2002 Chicago to Mackinac Race Updates
As The Race Progresses

Wednesday July 24th Special edition of Around the World of Sailing: The race, the record, the rescue and the squall- the 2002 Chicago Mac.... Click here to subscribe

2002 Chicago Mackinac Winners

Outright 1st to finish: Pyewacket 23 H 30 M

Mackinac Cup Division Overall
1.  Illusion Mumm 30 Section 3 Corrected time 30 H  47M
2.  Bacchant 75 Sq. Meter Section 3 31 H 7 M
3.  Pronto 1D 35 Secttion 3 31 H 53 M

Chicago to Mackinac Trophy Dvision Overall
1.  Holy Toledo Hobie 33 Section 6 Corrected Time 30H 27 M
2.  Bantu Block Island 41 Section 9 30H 35M
3.  Pronto II J 105 30H 44M

Multi Hull 1st to Finish: Adagio 30H 5M

Mutli Hull Top 3
1.  Merloe F 31 33H 13M
2.  Gamera F25C 34H 40M
3.  High Priority 2 34H 45M

Report 8 @ 0650 Tuesday

Here is the official US Coast Guard Operations Summary of Kokomo's rescue of Caliente's crew: 

SEARCH AND RESCUE: CAPSIZED SAILBOAT WITH SIX PEOPLE IN THE WATER - GREYS REEF PASSAGE, NORTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN

UNITS: Station St. Ignace, Motor Vessel Algomarine, Yacht Kokamo

Six people were safely recovered after their 44-foot sailing vessel capsized near White Shoal Light north of Greys Reef Passage. The vessel was participating in the Chicago to Mackinac Race when strong winds caused the vessel to capsize throwing all six people into the water. The vessel was able to launch a flare which was seen by the motor vessel Algomarine. The Algomarine contacted Group Sault Ste Marie and located the capsized vessel. Station St Ignace launched. The Algomarine provided illumination as the nearby yacht KokamoO recovered all the people from the water. The sailing vessel will be removed by commercial salvage. An unknown amount of gasoline remains on board, but no pollution was observed. CASE CLOSED

Report 7 @ 1250 Mark McCrindle writes, "Hey great updates, much better that the CYC web page. Can you give us any more info on SASSY. It stated injuries? Thanks Mark McCrindle"

Answer: There was one injury on Sassy.  One person lost the tip of their finger.  

Per Chicago Yacht Club, following boats have withdrawn

Spitfire- Broken Rudder

Erica

Habanero

Bodacious

Moody Blue

Celerity

Alibi

Hallel- Broken Boom

Zingara

Ragged Edge

Sassy- Dismasted

Windancer IV- Mast Damage

Chance

Dolphin

Latest Trick

Stray Dog

Report 6 @ 1045 Monday

Results in the Chicago Mackinac Trophy/Small Boat PHRF division are starting to take shape.  Overall leader is Holy Toledo a Hobie 33 from Section 6.  They edged Section 9's Bantu by 8 minutes.  Chicago Yacht Club has complete results.

Report 5 @ 0830 Monday

Another good result for a Muskegon boat.  Bill Newman's Aftershock finished at @ 0454 this morning to secure 3rd place in the J 35 class.

Report 4 @ 0620 Monday

A severe storm hit the fleet Sunday nite.  A multi hull Caliente capsized.  Crew from the mutli hull was picked up by Kokomo.  Kokomo then raced onto the Island finishing at 2321 Sunday nite.  Kokomo should receive a time credit for time spent in the rescue of the multi hull crew.  This will positively affect their corrected time position.  15 boats withdrew as a result of this storm and  the venerable maxi Sassy was dismasted.

This storm hit some boats as the GL 70 class neared the finish.  Some boats has passed the bridge others had not.  As the storm hit many boats jybed.  There are reports of several broken booms. Windancer VI decided during the squall to not risk a jybe.  Rather they 'wore ship' choosing to tack around.  Despite this they were nearly dismasted, their mast nearly broke off near deck level. According to race officials some even finished under bare poles.

