News: 2013 Race

Over 400 Mac sailors, family members, friends and members of the Chicago Yacht Club attended the 2013 Mac Awards Celebration on November 2, 2013. The celebration allowed us to honor those who won their sections, divisions, and overall in the 105th running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Veuve Clicquot.

The Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Committee is pleased to welcome Kris Guiterrez, morning anchor for Chicago's CBS Channel 2, as our Master of Ceremonies for the Mac Awards Celebration being held on November 2, 2013.

You are all cordially invited to attend the revamped 2013 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Awards Celebration. The committee has been hard at work on the revised format that will provide a celebratory awards ceremony and après party for an evening of memories. The Award Celebration will be held on Saturday, November 2, 2013. 

This year’s Mac Awards Dinner will take place at Monroe Station. This event is being presented by the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Committee. The evening’s festivities start off with our Annual Trophy Hug and proceed into the Mac Award Celebration in our new Open House format at Monroe Station. Celebrate the “Mac” in the confines of Monroe Station. Pricing and ticket info coming soon.

There was nothing quick about getting to the finish line in the extreme light wind conditions sailors faced in the 105th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. But the hot and tired crews emerging from the 150 or so boats that finished on Tuesday afternoon made a fast exit from the docks to the Sailor’s Celebration in the garden of the Grand Hotel to cheer for the winners in this year’s race. 

Despite the historically-light wind conditions that left half of the fleet still on the lake early Tuesday morning, the afternoon awards program will go on for the 105th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac.​

Congratulations to Windquest, a Max Z86 owned by Dick and Doug DeVos, on being first to finish in the racing fleet in the 105th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Veuve Clicquot.

By midday Monday there were still about 250 boats left to finish the 105th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. In what is being called “an epically slow race” due to extremely light wind conditions, sailors have been moving at a snail-like pace for several hours.

Here is a brief video with race situation and forecast as of the morning of July 14

So far this year’s Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Veuve Clicquot, has been better than early forecasts indicated, with moderate southeasterly winds positioning most of the fleet in the middle of Lake Michigan.