register is June 12.

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Fast Tango: Champion almost missed Mackinac race. Then competitors stepped in.

Competitors are coming from Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania (so far). Canadian sailors are back after being unable to compete in 2020 and 2021 because of restrictions related to COVID-19.

In 2021, 173 boats raced. In 2020, 81. And in 2019, 171.

There are big changes this year.

Boats will race on the Shore Course, along the Michigan shoreline, and the Cove Island Course, into Canadian waters, for the first time since 2019.

The Canadian border patrol has carefully monitored the waters during the pandemic and no sailboats were allowed to cross. So the race was restricted to the Shore Course, which is 204 nautical miles or 234.8 miles. Now the popular Cove Island Course is back — at 259 nautical miles or 298 miles.

"It's returning to the races that everybody knows and everybody loves," said Clark, who plans to race on Dynamis, a Santa Cruz 70. 

And that also includes boats being allowed to raft off each other — tie up together to allow more in the harbor — instead of sending most boats off to Mackinaw City and elsewhere after the finish of the race, Clark said.

The celebration lasts for days as sailors are joined by friends and family on the island to drink, dance, hike and bike. There are no cars, just horse-and-buggy. The island doesn't sleep when the sailors arrive.

Boats will cross the starting line at 11:30 a.m. on Lake Huron, just north of the Blue Water Bridge. They race through the night and all weather, guided by the stars under the moonlight with no land in sight.

Organizers worked closely with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Chippewa Hotel, Lilac Tree Hotel and Chris Shepler of Shepler's Ferry service as well as state Rep. John Damoose, R-Harbor Springs.  

This year's Island Award Party moves from The Grand Hotel back to Mission Point Resort on July 19. 

And the finish line that used to be near the lighthouse by Windemere Point on the west end of the island will now be near Mission Point on the east end of the island.

More: Mackinac Island tourism 'absolutely crazy,' sets revenue record in 2021

Each July, there are two big sailboat races to Mackinac, held on back-to-back weekends. Bayview Yacht Club and Chicago Yacht Club alternate which club goes first. Many sailors race in both. The Chicago to Mackinac race, which begins on Lake Michigan, was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.

Bayview Yacht Club coordinated this year with Chicago in putting together logistics so the island and its businesses would have common contracts and usage of facilities and just make everything easier, Clark said.

This year, Chicago will race on July 23. 

Finally, the Chicago Yacht Club agreed to switch the start of the race dates two years from now so Bayview will go second for its 100th anniversary. That means next year Bayview will start July 15 and Chicago on July 22. In 2024, Chicago will start July 13 and Bayview on July 20. 

Generations of mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, cousins, brothers, sisters and longtime friends race the Mackinac, sometimes as young as 10 and as old as 86. There is no age restriction. Childhood memories include gathering in the middle of the night to cheer sailboats crossing the finish line.

"Traditionally, when our race is second, we get a larger number of boats from Chicago to participate in the Bayview Mack," said BYC Commodore Lynn Kotwicki in a news release. "We are expecting the Centennial to be one of the biggest, most exciting sailing competitions in recent history."

More: Prestigious Detroit sailing club gets first female commodore in 100-year history

More: 3 Mackinac Island hotels, restaurant sold to owner of Grand Hotel

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid .

Sailboat racing returns to Lake Michigan this weekend

First major sailing regatta since the pandemic will return to lake michigan.

FOX 32's Roseanne Tellez reports..

CHICAGO - There will be a lot of activity on Lake Michigan this weekend with the return of a major sailing regatta.

Preparations were underway Thursday at the Chicago Yacht Club where sailboats have been arriving all week.

The Helly Hanson NOOD Regatta, which started 33 years ago, will be first major sailboat race in Chicago since the pandemic.

Organizers say the 150 sailboats competing have come from all over the country.

With crews of up to 15, they will course-race on Lake Michigan just east of the lighthouse Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

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Some of the sailors are from right here in Chicago, others have sailed here or had their boats transported.

The boats, which are are 22 to 52 feet long, all compete against other boats of the same design.

Sarah Renz with Sailing World Magazine described the allure of sailboat racing.

"Well there’s the peaceful side of being on the water and being engaged with nature and using those forces to figure out how to go fast. So yes there’s definitely a relaxing element to boating, but there’s also a huge fierce competition."

There are regattas like this taking place in several cities and the winners get a chance to compete in the Virgin Islands this summer.

"The greatest thing about covering an event like this is the variety of people everywhere we go," said David Reed. "Every city has a different vibe to it, right. The sailing season here in Chicago is so short so that energy is amazing compared to some of the other venues. The party is half of this event. You race all day and you want to come back and share your stories of what happened, meet your friends your mates and meet new people. And so the party sometimes for a lot of people is just as important as the racing."

Area 3 Comprises the Waters from Winthrop Harbor, IL to St. Joseph, MI

Subcategories, race information.

Bayshore Yacht Club hosts the largest Wednesday night racing fleet this side of Lake Michigan. This is an all volunteer organization for both boats and people.

• March 18, 2024

XINSURANCE Great Lakes Grand Prix

31 jul All Day 04 aug XINSURANCE Great Lakes Grand Prix

Event Details

The award-winning 15th Annual XINSURANCE Great Lakes Grand Prix features many of the world’s fastest and most powerful offshore power boats racing along the southern shores of Lake Michigan. Throughout

The award-winning 15th Annual XINSURANCE Great Lakes Grand Prix features many of the world’s fastest and most powerful offshore power boats racing along the southern shores of Lake Michigan. Throughout this exciting free event, walk through Washington park and chat with racers, team members and owners which also appear in the boat parade and block party. All weekend long, enjoy live entertainment, family fun, food, drinks and Racing!

July 31 (Wednesday) - August 4 (Sunday)

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visitors center

Marquette mall 4073 south franklin street michigan city, in 46360-7328.

• Mon-Fri 8:30AM - 4:30PM
• (219) 872 5055
• 1-800-634-2650

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