Roy Disney’s 22-year run smashed by more than an hour
CHICAGO, July 14, 2024 – Sanford Burris, William and Ward Kinney’s Maverick team will be etched in Mac Race history as the new race record holder for the fastest Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust in 22 years, earning the honor from Roy E. Disney and Pyewacket.
Maverick also claimed this year’s Royono Trophy for the first racing monohull to finish the 115th edition. This year’s southerly winds and overnight storms created the perfect conditions for an incredible downwind race, which they completed in 22 hours, 24 minutes, 23 seconds, breaking Pyewacket’s record by one hour, six minutes, 11 seconds.
“I will tell you from my perspective, I wish the record had lasted longer, but these things are inevitable,” said Roy P. Disney, Roy E. Disney's son, upon hearing the news. “Given how long it took to break that record shows how difficult a course it is, and what a classic sailboat race it is! Many congratulations to the owner, the crew and the boat, Maverick.”
Burris, from Kirtland, Ohio, sails with his sons and many longtime friends on the carbon fiber Andrews 80 they have spent the past three years upgrading. Joining the 20 crew onboard is Evolution Sails founder Rodney Keenan.
The team celebrated briefly as the Maverick team crossed the Race to Mackinac finish line between Mackinac Island and the Round Island lighthouse … and then kept on sailing.
Maverick is one of 25 sailboats competing in this year’s “Super Mac” race, a combination of the Chicago Mackinac and the Bayview Mackinac races, which means they will continue into Lake Huron, heading south to Port Huron for a total of 565 statute miles (495 nautical miles).
What does it take to break the Race to Mackinac record?
Many factors need to align for record-setting conditions, especially over a 333 statute-mile (289 nautical-mile) race that is well known for multiple weather patterns in a short time span. This has earned the race its moniker as “America’s Offshore Challenge.”
“Most important is a southerly wind direction and strength, combined with advancements in boats and sails,” said Winn Soldani, chair for the 115th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust. “Plus you add in last night’s storms that brought increased breeze and it’s literally the perfect setup for a record-breaking year.
“On behalf of the Chicago Yacht Club, we congratulate the Maverick team for an incredible accomplishment.”
This year, the Race put a special emphasis on encouraging and attracting new boats and sailors. Across the 250-strong fleet, 26 new entries (10 percent) and more than 380 sailors (20 percent) are experiencing their first Mac. The Mac 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.
Next year, the Chicago Yacht Club celebrates its 150-year anniversary.
FOLLOW ALONG! HOW TO WATCH: Live Race Tracking and CYCRTM social media
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!
About the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac: “America’s Offshore Challenge™”
The Chicago Yacht Club Race to MackinacⓇ is one of the world’s largest annual offshore regattas, drawing top-notch sailing talent from around North America and the world. Known as ‘The Mac’ to everyone in the region, the ultimate test of Great Lakes navigation starts each July just off Chicago’s famous Navy Pier. While passing through some of the most beautiful coastal waters in the world on the 333-mile race route (289 nautical miles), the fleet faces the storms, reefs, calms, and competition that truly make it “America’s Offshore Challenge™.”
Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Learn more at www.cycracetomackinac.com.
ABOUT CHICAGO YACHT CLUB: Founded in 1875, the Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most respected yacht clubs in the world. Its mission is to encourage, promote, and develop knowledge, participation, and enjoyment of all aspects of yachting. To that end, the Club hosts many world class competitions and Predicted-Log events, including its signature Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac and numerous North American and World Championships. The Club is also recognized as a leader in sailing education, with one of the largest junior sailing programs in the United States. The Club is home to nearly 1500 members, including winning America’s Cup skippers, Olympic medalists and hopefuls, and outstanding boaters of all types, from ages 4 to 104. The Club offers an array of spectacular off-the-water amenities, including fine dining, full-service catering, and year-round activities for its diverse membership at two locations on the city’s shoreline, at Monroe and Belmont Harbors. Learn more at chicagoyachtclub.org.
ABOUT WINTRUST: Wintrust is a financial holding company with assets of approximately $53 billion whose common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. Built on the "HAVE IT ALL" model, Wintrust offers sophisticated technology and resources of a large bank while focusing on providing service-based community banking to each and every customer. Wintrust operates fifteen community bank subsidiaries, with over 170 banking locations located in the greater Chicago and southern Wisconsin market areas. Additionally, Wintrust operates various non-bank business units including business units which provide commercial and life insurance premium financing in the United States, a premium finance company operating in Canada, a company providing short-term accounts receivable financing and value-added out-sourced administrative services to the temporary staffing services industry, a business unit engaging primarily in the origination and purchase of residential mortgages for sale into the secondary market throughout the United States, and companies providing wealth management services and qualified intermediary services for tax-deferred exchanges.