We are starting to see boats back in the harbors and the horses have made their way to Mackinac Island, which only means one thing - it’s almost summer. We are looking forward to a fast and fun 113th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, and I wanted to share a few reminders as we are approaching some deadlines. 

It’s great to see the early excitement and interest for the 113th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust. In just the first month of registration opening, we have already surpassed the 230-boat entry mark and are on track for one of the largest races in recent years. 

CHICAGO, March 1, 2022 – Despite the ice blanketing Lake Michigan’s shoreline, sailors eye a sure sign of summer ahead: the 2022 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac® (CYCRTM) presented by Wintrust registration is now open.

We apologize that we need to delay the opening of registration for the 113th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust until March 1, 2022. 

Racers, 

In order to provide the best experience for our competitors, we will be delaying the opening of registration until February 15th.  We are putting the final touches on our brand new registration system and we need a little more time.  Data from past races will be imported, but competitors will have to reset their passwords prior to completing entries or crew profiles.  The Notice of Race and Chicago Mackinac Safety Requirements will be published as scheduled on February 1st on the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Website. 

Welcome to 2022! I hope you had the opportunity to spend time with your friends and family this holiday season. This past year was the year of “return to racing” with the 112th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust and many other events taking place. We look to build on that success this year with the 113th CYCRTM, and I have a lot of exciting news to share about the race.

Chicago Yacht Club has appointed Sam Veilleux to be the chairman of the 113th and 114th Races to Mackinac taking place in 2022 and 2023. The announcement was made at the Race to Mackinac Awards Banquet held on November 6th at Monroe Station. More than 300 competitors, members of the sailing community and honored guests were in attendance. 

"The Race" is the documentary about the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac from start to finish, but more importantly, the actual experience of the race as told by the countless competitors turned "on board reporter" to help T2PTV Sailing on Demand tell the story of this 112-year-old race. The traditions, old and new, the challenge and the range of conditions explain why the families on board these boats are bonded by blood, sweat and joy.

Chicago, Ill. (July 21, 2021) – The Chicago Yacht Club’s 112th Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust was a slow race along its 289.4 nautical mile course from Chicago to Mackinac Island, with primarily upwind wind angles that saw the breeze going from decent at the starts to completely dead at some points near the Manitou Islands, offering windless holes that stranded some of the fleet’s 231 boats longer than others.

From the Grand Hotel to the Mackinac Yacht Club, meet the characters from Race Committee and the fleet as they finish on the idilic Mackinac Island. The Chicago "Mac" is dominated by amateur racers, cruising AND racing boats and a lot of family members.