Last year was a record setting Mackinac, with a memorable wind and rain lashed finish and a capsize that continues to be a core part of Weather Channel programming. This year it was back to a more mundane yet still challenging race.
Pre race forecasts pretty much nixed any chance at setting records for a fast trip. These forecasts held up. The faster boats in the fleet sailed in light conditions with the wind astern. There were some better breezes for fleet tail enders as the wind did finally pick up.
Strategic questions such east or west shore breeze or not were much discussed. Many boats such as Crazy Horse and Panache in Section 2 favored the Michigan side. This was the tactic of most of the fleet.
The Transpac 52 Rosebud however headed first to the Wisconsin side and then crossed over with a filling breeze. This was reminiscent of the Farr 40 Voodo's performance several years ago. Bacchant which placed 2nd overall stayed much more to the middle of the lake not heading towards Michigan until near Big Sable Pt. There were probably enough variations in tactics that more than one approach proved a winner.
Alchemy a 77 footer in its first Mackinac was first to finish. They crossed the line at 0245 on Monday. This was 12 hours behind Pyewacket's 2002 record. Alchemy's race was slowed by a wind hole near Charlevoix.
However, handicap honors generally went to smaller boats. The Chicago-Mackinac Trophy Division was won by Retriever an Alden 51. Despite it's 50+ feet Retriever was in Section 5, among the lowest rated boats in its division.
The Mackinac Cup was won by Bantu the Block Island 41 which has had multiple Mackinac successes. Bantu sailed in Section 9 the Mackinac Cup's final section.
Overall Multi Hull honors went to Cathexis. The light downwind conditions were difficult for catamarans. Nice Pair which corrected out 3rd, said they sailed an extra 120 miles above the rhumb line distance trying to sail decent down wind angles.
For some boats the Chicago race will be their only Mac. Others have left Mackinac Island and are down bound for Port Huron and the season's second Mac race which is previewed below.
Alchemy, an Andrews 77, has earned first-to finish honors for the 97th running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, the world's longest annual freshwater race.
Alchemy, the new 77-foot Alan Andrews-designed boat owned by Richard and Mary Compton of Santa Barbara, Calif., finished the race in 35 hours, 25 minutes and 17 seconds. Alchemy crossed the finish line at 1:45 a.m. CDT on Monday, July 14
As of 6:30 a.m. CDT Monday, a total of 15 boats, including all members of the Great Lakes 70 fleet, had crossed the finish line.
Light but varying wind conditions during the early morning hours Monday continued to challenge the 280 sailboats making their way north from Chicago to Mackinac Island, Mich. Winds were south to southwest at 3 to 5 knots at the finish line and slightly stronger west of the Mackinac Bridge, according to Race spokesman Dick Schweers.
As of 6:30 a.m. CDT, Caliente, the first multihull boat, was nearing the finish. During last year's race, Caliente capsized during the strong storms, and the crew was rescued by competitor Kokomo and the freighter Algo.
The majority of the fleet (172 boats) had crossed the 45th parallel, the southern part of the Manitou Islands, approximately two-thirds of the way to the finish line. One boat officially withdrew from the race earlier Sunday.
Conditions on the lake are much calmer than last year, which was one of the fastest Macs in recent history, said Race spokesperson Dick Schweers. Many believed Alchemy could beat the record finish time set last year by Roy Disney's Pyewacket, however, the did not cooperate. The Pyewacket record of 23:30:24 in 2002 beat the previous record finish time of 25:50:44 set in 1987 by Dick Jennings Pied Piper. The record for multihull boats was set in 1998 by Steve Fossett's Stars and Stripes, which finished in 18:50:32. The race normally takes 40 to 60 hours to complete.
Racers reported inconsistent wind conditions throughout the day Sunday. It's been a very tricky race tactically, as we have been running into small pockets of wind periodically, said racer Shawn O'Neill of Eagle via satellite phone Sunday afternoon.
The Race to Mackinac is Chicago Yacht Club's world-renowned race that challenges the endurance, speed and agility of skippers and crewmembers from around the globe each year. The 333-mile race from Chicago to Mackinac Island at the northern end of Lake Michigan is the world's longest freshwater race and one of the most prestigious in the United States.
"The Mac" is a handicapped race with four divisions: Mackinac Cup Division, made up of larger boats; Chicago-Mackinac Trophy Division, made up of smaller boats; Multihull Division; and Open division. Each division is scored separately and boats compete only with others in their division. As a result, there are four overall winners based on handicapped, corrected time and four First-To-Finish honors are awarded based on the fastest elapsed time.
