Bell's Beer Bayview Mackinac Race starts today; the 259-mile race up Lake Huron
DETROIT, MI - Lake Huron will be filled with sails today through Monday for the Bell's Beer Bayview Mackinac Race. The 93rd running of the race begins at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, July 22, just north of the Blue Water Bridge. More than 2,500 sailors are expected to take part in the regatta, which offers boats two courses as they make a beeline north to Mackinac Island. The shorter Shore Course skims close to the shoreline before turning west toward the island. It's 204 nautical miles. The longer Cove Island Course is 259 nautical miles. Sailors round a buoy near the tip of the Bruce Peninsula in Canadian waters before heading west toward the finish line off Windermere Point on Mackinac Island, according to race officials. This weekend's race comes on the heels of last weekend's Chicago Yacht Club to Mackinac Race, which also ended at Mackinac Island. –Tanda Gmiter, writing for MLive. Full story.
More via organizer Bayview Yacht Club's press release on today's kick-off on the race's official Facebook Page here.
See also a nice story from last week on your Ed.'s longtime hometown friend, Bill Martin, who will race his 50th Bayview-Mac this year.
Bill Martin (Ann Arbor, MI) will be racing his 50th Bayview Mac up Lake Huron starting today, on his 70-footer STRIPES.