The general weather out look for this years’s Chicago Mac race-that a high pressure would stall and make for a slow race- was correct. However, in speaking with those who sailed it wasn’t that simple.

Seeking answers to questions I had about certain aspects of how the weather played out I was able to ask Mark Rudiger who navigated 1st to finish Genuine Risk a few questions. Rudiger brought two successful trips around the world to Lake Michigan and it’s weather.

Prior to the race I suspected the Michigan side of the lake would be best. Feedback indicated it might have been dicey. Rudiger said: “Our weather models and local knowledge said go right for shift and pressure.”

I heard that boats that played the beach, ie sailed real close to the sandy Michigan shore did not do well. About this Rudiger said, “We went within 5 miles of shore the 1st night and tacked from a NNE wind to a NE wind and good pressure.”

Comments from the course indicate that the 5 mile distance was important. A point such as this is where boats may have benefited from a combination of the gradient breeze and the breeze off the land. The benefit is that the two mix and combine and create a breeze better than the individual components.

Further Rudiger said, “Esmerelda and Windquest followed us and made it work well as they compressed into us when the wind died half way up the lake.” Along with Rudiger’s Genuine Risk these were the top 3 boats overall, so perhaps the Michigan side did pay after all.

On Sunday as Genuine Risk continued north, “We also positioned ourselves close to the shore for the sea breeze the following day.”

Finally, I was curious about the sources Rudiger used to dial in his weather. Of this he said, “We were working more on real time observations up the coast than satellite pics. There is not enough resolution for the lake.”

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