New to the race this year, all monohull boats are being scored using the US SAILING AMERICAP II TM handicap system, which allows for boats of different sizes to compete against each other more equitably. This new system will provide significantly more competitive racing while continuing to reward preparation, skill and perhaps, a little luck. Multihull boats continue to sail under lake Michigan Performance Handicapped Racing Federation (LMPRFH) handicaps.
The start of the race was on Lake Michigan approximately 1.5 miles east of Chicago's Monroe Harbor. Prior to the start, competing boats paraded for the public past Navy Pier with their ceremonial flags raised. The finish line for the race is the lighthouse on Round Island, off Mackinac Island, Michigan.
During the course of the Chicago Mac I noted and observed a number of things. So, you get to participate in the emptying of my reporter's note book.
Note #1 Squall Jacket a year late?
A press release announcing race winners noted, "Skippers and crew of winning boats in each division are awarded Lands' End squall jackets."
After last year's Chicago Mac I wrote a Short Tack on 'The Squall'. This squall made quite an impact up and down the course. The bigger boats near the finish line had quite a run, including dismastings. Down the course the catamaran Caliente capsized. Yup looks like Lands End joined in a year late.
The 2002 Squall http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/jl/0724/st.htm
Squall Jacket http://www.landsend.com/cd/fp/prod/0,,1_2_1931_66_69397_47844_5:view=59,00.html?sid=8561066148503160000
Note # 2
For those not etymologically inclined Alchemy means to turn base metals into gold, or take the common and transform it to special. Sailing wise gold or a special achievement can be seen as records.
While Alchemy definitely has record setting potential weatherwise the 77 footer has been working with chicken Sh*t winds in trying to make Lake Michigan records.
For the Queens Cup, Alchemy's first Lake Michigan race, Muskegon had an average wind of only 5.6 knots. When the fleet raced the Tripp Cup across to Milwaukee the average wind was 14.8 knots.
For the Chicago Mac, Alchemy had days when the winds averaged 6.0 and 4.8 knots at Muskegon. The day prior to the race the average wind was 13.2 knots!
Muskegon June Weather http://www.torresen.com/weather/weather/muskegon_weather/archives/month.php?year=2003&month=june
South Lake Michigan Buoy http://www.chicagomackinac.com/2003/weather/bouy.php?station=45007
Note # 3
Paging through a book of Mackinac history I came upon an account of the 1969 race. It was termed a "battle of light canvas." 2003 was also a light air race, although what's used as canvas differed.
First to finish that year was Norsaga a 12 meter. Norsaga didn't finish until Tuesday morning in a time of 60 hours 29 minutes.
This year in similar conditions Alchemy needed over 24 hours less to finish the course!
Of course, 2002 was a heavier air year. This was also the case in 1968. That year Norsaga sailed the course in 37 hours 40 minutes as 157 of 185 starters finished.
12 Meter Trivia http://www.12mr.de/
Note # 4
Is there an old/ heavy boat bias? Winner of the Mackinac Cup division was Bantu a 40 year old design. Winner of the big boat division was an Alden 51 designed along traditional lines. 2nd was Bacchant a design dating back prior to World War II. The Queens Cup was won by a Tartan 4600, the Hook Race by a Tartan 4100. These races had Americap (Chi Mac) and the others raced under PHRF.
It makes one wonder if there isn't some type of a bias. There's been tremendous progress in making sailboats lighter and faster. Look at the 52 foot Rosebud which beat the Great Lakes 70's across the line. The GL 70's date to the 80's while Rosebud is just 2 years old.
One interpretation of the situation is this.....designers and sailors make progress while handicap systems don't. A case can be made that this lessens the incentive to invest in designs that are newer and faster.
Links:
40 years of 40's http://www.torresen.com/sd/1999/july99/070299.htm
Americap Explained http://www.chicagomackinac.com/2003/news/amcap_explained.php
Note # 5
Many a Mackinac sage has said, "if you see the sables then you've lost the race". Using the tracking data at http://www.rminet.com/cyc/ we can give this old saw a brief test. In the J 105's New World saw the Sables while Space Cowboy didn't. New World came home 3 hours ahead. In Section 3 Bacchant bypassed sightseeing the Sables while St. Francis got a good look. Bacchant ended up with a 3 hour edge on Mackinac Island sites. Going back to 2001, "it seemed as though the boats inshore scooted and the boats offshore parked." Me thinks that unlike Pegasus in the Transpac "that got every shift" Lake Michigan was not as consistent and so results of strategies weren't as consistent as one thinks.
