Mackinac Race gets follow on

Additional race takes fleet onto Little Current, Ontario

The first annual Mackinac - Manitoulin International Yacht Race is slated to get underway July 21, 2004, beginning in Mackinac Island, Michigan and ending in Little Current on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. This new race will follow the conclusion of the successful Port Huron - Mackinac Race that has been held every summer since the early 1920's. The Bayview Yacht Club of Detroit, Michigan, has been involved from the very beginning and is taking an active role in the race management of the event.

Bayview Yacht Club will host the 80th sailboat race to Mackinac Island on July 17, 2004. Said Tom Meier, chair of the 2004 Bacardi Bayview Mackinac Race, "Throughout the history of the race, we have had five different courses, but have always finished in Mackinac Island. The very first race of six boats in 1925 was really an excuse to get the boats "up north" so they could go cruising through the North Channel to destinations such as Gore Bay and Little Current."

The Bayview - Mackinac Race has expanded since that time to nearly 300 boats, 3,000 sailors, and 200 committee people. For the first time since that very first race, the Little Current Yacht Club will host a race from Mackinac Island to this beautiful port in the North Channel. "Bayview is proud to be part of this inaugural event as it brings us back to our roots when the Mackinac Race first started" added Meier.

Little Current Yacht Club's Commodore, Roy Eaton, stated, "We have the neighboring province of Ontario and the state of Michigan, two neighboring islands Mackinac and Manitoulin, and our two neighboring great countries Canada and the United States. Despite the fact that we are located less than 100 miles apart, there is little interaction between Mackinac and Manitoulin. We share a common nautical history with our neighbors on Mackinac Island and we are expecting this project and the common love of the sport of sailboat racing will bring us a little closer together."

The course for the race is approximately 120 miles in length and will begin in Mackinac and layover in Gore Bay on Manitoulin Island on the Thursday night. "There are certainly longer races on the Great Lakes but there are few that are more challenging; it's going to be a navigator's race" said Jim Rodgers of the Bayview Yacht Club and the principal race officer for this event. The final leg of the race will depart Gore Bay on Friday, July 23 with a 30-mile (typically prevailing) downwind sprint to the finish line in Little Current. The decision to include an overnight stop in Gore Bay was to avoid the possible hazards of sailing through the North Channel at night.

The cost of the race is $300 Cdn. and according to the LCYC 2004 race chair Don Gray, "We are offering a great value." Gray continues, " For the entry fee, the skipper gets three nights dockage, one in Gore Bay and two in Little Current, four tickets to our Awards Dinner in Little Current, a Captain's bag full of info from our more than 30 sponsors, and a chance to sail through some of the best cruising grounds in the world." Many of the participants from the Chicago - Mac and Port Huron - Mac Races end up in the North Channel. Gray adds, "This new race will hopefully give skippers one more reason to come to see what makes the North Channel one of the best sailing areas anywhere."

There are many events that have been developed around the race on both sides of the border Suggests Commodore Eaton "We have received incredible support from members of our communities. Many do not sail but wish to volunteer their time and energy to ensure that this International event will be a spectacular success both for the sailors and the visiting public. When we first sent out letters requesting sponsorship we hoped we might have 20 local sponsors and over 30 replied! The response is beyond anyone's wildest predictions."

In January 2004, Federal Member of Parliament Brent St. Denis announced $35,100 in marketing funding for the Race. "The Federal Government continues to be an important partner in our efforts to enhance the Northern Ontario economy and the development and promotion of tourism through yachting," stated Mr. St. Denis. "Many activities coinciding with the race will be planned in both Little Current and Gore Bay, allowing local businesses a terrific opportunity to take advantage of the event," he added.

Sailors will compete in five classes, two each for both Racing and Cruising and one Open class. Up for grabs will be the Mackinac Island Cup for best corrected time in the cruising class and the Manitoulin Island Cup for best corrected time in the racing class. These perpetual trophies will be on display at their respective yacht clubs. Space is limited to 50 participating vessels. The last date to sign up for this first, one-of-a-kind event is June 24, 2004.