According to posted times the GL 70 class had an extremely close finish in the chaotic, squally conditions.  Holua beat Evolution across the line by a mere 25 seconds.  They were then followed by 7 boats in the next 3 minutes!

Listed as the overall leader on corrected time is Illusion a Mumm 30 sailing in Section 3.  This modern one design is currently 24 minutes ahead of the all wood 75 square meter Baccahnt.  

Muskegon's Gadget skippered by Bill Seaman is listed as 3rd in Section 4 and 16th overall.

Report 3 @ 1805 Sunday

Pyewacket has set a new mono hull record for the Chicago to Mackinac course.  Owned by Roy Disney Pyewacket finished @ 1340 this afternoon, a time of 23.5 hours.  This is an average speed of 14.1 knots.  This breaks the record of 25 hours 50 minutes set by Pied Piper in 1987.  It is short of the outright record of 18 hours held by the catamaran Stars and Stripes.  

The 23.5 hour time will go in the books at the 19th fastest passage, and the 5th fastest by a monohull.

According to Chicago Yacht Club officials Pyewacket reached the Manitou Islands in 9 H 50 M.  This was over 8 hours ahead of the next yacht Colt 45 a Santa Cruz 70!  To achieve this remarkable run Pyewacket averaged 20.5 knots.  For the remainder of the course they averaged a more typical 9.6 knots.

Contrasts this with the fact that driving time  from Chicago to Empire MI, which is near Sleeping Bear Dunes/The Manitou's is figured at 9 H 38 minutes.  Granted it's a 371 mile drive vs. a 202 mile sail, but rarely does a sailboat achieve parity with an automobile.

Many more boats from the GL 70, and top PHRF sections, along with the Farr 40's should finish by the days end.  Others farther down the course will have to face a cold front and the northerly change expected to come with it.  If this shift comes through it could make for favorable handicap results for the bigger boats.  There is still an out from a tough upwind slog.  The Straits of Mackinac forecast shows west and north west winds throughout Monday.  So, while Pyewacket's record has been recorded many of the race winners have not yet been determined.

Report 2 @ 0800 Sunday

It was a fast 1st nite for the Chicago Mackinac fleet.  At Muskegon winds were from the south ranging from 10-17 knots overnite.  As the nite went on they increased.  At the North Lake Michigan weather buoy near N. Manitou Island winds were from 13-27 knots from the S& SSW.

Looking at the boats we reported on yesterday, according to information from the  official website Mirage, a Santa Cruz 70, had covered 153 miles by 5 o'clock this morning.  This gives an approximate average of 10.2 knots, slower than previously reported. Still, Mirage should pass the Manitou Islands several hours before noon.  The other boat, Erleichda has also seen the average speed we have calculated drop to 8.5 knots.  Erleichda is on pace to clear the Manitous by early afternoon. 

Position wise- Mirage is north of Big Sable with only a few boats likely much ahead of this.

The forecast calls for more mile making SW winds in the 20 knot range.  The tonite the wind is scheduled to shift east a bad thing for those heading to Mackinac.

Hopefully the winds will hold and by our afternoon report we will know the where abouts of Pyewacket most likely farthest up the lake of all the boats.

Report 1 @ 1830 Saturday

The final start took place @ 1410 off Chicago.  Most boats can probably still see Chicago's skylines.  Winds for the start were in the double digits from the SE.  

Wind at the South Lake Michigan Buoy is only 3.9 knots, indicating that the forecast was over optimistic. 

 However, using data from the official website, Erlichda from Muskegon averaged approximately 9.6 knots in the first 3 hours of the race.  This extrapolates to a finishing time of 2300 Sunday nite.  Mirage a Santa Cruz 70 has averaged 12.6 knots in 3 hours sailing according to our interpretation.  This figures to a time of 26 hours, very near record pace.  

The Lake Michigan forecast still holds hope for good wind tonite- South @ 10-20 knots.  Such a wind could continue to produce average speeds as those noted above.  

Still, without confirmation from official sources such as the race organizers, or a visual ID of the fleet, one can't be 100% certain of the fleets progress.  None the less the 1st nite of the race could be both a pleasant and fast one.  Hopefully we will have more information for our Sunday morning report to clarify the boats progress.