‘Cruising’ into the 114th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust: First boats are underway


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Posted Jul 21, 2023

It’s been a full day of boat preparations for the 230 sailboats competing in the 114th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust. Now, registration is complete, the skippers meeting attended, and for the Cruising Division – the race to Mackinac Island has already begun.

The race, known as America’s Offshore Challenge™, begins in front of Chicago’s magnificent skyline and finishes 289 nautical miles (333 statute miles) north on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, at Michigan’s iconic Mackinac Island. 

A growing division in the Race, the Cruising boats set sail a day ahead of the faster race boats to allow more time to finish. The Cruising boats range from the magnificent 104-foot Whitehawk to family cruising boats trying their hand at the race known as America’s Offshore Challenge. 

Forecasters predict this to be a light-air race and according to the live race tracker HERE, the Cruising fleet is slowly making its way up Lake Michigan. Light and variable winds are expected overnight.

FOR SATURDAY:

The majority of the competitors in the Racing Division will first check in at Navy Pier and then the boats start in 10-minute increments according to their Section, between 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

From 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. the Chicago Yacht Club invites friends, family and fans to the Parade of Boats at the east end of Navy Pier to help send off the sailors.

HOW TO WATCH: Live Race Tracking and CYCRTM social media

YB Race Tracking

Fans will be able to follow both the cruising and racing fleets via YB Tracking HERE. Each boat is equipped with a satellite tracker that sends GPS information (location, speed, and direction) every 15 minutes and displays the location and track on the race course.

Social Media 

Race organizers will be actively posting updates to CYC Race to Mackinac Social Media. We encourage all fans to follow the race on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and stay engaged with the race as much as possible!

114th CYCRTM Fun Facts:

  • More than 2,100 racers from 16 countries and nearly every state in the U.S. is represented (45)
  • 230 entries
  • The teams will compete on state-of-the-art carbon fiber racing boats to family cruisers ranging from 29 feet to 80 feet
  • Crew numbers range between two (for the Doublehanded Division), to 22 (on board Maverick, the Andrews 80).

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