Winds were right for a fast start to the world’s longest annual freshwater sailing race. Keep watching www.chicagomackinac.com for more information and updates.

The 99th Running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac started today, with the first start starting at 9:30 am. The new Cruising Division kicked off the race as the first section to begin the 333 mile course to Mackinac Island, Mich. ‘The Mac,’ world’s longest annual freshwater sailing race, brings hundreds of talented and experienced sailors to the waters of Lake Michigan every year.

The official count is 298 boats participating. This morning, winds are out of the south-southwest blowing at about 15 knots, which is perfect for a spinnaker start, something we haven’t seen in a few years. This will make for a fast start. However, thunderstorms are possible later today, which always makes for an interesting challenge on Lake Michigan.

As for the ‘favorites’ in this year’s race, the section line-up makes for some hotly contested racing. Among the One Desi gn sections, the Beneteau 36.7 is one of the fastest growing One Design sections in Mac, with 19 boats this year. Lou Sandoval and team aboard Karma are back to defend their section win in ‘06. Chicago Yacht Club veteran Warren Levins, 2nd place in ‘06, is looking to knock Karma from their perch, but that’s not going to be easy because for 2007, Bob Foley and his crew on Tried and True have left their handicap section and now moved to race One Design. Or will the winner be the talented crew of Split Decision , with a combined total of over 175 previous Mackinac Races. The owner, Mark Norris, is racing his twenty-eighth Mac and is the son of Anne Juell, the first woman to race twenty-five Mackinac races and become the first woman member of the Island Goat Sailing Society.

Of course ten 70′ boats dancing at the starting line Saturday afternoon will be a site to see. Bill Martin and his crew on Stripes decided to go after his brethren in the Great Lakes 70 class, while past record holder Pied Piper now skippered by son Jack Jennings will be on the line against his father and winning skipper of Piper, Dick Jennings now on Blow em’ to Smithereens. Will the Jennings family hosting two boats do battle under the wire and cross the line side by side so they are even for Thanksgiving bragging rights, or will Tom Neill on Nitemare repeat his 2006 section win?

As the largest One Design section of this year’s Mac as they have been for many years, the T-10 fleet is alive and well in Chicago and around the Great Lakes. Among the 26 boat fleet, all top five winners in last year’s race are returning to defend or improve their standings. Led by Temerity, Cheap Thrill, Wild Norwegian, Yellow Mellow and Rainbows End, the T-10 section start at 12:20 p.m. on Saturday looks to be a challenge. Many really good sailors drive these boats to their handicap, and given the right conditions, have the chance at division level recognition. Can Tim Snyder drive Cheap Thrill to repeat his 2005 performance for first in Section, or will past Mac Chair Rick Lillie on Waterworks rain on his parade. There are lots of transponders on these boats, tune in and watch the fun.

Among the handicap sections, Section 9 is the smaller handicapped boats, ranging in size from 29′ to 39′. Kutty’s Ark owned by George Morrissey Joe McGinnis were overall winners in 2005. Mystery based in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada will see her 4th Chicago Mac Race with previous finishes of 3rd in 2004 and 4th in class in 2005. Boat designs in this section read like a ‘who’s who’ of boat design manufacturers: C&C, J-boats, S2, Catalina. Pearson, Tartan, Ericson, Beateau, and Saber, just to name a few. Will Mother Nature turn the 2007 Mac into a small boat race? And will Section 9 be on the top? Only time will tell.

In the 22 boat Section 6, the fist place honors is open for grabs. Smokuum, Two the overall Mac winner last year, is not returning to defend her section. One of the larger sections, Section 6 has 50% of the fleet traveling to participate in the Chicago Mac. Tall Grass , a newly introduced Beneteau 10R, a 33 ft boat, is running up against Retriever , an Alden 52. The beauty of the handicap system.

Bounder returns to defend the Section 4 title, however in ‘07 due to the mix of entries, last year’s Geronimo has moved to Section 5 and last year’s Overall Winner Eagle , owned by Chicago father and son Jerry and Shawn O’Neill, moves down from Section 3. This section is sure to be sailed tight with many Sydney 36, 38, Mumm 36s and others of very similar handicap. We’re sure they will be watching each other very closely as they make their way up the Rhumb Line.

Finally, we have Section 1, the big boat section for handicaps. From the shortest in length a Shock 40 Lightning of the Polish Yachting Association to DeVos and his 86′ Windquest, the largest boat in this year’s Mac, this section represents a collection of some of the hottest boats on the Great Lakes. Is this the year Windquest , first to finish last year, beats Roy Disney’s elapsed time record of 23:30:34 set in 2002? Can Lindy Thomas on Goblin fake them all out at Gray’s Reef and correct over them all for first in section. From Farr’s to Nelson Marek’s to custom boats. These are your true racing machines, crewed by some of the thoroughbreds of current boat racing.

To catch the start of racing today, come out to Navy Pier to watch the magnificent and colorful Parade of Boats at 10:30 a.m. There will be giveaways, which will include race t-shirts, bite lights and fudge from the island of Mackinac, Mich. Also, Island Goats, or sailors who have c ompeted in the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac at least 25 times, will be mingling with the crowd to recount stories about sailing the wild and unpredictable Lake Michigan.

It’s a beautiful sight to see when the yachts promenade with their bright ceremonial flags before attempting to win the 333-mile, adventurous race from Chicago to Mackinac Island. Torresen Marine’s www.chicagomackinac.com will have staff at the race finish to provide you with updates and insight.

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