To Mac and Back

Saturday is the start of the greatest fresh-water yacht race in the world--the Chicago Yacht Club's Race to Mackinac. The course is up the length of Lake Michigan and across to Michigan. It is something like 335 miles, but that is generally as the crow flies. Sailboats rarely get to go in a straight line. The normal approach is either to hug the western shore and try and cross near the top of the lake or cross right away and hug the eastern shore. It all depends on wind and whether you prefer Wisconsin to Michigan. In either case, the strategy is to take advantage of coastal winds rather than get stuck in the middle of the lake with no wind. Figure on two or three days on the water.

In the end, you are at Mackinac, which is inexplicably pronounced "Mackinaw," for lots of beer and assorted nautical high jinks. It's not much of a spectator sport, but it must be fun to take part.

Comments

Crystal said…
Sounds fun, I'm gonna have to get up to Mackinac Island one of these days. Never been to Michigan's Upper Peninsula yet.
Jul 18, 2005, 3:59:00 PM
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