Each summer, hundreds of magnificent sailboats (also known as yachts) race their way north through the Great Lakes to the Straits of Mackinac, converging on Mackinac Island in two of the most esteemed freshwater sailing competitions in the world. One race starts in Chicago, the other in Port Huron. They are typically held in consecutive weeks, often alternating the order each year.
The Chicago Race: A Freshwater Tradition
The race from Chicago is regarded as the oldest annual freshwater distance race in the world. The tradition began on August 6, 1898, when five yachts raced from Chicago to Mackinac Island, starting that 333-mile competition. The second race wasn’t held until 1904, and by the third race, an all-women team with skipper Miss Evelyn Wright at the helm of the sloop Lady Eileen had entered the competition.
Today, the Chicago Mackinac Race hosts several hundred boats and over 3,000 sailors. The boats set sail from the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse just off Navy Pier before crossing Lake Michigan and traveling north along the shoreline. They then pass under the five-mile Mackinac Bridge and finish in the Round Island Channel off Mackinac Island.
The Chicago Mackinac Race typically begins on a Saturday in mid-to-late July, with the fastest boats arriving in the Straits of Mackinac as early as 18 hours later.
The Bayview Race: From Port Huron
It was in 1925 that the Port Huron Yacht Club and the Bay View Yacht Club in Detroit teamed up to host the first Bayview Mackinac Race. The 32-foot sloop Bernida, skippered by Russ Pouliot, won the inaugural race with a time of 49 hours, 50 minutes. A dozen yachts competed in that race, but only six actually completed the 261-mile course.
The Bayview Mackinac Race typically begins on a Saturday in mid-July in Port Huron, with the smallest boats starting first followed by the larger boats. Teams typically begin arriving on Mackinac Island on Sunday evening through Tuesday morning, providing plenty of opportunity for the public to view the ships and their brightly colored sails making their way into the Straits of Mackinac.
Viewing the Action
Visitors to Mackinaw City during these two race periods will be delighted to see the brightly colored boats passing through the Straits area. Shoreline locations around Wilderness State Park and McGulpin Point provide great photo opportunities for the Chicago race, while the beach area in front of Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse or along the Lake Huron shoreline are ideal for watching the boats coming up from Port Huron.