Big Sable Light http://www.bigsablelighthouse.org
Little Sable Light http://www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/light/littlesa.htm
245 Michigan Time (145 race time) Alchemy ghosted across the finish line of the 2003 Chicago Mac race, earning the prestigious right of top line honors. Twelve hours shy of breaking any race records, the big red boat finished a mere 30 minutes after they had passed under the bridge. Moving on glassy waters, Alchemy proved their combination of mast height and sail area perfect to catch even the faintest hint of breeze.
Bill Alcott's new Equation called in from the bridge within 10 minutes of Alchemy's finish, making up nearly five hours of time between the 45th parallel and the bridge. They also caught Rosebud by the bridge, but only by the 4 minute margin that Rosebud had held at the previous call in. Three hundred thirty three miles, and still within sight of each other.
2nd to finish was another California boat Rosebud @ 0254, followed by Bill Alcott's turbo sled Equation in it's first great lakes outing @ 0258.
The next bridge call was from Holua at approximately 304.
The distinction of first to finish also earned Alchemy the right of being first to be inspected. Upon docking they get to have their gear scrutinized and audited - at three in the morning - after sailing for a day an a half.
This Saturday, July 12th, 287 boats will start the 333-mile
Chicago to Mackinac race. This year the Chicago to Mac
precedes the Port Huron to Mackinac Race. Sailors generally
expect to spend two nights on the water with any number of
factors controlling the outcome. This will be the 96th
sailing of the 333-mile race.
New to the Mac this year is the use of the Americap II
handicap system. Americap II is a rating system combining
multiple elements. Included are boat measurement (similar
to IOR), wind velocity and direction (familiar from IMS) and
a combined time on time/time on distance scoring (both
methods used in PHRF).
In simple terms the course takes the boats from one end of
Lake Michigan to the other and often from one side to the
other. The course includes cityscapes, sand dunes,
islands, light houses, the Mackinac bridge, and plenty of
blue Lake Michigan water.
Last year Pyewacket set a new mono hull elapsed time record
of 23 hours 20 minutes. Included was an epic 9-hour, 50-minute
passage to the Manitou Islands an average of over 20 knots!
This year Alchemey, also from the west coast, is a potential
record breaker. Just launched this spring, Alchemey is a 77
footer designed by Alan Andrews. Alchemy has only been
raced twice, with one race being the Queens Cup across Lake
Michigan. Under PHRF Alchemy rates 16 seconds a mile
faster than Pyewacket. Over 333 miles that is a lot of time.
Current forecasts show the fleet starting in 10-15 knot west
winds, which will then shift to the SW from 10-20 knots.
These are excellent and fast conditions. Last year, writing
on Friday, I predicted a Pyewacket record. At this point
I'll stick to Alchemy being a potential record breaker. For
one, the boat is much less refined than Pyewacket, for
another short term weather forecasts are more accurate.
Check back Friday for Chicago Mackinac weather outlook on
our Chicago Mackinac Site.
As 2003 passes the half way mark Muskegon has yet to experience a month with above normal temperatures. The years sixth month, June, saw temperatures end the month 1 degree below normal. This is near the year to date average of -1.12 degrees.
The month began with a cold streak with the 1st 11 days having below normal temperatures. On the 2nd the monthly low of 35 degrees occurred and I wrote, "Summer in Michigan has been cancelled in favor of more freezing temperatures." The monthly high came much later on the 25th when 90 degrees was recorded.
Along with the cool temperatures came a rain deficit. Only .99 inches of rain was received. This is 1.59 inches below normal. Almost half of that rain came on the 26th when .43 inches fell. The lack of rain is highlighted by the period from the 11th to the 25th when no measurable precipitation fell. During this period there was a full moon morning, a nice sunrise, a still clear morning, an orange sun ball 2/3rds over the horizon, and a sliver moon in a blue sky, but no rain.
This lack of rain has put West Michigan into the abnormally dry category. However, conditions are not yet categorized as a drought.
There was some good weather news in the form of clear skies. 18 days were recorded as clear with 11 falling under partly cloudy. A lone day was categorized as cloudy.
Wind-wise Muskegon showed an average of 7.8 knots. This was .3 knots below normal. Windiest day was 14.8 knots on the 25th the day of the Tripp Cup from Muskegon to Milwaukee. The 21st with only 4.5 knots of wind gets this months sailors nightmare award!
Muskegon has had half a year straight of below normal temperatures. If that trend breaks in July expect to see some of the years hottest weather.